Labyrinths: The Journey to the Center of Our Souls

History of Labyrinths

Labyrinths date back as far as ancient civilizations. There are pictures and writing about labyrinths found in Greece, Crete, Egypt, and Rome. Nature was very important to the civilizations that built them, so they were usually built in a large field outside a church or other sacred space dedicated to deities. They were often considered temples themselves, where worshippers (often priests or priestesses) communicated directly with the divine. Such traditions were continued into the middle ages, when labyrinths were most commonly built and kept in monasteries. Throughout history, labyrinths were used for spiritual practice by people in all the religions of the world.

Labyrinths are Not Mazes

Mazes are puzzles with a variety of turns, some of which may take you nowhere, and some are difficult to solve. Labyrinths are paths arranged in a pattern, leading both right and left, toward a center in the middle of a circle.There are no false turns or "dead ends" in a labyrinth. It leads you from the outside toward the center, steadily, gently, peacefully. There is no race to get to the middle and back out again. Walkers progress at the pace that is right for them.

The Purpose of Labyrinths

Labyrinths were considered sacred, and still are. They are built with natural materials, such as rocks or bushes, usually outside, and meant to invite the person who walks them to greater intimacy with and caring for nature. Their form is a spiral path within a mandala. The path reaches one way, then curves the other way, making the right and left sides of the walker's brain dance together. More neurological pathways form between the two hemispheres, in favor of greater intimacy and communication. Such cooperation can only improve the quality of any walker's life.

The time spent in a labyrinth was often time in solitude, close to nature. It was important to approach this symbol of eternity with respect, with an open heart and senses. Most often, farmers and other workers who earned their living close to the earth, walked the labyrinth uttering quiet prayers of thanksgiving.They are often still approached in such a manner.

Labyrinths are now often walked in groups, with a specific type of energy as their focus. Artists and poets are such examples. My husband, daughter, and I walked the labyrinth in the basement of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, on Tremont Street in Boston, with a group of poets. Some of these poets were also mimes. After walking the labyrinth together, and dancing in the middle, we presented to each other artistic projects we were working on at the time, or poems we had just written. After our spiritual gathering at the church, we often met to eat together at the cafe next door. When the basement of the church was being used by other groups or renovated, we walked an outside labyrinth at Boston College. The labyrinth is where we meet our muse(s), both individually and collectively. This is still true for me, since I am blessed with a neighbor who has created a wooded labyrinth at the south end of our cohousing village. The fragrance of pine and the serenade of the songbirds, crickets, and chimes are escorts to the waking dream world within and without that awaits my attention.

Labyrinths heal our energy so that our spirit is balanced. This can also be done either alone or in groups. Sometimes a group walks a labyrinth with a person in mind who needs healing from either physical or emotional pain. The sacred energy that connects us to the labyrinth was often referred to as Kundalini energy, which is coiled around the base of our spine. The spiral walk of the labyrinth "unwinds" that energy and releases it to be used for healing, good works, and creative endeavors. The best evidence of this is in how children approach labyrinths. They are playful and full of joyful energy.

Types of Labyrinths

There is a variety of types of labyrinths designed for specific purposes. One type is called a Yantra labyrinth, and was used by Hindu midwives to meditate before assisting births. Others are named for the regions or countries they were found in, such as Baltic or Roman. There are labyrinths designed for promoting specific types of healing, and others to promote world peace. The links below lead to more information about the types of labyrinths that have been developed and what they are used for, such as for children in schools. Walking labyrinths with my husband and daughter has been part of our home-schooling experience.

Labyrinths in the Modern Age

The recent fascination with labyrinths stems from a sense that there is something missing in the lives of modern humans.The constant competition and pressure to perform without much time for relaxation and "unwinding" causes heavy burdens of stress on our systems. Illness is often suffered as a result. Labyrinths have been built by such people, and others are invited to join the fun. Children are included in this new movement to revive the labyrinth as a form of art, architecture, and meditation, for they benefit from such a spiritual practice as much as adults do in the 21st century.

Create Your Own Labyrinth

More people have decided to muster the energy to create labyrinths of their own. A few of the links provided below offer guides for this process, and my personal Amazon "catalog" of labyrinth books leads you to worthy guides to have in your hands. So, go ahead and grab a stone. Place it at the center of the circle you imagine, keep placing those rocks until you are done, then walk it.

Reflections from the Center of the Labyrinth, by one who walks

Walking the labyrinth keeps me in touch with who I am. The practice keeps me true to who I am...why I do things. The sacredness of creation touches me, body and soul. I am not the same. The world is alive, pulsating with that energy. I cannot keep it in. I want to share it.

I often invite my daughter to walk the wooded labyrinth with me. She has walked others with me. Often she agrees, and enjoys playing games that use nature as their center, such as pretending that we are faeries. She is the embodiment of my muse...and with her there is the fire that, at the beginning of time, brought life to the world. It is both silence and a song.

Copyright © 2010 by Seafarer Mama/Karen Szklany Gault