Walking a Labyrinth to Find Your Way.
We are all walking the same path in a different way.
Walking a labyrinth.
On the first really cold night of Autumn, I tightened my fleece around me and walked down the dark path alone.
Ahead of me I could hear the sound of gravel crunching, like a metronome, the steady beat showing me the way. The shadows of those who had started before me, moved back and forth under a sliver of moon, as the wind lifted and gently dropped the sweet scent of pine into the circle.
Stepping into the unknown.
I stepped into the Labyrinth unsure of myself, worried if I was doing it wrong. With my first steps, I remembered the instructions that had been provided as we all sat in a circle in the church basement moments before. Set an intention, quiet my mind, remember the three R’s: Receive, Return – darn, what was that third R?
I fell in step behind a young woman and wished that, like her, I had thought to wear my winter coat. As I squinted into the dark, I winced as I noticed that she walked barefoot on the gravel. She must be an Advanced Labyrinth walker, I thought. I bet she knows all the R’s.
Setting an intention.
Determined not to get lost in my thoughts, I turn my attention to my intention: to become the woman I so want to be, to stay on my path. I wanted insights that would inspire me and help me see the bigger picture.
I took a deep breath, put myself in “receive” mode, and put one foot in front of the other, making my own crunching sound in the gravel.
Finding our way.
The structure of the Labyrinth forced us to stay on a path that was ordered but also chaotic.
People were far away and then they walked by me going in the other direction. I walked alone, and then in a group, and then alone again. I felt on the periphery and then seemingly a few small steps later, I found myself in the middle. When I forgot there was even a destination, the center, I arrived there. We all did.
The unpredictability un-nerved me, and in the next moment delighted me. The inevitability surprised me. And also delighted me.
The Journey. The destination.
In the center, the destination, I reflected on my journey and on the journeys of the others around me – the same, yet different paths; all with intentions for their lives, all different; all reaching the center, but it meaning something different to everyone.
And this center was merely a resting point. Somewhere to pass through, to reflect, to collect myself for the journey out. Are all our destinations like this?
Wayfinding.
Walking a Labyrinth is a way to gain insights into our lives. It’s a tool designed to help us find our way.
On my first walk, my insights were mostly about the unknown – how I want to know how to do it right, how I want to know how it turns out before I begin, how I want to skip the journey and go right to the goal.
When I thought I would never reach the center, it appeared. When I thought I’d be stuck on the outside forever, I slingshotted into the middle, and then out again. I had fun being surprised by the Labyrinth.
Insights for your journey.
I left the Labyrinth feeling lighter. Worries fell away. I felt guided. I felt like laughing at all our human worries. I wondered at the delight I felt at being surprised. Maybe some of my insights will keep you company on your own journey:
- For awhile it feels impossible, then if feels possible, then it feels inevitable. But, you don’t get to “inevitable” without starting at and going through the “impossible” beginner feeling.
- If you believed that success was inevitable, you might find delight in the twists and turns.
- Setbacks might slingshot you forward.
- Take steps. Big ones. Little ones. Slow ones. Fast ones. Wrong ones. Just take them.
- It’s a cliche, but maybe it is the journey, not the destination.
- If you’re on the path, you may be closer to your goals than you think. Keep going.
- Staying in what you know (walking a straight path) does not teach you to walk a Labyrinth. Walking a Labyrinth teaches you how to walk a Labyrinth.
Insights are all around us.
You might be surprised at the number of Labyrinths around you. They’re often found on church grounds or at retreats. You can find one near you by going to the World Wide Labyrinth Locator.
There’s also the Labyrinth Society. It provides resources that can help you learn more about labyrinths. There are a number of Facebook groups. You might be able to find a local one.
Fellow travelers.
The young woman who had removed her shoes told me later that the pain of the gravel on her bare feet kept her in the present. When she said that, something washed over me. I realized that I too had let pain be my guide.
My heart squeezed in recognition of a fellow traveler. But I also knew that as right as the pain was for her right now, it wasn’t right for me this time around. I want something different. The Labyrinth has left me wondering if it might be delight. How cool would that be?