Labyrinths have been around for over 4000 years and are found in almost every major religion in the world, used as meditation and prayer tools.. They have been part of many cultures such as Native American, Greek, Celtic and Mayan. During the crusades, they were used to symbolize the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Today, labyrinths are used for reflection, meditation, prayer and comfort. The Chartres Cathedral in France had a labyrinth 42 feet in diameter in the stone floor, around the year 1200. That's nearly 300 years before Columbus discovered America. In fact, labyrinth designs are found on coins, pottery, or rocks dating back to 3000 B.C.
Many people make the mistake of thinking a labyrinth and a maze are the same. A maze has dead ends and many trick turns. A labyrinth has only one path leading to the center and back out again. There are no dead ends. The labyrinth symbol relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The object of the labyrinth is to journey to our own center and back again out into the world.
When you walk a labyrinth, you meander back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different circuit. As you shift your direction you also shift your awareness from right brain to left brain. This is one of the reasons the labyrinth can induce receptive states of consciousness.
Each person's walk is a personal experience. Each time is different. Some people walk for clearing the mind and centering. Others enter with a question or concern. The time in the center can be used for receiving, reflecting, meditating, or praying, as well as discovering our own inner peace. Most people focus on a question, a prayer or a thought to hold in their mind's eye. When you walk the labyrinth, your mind quiets, and you are able to hear your inner voice, giving you guidance and encouragement which you are focusing on. Hundreds of labyrinths have been created in America, in churches, hospitals, and work places. The beneficial effects include focusing the mind, slowing the breathing, inducing a state of peace, reducing stress, and healing diseases.
Many people make the mistake of thinking a labyrinth and a maze are the same. A maze has dead ends and many trick turns. A labyrinth has only one path leading to the center and back out again. There are no dead ends. The labyrinth symbol relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The object of the labyrinth is to journey to our own center and back again out into the world.
When you walk a labyrinth, you meander back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different circuit. As you shift your direction you also shift your awareness from right brain to left brain. This is one of the reasons the labyrinth can induce receptive states of consciousness.
Each person's walk is a personal experience. Each time is different. Some people walk for clearing the mind and centering. Others enter with a question or concern. The time in the center can be used for receiving, reflecting, meditating, or praying, as well as discovering our own inner peace. Most people focus on a question, a prayer or a thought to hold in their mind's eye. When you walk the labyrinth, your mind quiets, and you are able to hear your inner voice, giving you guidance and encouragement which you are focusing on. Hundreds of labyrinths have been created in America, in churches, hospitals, and work places. The beneficial effects include focusing the mind, slowing the breathing, inducing a state of peace, reducing stress, and healing diseases.
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