Labyrinth page 2

How To Walk A Labyrinth

A free brochure is available at the labyrinth entrance. It provides in-depth information on how to walk the labyrinth. We encourage you to stop by and pick one up. We think you will find the brochure helpful and that it increases your labyrinth experience.

Keep in mind that walking the labyrinth is a sacred activity and is not to be rushed or forced. The same path is followed both entering and leaving. You are encouraged to walk in silence. If you meet another person on the path, simply step aside and pass with reverence.

Here are some suggestions to enrich your walk:

• Stop, relax, and breathe deeply at the entrance. You may want to set an intention for yourself before beginning.
• Begin walking slowly, following the winding path toward the center. As you walk, engage all of your senses. Become mindful as your body moves into a peaceful rhythm of contemplation.
• When you reach the center, take time to focus your attention. Experience the center. Consider it a place of calm in a chaotic world.
• As you leave the center, follow the same path outward. Take the time to uncoil. Continue your meditative, purposeful walk. Consider the messages you received while walking in and at the center. Often, the journey out reveals how to apply these messages to your life.
• Each time you walk the labyrinth, you may have a new or slightly different experience. No two walks are really ever the same.

"There are as many ways to walk the labyrinth as there are people on this planet. A few examples: one approach is simply to quiet the mind, choosing to let all thoughts go when they present themselves…A second approach is to focus on a question that you have been asking yourself…A third approach is to meditate by repeating a word, mantra, or a phrase over and over to yourself…A fourth approach is to read from some sacred Scripture or other books on spirituality while moving slowly through the labyrinth…A fifth approach is simply to pray throughout the labyrinth."

Lauren Artress, author
Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool