A labyrinth is a special kind of mindfulness meditation, and if we don’t have access to an actual labyrinth, we can still walk on one by connecting with a labyrinth in our minds.
For the next few minutes, we’re going to go on an imaginary walk through a labyrinth, either as preparation for taking an actual walk afterwards or, if that’s not an option for you, as a labyrinth walk in your heart and mind, complete on its own. Remember, there is no set ritual for walking a labyrinth, and every labyrinth walk, real or imagined, is uniquely meaningful.
So close your eyes if that feels comfortable to you or take a soft gaze. In your mind’s eye, approach the labyrinth, taking in its appearance and style, admiring its unique craftsmanship, until you find yourself standing at its entrance. As you stand on the flat threshold rock before the entrance of the labyrinth, see yourself holding a candle in your hands, its flame bright like the light of a full moon or flickering like a lightning bug or dark, waiting for just the right time for you to light its wick.
You decide how your candle looks and what it means to you. Maybe the candle represents your intention for walking the labyrinth tonight, or maybe it signifies something you’re carrying that you’d like to set down or something you’d like to burn away from your life or even something you’d like to burn brighter in your world. Just as we have the capacity to choose our perspective, it’s up to each one of us to decide how and why we’re going on this labyrinth walk and what this candle means to us. (PAUSE)
Calmly, clear your mind of thoughts and worries, or, if that’s not possible for you right now, simply observe and accept your concerns. You can also choose to bring to mind a prayer or a spiritual question to contemplate during the walk to the center. (PAUSE)
Once you’re ready, enter the labyrinth slowly, with awareness. Take your first step, carrying your candle with you. Take another step, and another, and another. When you walk the labyrinth, open your senses and focus on the process of taking slow and deliberate steps. Maybe the candle lights your way or maybe it waits in darkness for you to ignite it.
When you reach the end of a row or a curve, mindfully turn and begin moving in the new direction indicated, one foot in front of the other. Every single step leads to the center, so you can never get lost. Each turn can be a release or a realization, a sign or an obstacle. You decide how to approach each new direction, perhaps as a meaningful ritual or simply as another turn in the path of our desire to find the center.
As you walk, you may feel called to place your candle on a particular stone on the way in or maybe you find yourself clutching it carefully, waiting for the right moment to let it go or light it up.Continue walking slowly and mindfully, one step in front of the other, trusting this is the right path for you right now.
Reaching the center, step into its circle or rose and feel the energies infused there by every labyrinth everywhere. Pause to reflect or pray or meditate or do whatever it is you feel called to do. In this sacred space, you are now ready to give or receive or co-create what the labyrinth, and your true center, have to offer you. Perhaps listen quietly for an answer, an insight, or a profound revelation, or maybe leave something in the center and release your attachment to it.
What will it be this time? What is your time in the center of this labyrinth gifting you? Is this where you leave your candle? (PAUSE)
Spend as much or as little time as you need in the center of the labyrinth, and when you feel complete and satisfied, turn and face the way out. Before you leave, check in with yourself by connecting with your heart, your mind, your gut, and your body as a whole. How do you feel? Lighter? Clearer? Grateful? Renewed? Recognize and accept however it is you’re feeling with self-love and compassion. (PAUSE)
Now, as we take our first step out of the center, we begin the return journey back towards our regular lives. Take slow and mindful steps, one after the other, as you make your way back, traveling the same path on which we just journeyed in. Pause and breathe as you walk back toward reality. Reflect a little further. Maybe blow out your candle as you pass it, or maybe leave it burning behind you. Keep walking mindfully turn after turn after turn.
As you reach the exit and step out onto the threshold rock, turn and face the labyrinth one last time. Reflect on the experience of walking this labyrinth, this time, and how you may be different now than when you stood on this rock before entering.
In your mind’s eye or in the here and now if you feel so moved, place your hands together at your heart’s center, and bow respectfully to the labyrinth, thanking it for its insights and wisdom. Take three long breaths before connecting again to your surroundings: in through the nose and out through the mouth, in and out, and one last time in and out together.
Now, imagine stepping off the rock and leaving the labyrinth behind you. Slowly open up your eyes, and return to our space.
Author: Terry Shamblin
Mindful Life Connections 