For the maze:

• a confusing network of intercommunicating paths or passages; a labyrinth
• a state of bewilderment, confusion, or perplexity
• a winding movement, as in dancing

Somehow these definitions do not sound like walking a labyrinth to be a stress relieving or mindfulness meditation experience. In fact these would be enough to make most run from this whole walking a labyrinth notion.

I bring up these definitions of the labyrinth because they are very misleading. For starters, the labyrinth in its appearance does indeed resemble a maze, something you would find on the back of a kid's placemat at a restaurant, however, it is not misleading like the definition states. The labyrinth has one way into its center and one way out, no dead ends, no surprises. It is not meant to confuse or mislead. It is meant to be a sacred journey, a "right-brain" creativity enhancer: a tool for psychological and spiritual development (Labyrinth Society). A "single path magical maze" is what Sid Lonegren of Mid-Atlantic Geomancy calls the labyrinth.

On the labyrinth homepage of "Awakenings" there is this excellent description: "A labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves intuition, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path. At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are."

The history of the labyrinth dates back thousands of years. The oldest recorded labyrinths come from Greece and coins from Crete had maze designs (the Greek "key" design) on them. According to Classical Mythology, a labyrinth was built by Daedalus in Crete to contain the Minotaur. The story goes as this: Born of Pasiphae (the wife of Minos II - king of Crete) and a magnificent white bull, The Minotaur was a celebrated monster. It had the body of a man and the head of a bull. The Minotaur was fed human flesh, seven boys and seven girls as an annual tribute from Athens. Theseus, the great hero of the Athenians who contests and exploits were considered fabulous, killed the Minotaur (Zimmerman, 1977). This labyrinth actually was a maze, therefore this began the confusion between the two.

I don't believe there to be any fabulous monsters confined in labyrinths today. They are used instead to symbolize a sacred journey, for walking meditations, and spiritual enhancement. Many are in churches and cathedrals. One very famous labyrinth is laid into the floor at Chartres Cathedral, near Paris, in Chartres, France. The Chartres Labyrinth will celebrate its 800th birthday this year the week of August 10 through August 16.

TYPES OF LABYRINTHS

Some labyrinths are outdoors, in the woods, painted in driveways, are portable and painted on canvas, in basements, grange halls, etc. Many links to view different labyrinths can be found through the Labyrinth Society.

The number of circuits in a labyrinth and what direction the first turn goes in are some other ways to distinguish labyrinths. The most classical type of labyrinth is the seven circuit labyrinth. What a circuit stands for is the winding path you walk on. A labyrinth may have three circuits, seven, eleven, (Chartres has eleven), or the largest recorded number of circuits is fifteen. Seven, however, tend to be the most traditional and popular number of circuits.

The way a labyrinth is constructed is important. To hand draw one, which is recommended, there is a particular pattern you start with called the seed pattern. The seed pattern differs by the number of circuits in the labyrinth. You begin the drawing at the top of the cross by connecting either to the right or left sides of the pattern depending on your personal preference for a right-handed (first turn is to the right) or left-handed labyrinth (first turn is to the left). This process of making all the connections (either clockwise or counter-clockwise) is called gnowing. Gnowing symbolizes connecting or joining together the right and left hemispheres of the brain: meaning the connection between logical thought and intuition (Mid-Atlantic Geomancy).

This connection is very symbolic for walking the labyrinth. Using the qualities of mindfulness (without judgement, no expectations, etc.), one may journey into the labyrinth with a "logical thought" question or concern. One may mindfully ponder this thought while journeying to the center of the labyrinth (the center of your self really). Once the center is reached, this is where the connection begins to take place and some insight may come about as to how to deal with the concern. As one journey's back out of the labyrinth, this is the opportunity to let the right hemisphere take over and to listen for and trust one's intuition.

There seems to be a large revival of labyrinths happening today. Some of this is due to Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress and her book, Walking a Sacred Path (Riverhead Books, 1995). Rev. Artress is a canon for special ministries at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. The Grace Cathedral web site offers a great deal of information regarding labyrinths including a "labyrinth locator" where I found, to my surprise, three labyrinths within a thirty minute drive of my home. I also discovered two or three people I am aquatinted with have labyrinths within their properties. This leads me to believe that many more people than I expected may be involved with using labyrinths.

There are several web sites that have information regarding labyrinths. They show photos of labyrinths around the world, show you how to draw one, and explain procedures in how to make your own, and offer a great deal of information in general on labyrinths. However, one web site in particular was very helpful to me in understanding the spiritual story behind the use of the labyrinth and how it can be a tool for self discovery. This site is by Sid Lonegren and Mid-Altantic Geomancy.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF MYSELF

I found three labyrinths in this area. I am going to tell of my profound personal experience with one of the walks I did. This is the second time I walked this particular labyrinth. The first walk was emotional but I was not alone, therefore I felt somewhat hindered to let go of my own inhibitions. I knew that when I came back for a second time that it was going to be profound.

This particular outdoor labyrinth's seven circuits are outlined with stone and it is in a lovely, rural, wooded location, open to the public. I began my journey by being seated at the mouth (opening) of the labyrinth. I then became centered and grounded, and began the meditation process. I used a visualization technique during this meditation (that a very dear friend suggested) I call "circle of fire". I pictured myself and a friend of mine separately, each in our own "circle of fire." When I reached out to my friend, who was reaching out to me, I couldn't lift my arms high enough to make a connection. I couldn't reach my arms up or out enough because they were too heavy; they were laden with canvas bags full of anger, resentment, hatred, distrust, fear of abandonment, and greed (I wanted everything my way).

Needless to say, I began to sob. As I pictured in my mind releasing the bags, they slowly, one by one, slid down and off of my arms and opened up. The contents spilled out into the air and turned into pink rose petals that floated by. The rough canvas bags turned into translucent silk scarves that also floated away. What I then realized was it was my negative, hurtful thought patterns that was keeping my friend and I apart. Although there had been things in the past to warrant these emotions and feelings, it was doing no good to keep hanging on to them as I was.

Once the bags of negativity were gone, my arms could reach out to my friend and we held each other and the circle of fire became one and enveloped around both of us. I also want to note that this was not the reason why I came to the labyrinth. It was, however, what came up.

As I walked through the circuits into the center with my palms facing down, I focused on releasing each negative emotion and thought. I released a different negative thought for each circuit that I walked.

When I came to the center, I had a brought a candle to burn. (When I brought it along, I had no idea what it might turn out to symbolize.) I used it to represent the "burning away" of the angry, nasty, thoughts and resentments I had been harboring for months.

As I began to walk out of the labyrinth, the candle went out. I felt like "it was done." I walked the circuits out of the labyrinth with my palms up, accepting the healing energy from the universe to help me to heal and restore my trust, my faith, and my happiness the way it once was, and to help me to keep it that way.

I exited the mouth of the labyrinth backwards and bowed with respect and thanks. This was my gesture of respect for the labyrinth's power and the healing experience it provided for me. In martial arts, you are instructed not to walk out turning your back on your instructor or the dojo (training facility) as it is disrespectful to the art. When I turned to face the labyrinth once I was outside the mouth, I performed what is called the "Sun Breath" in yoga. You extend your arms outward and upward to the sky, palms up. You descend your arms downward with the palms down and end in a prayer position with the arms in front of your body .

I never had any doubt about the power of this labyrinth.