People who work together on a common task, those who compose a team, can

benefit from examining how they work together. How do they cooperate or fail to

cooperate? How do their joint efforts help them to reach the goal? What are the

obstacles to progress?

People who are in relationship with one another. Who work together on common

task. It could be a job, club, social organization, sports team, church groups.

Coming to a labyrinth serves as a retreat when people venture out to a

community labyrinth such as one at a church or teaching center. Bringing the

labyrinth to them with music, candles, and flowers creates a special place for

time out from the workday.

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Brief explanation of the labyrinth followed by the Journey of Life Walk and group

discussion. A second labyrinth walk as the Journey of Work. Place the group

goal or task in the center and walk towards it. Group discussion of insights

gained

Are some people too fast? Are some too slow? Do some feel blocked buy

others? Do walkers help each other? Do they greet each other? Do they ignore

each other? Will they ask for help? Do they recognize their common journey?

What does the labyrinth say about cooperation?

A local hospice organization wanted an afternoon retreat for morale building with

its nurses, social workers, support staff, and volunteers. It had a small staff with a

large caseload. Staff were frequently on call and at great risk for burnout from the

demanding and emotionally draining work. There was some sense of frustration

from feeling overworked and that others are not doing their part.

In discussion after the labyrinth walk they were able to show empathy and

concern for others. Realized the need to care for themselves. Appreciated the

value of support. Saw others as on the same journey but in a different place.

Became aware of judgements made. Felt closer together because of the shared

experience. It provided a vehicle and metaphor for discussion.

The Medical Center of Central Georgia where I work has a separate Women’s

Service program. It is located across town from the hospital. It offers screening,

counseling, and educational services. As a team building activity the leadership

decided to build an outdoor labyrinth for their clients, the community, and

themselves to use. I was asked to help.

I planned to use my typical construction model of laying out three tons of granite

stone in the classical labyrinth pattern. The 300-350 stones only weigh about 10-

15 pounds and provide an inexpensive but strenuous way to build a labyrinth. I

told the staff that that I would help laid out the pattern for them but that I would

not help build it because it was their project. I emphasized that we would use

three tons of granite stone so they would all know what was expected.

A morning in June in Georgia was chosen for the staff retreat. The entire staff of

10 women was to be involved. No one was excused. As the retreat day

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approached some grumbling was reported to me about, “How will we move all of

that rock?�?“It is going to be too hot.�?“What about my hands?�? When told to bring

gloves one participant wanted to know if her white gloves would do?

When the day finally arrived the 3 tons of stone had been delivered. The

temperature was headed towards 95 degrees. Early in the morning I laid out the

pattern on the grass behind the clinic. The participants arrived about 8:00 a.m.

and we gathered in a conference room where a canvas labyrinth was placed.

Most knew nothing of the labyrinth so we walked it as the Journey of Life and

discussed it’s meaning. Afterwards we went out to build the labyrinth. To some

the large pile of stones looked overwhelming but they soon discovered that with

cooperation and teamwork the task went quickly. In 45 minutes we had built the

labyrinth. Everyone helped. There was a deep sense of accomplishment. After a

brief refreshment break they dedicated their labyrinth and walked it for the first

time as a Labyrinth of Celebration.There was a sense of unity and purpose as

they continued with their day of retreat and team building.

The labyrinth now is used by the clinic and the community and teaching sessions

are held.

In my community I offer one-day Saturday workshops on the labyrinth. I have

also worked to have a labyrinth built in one of our city parks. For this project, I

met with the Head of the Parks Department to discuss possible locations and left

some general information on labyrinths including a brochure describing an

upcoming workshop. A few days later I got a call from the Parks Department.

They wanted to send up to 20 people to my next workshop. I was excited. This

was more people that had ever come before.

On the day of the workshop, I arrived early at the church where it was to be held.

Starting time was 9:00 a.m. By nine o’clock only three people had arrived: one

woman from Macon, one young woman who drove from Columbus, Georgia, and

one older woman from Jacksonville, Florida. All were white females. No Parks

Department workers had arrived. Over the next 30 minutes, one by one, nine

employees of the Park Dept. slowly showed up. There were seven men and two

women. Men hardly ever come to these workshops. There were six Black men,

one white man and two Black women. Few Black people ever came and I don’t

think any Black men had ever been. I though this is great. At last, some diversity.

This was before we introduced ourselves.

I begin each workshop, this one now about 45 minutes late, by asking

participants to introduce themselves and tell why they came. My three early

arrivals told of their life journey, their spiritual struggles, and their search for

meaning. Eight of the Parks people told me they were there because they had

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been passed down the line until it could go no further. Those with the least

control were told to come. They also had been given the wrong directions which

is why they all were late. One woman admitted that she did read the brochure

and somewhat interested in attending. So, I had 12 participants nine of whom

were angry and resentful.

Now, my first activity is a brief description of the labyrinth and then a walk as the

Journey of Life followed by small group discussion. We went out to the labyrinth

and I explained what we would do. I decide to walk first and as I stood there

preparing to walk, I thought, “The labyrinth teaches about the unity in diversity

and brings people together on a common path. It either works or it doesn’t. I will

trust that it works.�?So I began walking and was soon followed by the others.

When we finished, I divided the participants into small groups to discuss the

experience. As I walked around and listen I was amazed. Deep meaningful

discussion of the labyrinth experience was occurring. Significant insights had

been gained, and people were sharing. Our large group processing was

powerful. Resistance had fallen away and people were excited. The Labyrinth

worked.

Over the course of the day the Park’s workers shared with each other out of their

life stories and grew closer. Team building was happening. Everyone

participated. By the end of the day the Park’s workers were asking that I offer the

workshop to their coworkers and have a follow up session. One of them, a

woman in the midst of a divorce, asked to take one the rocks of because of the

healing she had received. Inadvertent team building had taken place.

The labyrinth always teaches us, and on that day I learned several lessons. One

was to trust the labyrinth, and the other was another lesson about my own

judgmental nature. My assumption about these workers for the city was that they

must be uneducated to be in this job. So, as we are discussing the meaning of

the labyrinth after the first walk one of the older Black men says to thr group,

“You know, I was struck by the similarity of the seven circuits of the labyrinth to

the seven levels that Dante discusses in the Inferno.�?Well, so much for judging.

Live and learn. Here was an interesting insight into the labyrinth that I had not

previously encountered.

Sometimes people approach the labyrinth too seriously. It can and should be

done this way sometimes, but waking a labyrinth is also joyous. People may

need to be reminded of this.

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Appropriate for adults, teenagers, and children

Supplies needed �?Colorful scarves, bottles of bubbles, percussion musical

instruments, rhythmic music

bubbles to those who walk. Those walking the labyrinth dance, wave scarves,

beat drums, make music, and celebrate. As those walking finish they take the

place of a bubble blowers who now walk the labyrinth. All celebrate.

This is a good energy building activity and a good closing activity.

If possible construct a special labyrinth for the celebration. Invite the community

to come and help build it. Get news coverage of the construction. Use an existing

labyrinth. Use a canvas labyrinth. Light the labyrinth with luminaries. Invite

participants to make a News Year’s resolution, wish, or prayer. Have them write it

on either a craft stick (looks like a tongue depressor) or a slip of paper and carry

the resolution, wish, or prayer into the labyrinth as they meditate on it. Have

available outside the labyrinth a burning bowl with a small fire. Participants drop

their sticks or paper slips into the fire to burn them releasing the energy to the

universe to speed the resolutions, wishes, and prayers on their way.

If you have a First Night program, coordinate with them. See if a newspaper or

television station will help to sponsor the event.

Once a month I bring a canvas labyrinth to the hospital where I work. It is

available for staff, patients, and visitors. The labyrinth’s availability is announced

in our weekly newsletter, by email, and over the public address system. The

labyrinth has been used it in many different ways. One of these was for the

celebration of life and life’s joy. The labyrinth was set up in a common area with

flowers in the center. Along with the flowers was an empty glass bowl. Outside of

the labyrinth slips of paper and pens were available for participants to write out

their celebration, wishes, accomplishments, and joys. As they walked the

labyrinth participants were asked to meditate upon what they had written and to

leave the paper in the glass bowl at the center. At the end of the day all the slips

of paper in the bowl were gathered and ritually burned to release them to the

universe.

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If you have a group who has time to process the experience of celebration, ask

them to color the labyrinth. Provide a variety of crayons and markers and a

labyrinth printed on 8”x11�?paper. Ask participants to color the labyrinth in any

manner they desire. Afterwards ask each person to talk about his or her choice of

color. See if there are any group similarities in color choices for different areas of

the labyrinth. What could this mean?

Walking a labyrinth, we circle to the center of our lives. Sometimes that journey is

through loss towards grief, as we seek consolation and comfort. Letting go is

required. The path of the labyrinth can take us towards release, acceptance, and

compassion. Individually we can walk into and out of our grief. Communally, we

can show support and express our feelings of empathy and sympathy on the

labyrinth.

On New Year’s Eve of 1999 one of the employees of the Medical Center where I

work was tragically killed in an automobile accident. One of her young children

was also killed. Joyce was a nurse manager on our cancer treatment floor and

had been with the hospital over 20 years. Her death had a powerful impact on

our staff and our community. At her funeral the church overflowed with mourners.

Several days after her burial we used our portable canvas labyrinth to help the

hospital staff grieve. It was setup in a common area. Flowers and music and

were provided. It was announced to the hospital as a Labyrinth of Compassion.

From 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. staff were invited to walk the labyrinth. Slips of paper

were provided for writing down prayers, memories, and wishes for Joyce and her

family. The messages were carried into the labyrinth and deposited in a glass

bowl as a gesture of letting go. At the end of the day the contents of the bowl

were ritually burned to release the energy of the expressions to the universe.

Many hospital staff walked this labyrinth and informally reported that it was a

meaningful experience for them.

In July of 1999 the two sons, ages 18 and 28, of one of my neighbors were

tragically killed in an automobile accident. The two boys were travelling together

in Texas when the driver may have fallen asleep and lost control of the car. One

year later on the anniversary day of the funeral the parents, family, and friends

built a labyrinth in celebration and memory of the two young men.

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Following the loss, the mother, Julie, in her grief would walk the neighborhood

with her friends. They walked past the stone labyrinth in my front yard. With

encouragement from her friends, she began to walk the labyrinth and found it to

be a very meaningful and healing experience. Some months after the deaths,

Julie contacted me about building a labyrinth on her property. She wanted it as a

memorial and as a place to be with her sons. She also wanted to offer it to

others. Julie is a longtime swimming teacher and offers classes to very young

children whose mothers come and wait through the lessons. Sometimes, they

anxiously wait. Julie thought that the labyrinth would be a good place for them to

“unwind�?during these stressful periods.

We set several dates to build the labyrinth, but each time it rained. Julie had

begun collecting stones for the labyrinth from a nearby construction site, but later

decided that these were not the right stones. She lived on several acres that had

old farmhouses with crumbling stone walls. When young boys her sons had

played there. These stones felt right, so she began to collect them. As the

anniversary of the loss was drawing near the Julie planned a gathering for

celebration with family and friends.

On the spur of the moment she called me the day before the gathering to see if I

could help with the labyrinth. So we gathered on July 4, 2000, laid out the

labyrinth pattern, and family and friends placed the stones one by one into the

healing pattern. Afterwards, we walked the labyrinth for the first time being lead

by Julie and her husband. Later there was a cookout and a continued celebration

of the lives of her sons.

Julie tells me that she frequently visits her labyrinth and always feels the

presence of her children by which she is comforted. She has offered the labyrinth

as a gift for her neighbors to come and walk.

Letting go of the past can be done individually. It is not necessarily a group

activity. A friend of mine asked his sister to walk the labyrinth at our church. She

knew very little about the labyrinth but was in significant stress with her work and

in turmoil over a conflictual relationship with her son-in-law. She reported to her

brother that as she walked the labyrinth and neared the center she felt all of her

anger towards the son-in-law fall away and knew what to do about her job.

Following the walk she returned to her home in another town, took time off from

work, visited her daughter and estranged son-in-law for two weeks, and even

ironed his shirts for him. The relationship was healed because of what she was

able to release in the labyrinth. Later, she resigned her well-paid but overly

stressful job.

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In many ways the labyrinth represents the journey to healing. Healing is not only

physical but also occurs on the emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. A physical

healing is often described as a cure. While a cure might not be possible, healing

is always an option. To be healed means to be made whole, and wholeness is

fundamentally a psychological and spiritual process of finding meaning. The

labyrinth can be used as a tool of healing to help people find meaning in their

suffering.

Heartworks is an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation service where patients come for

structured exercise such as walking, using a bicycle, or mild aerobics. The

patients are frequently recovering from cardiac bypass surgery. On a

preannounced day during National Rehabilitation Week, the portable canvas

labyrinth was brought to the exercise floor and participants were invited to walk it

as symbolic of the journey to recovery and healing. They were asked to think

about their lives from diagnosis through treatment up until the present moment

and to relate their journey to the labyrinth walk.

Several questions were suggested for consideration:

After walking the labyrinth the participants gathered in a small group for

discussion insights gained of how the labyrinth walk represented their healing

journey. Some told of the shock of diagnosis and a sense of wandering lost trying

to find direction. Other people on the path were seen as representing helpers

along the way. Some people were ahead of you and knew where you were

going. They could give advice and support. Other people behind you, you could

help. The path towards healing is not straight and often you feel lost.

Perseverance is required to complete the journey. The center represents

treatment and the journey out is toward recovery and acceptance. People come

and go on the journey. The whole process occurs in the container and context of

love and spirit. Participants felt more connected to each other and also reported

feeling more relaxed. Many said they would come to one of the local outdoor

labyrinths.

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This same process was conducted for one of our cancer support groups with

very similar discussion and results. Once I led the members of a chronic pain

support group through the labyrinth and they learned much about themselves

and their daily journey with pain. I have also taken patients from the psychiatric

floor of the hospital to the labyrinth and then had a fruitful group discussion with

them about the relationship between the labyrinth journey and their life journey.

One day a month the labyrinth is available at the hospital and individuals seeking

healing walk it but without the benefit of group discussion.

Each year for 20 years Dr. Tom Jones, an endocrinologist in Macon Georgia, has

held a Summer camp for diabetic children offering them the opportunity to enjoy

the camp experience, but also to learn more about their illness and how to cope

with it. Dr Jones and his wife, a nurse who co-leads the camp, had walked our

Millennium New Year’s Labyrinth and were struck by the power and meaning of

the symbol. They invited me to bring the labyrinth to the year 2000 Camp Little

Shot.

A decision was made to first offer the labyrinth to the adolescents of the camp.

This group was composed of about 20 boys and girls ages 13 �?17. On the first

evening of the camp I set up the canvas labyrinth in a large room. After a brief

explanation, the participants were asked to walk it as the Journey of Life. Several

of the younger boys were openly angry and resentful, and they reluctantly took

part. There anger was most likely at their illness and being sullen was their

adaptation. As is usual, the kids walked fast and playfully. There was much

laughter and noise. After the walk that were divided into several small groups

and asked to discuss how the labyrinth represented life. One young boy was

especially angry was quite disruptive with teasing and inappropriate jokes. He

demanded to know why he had to do this and complained it was silly. The other

kids were cooperative and came up with the usual insights about the labyrinth

and life.

After the discussion the campers were told that on the last day of camp they

would build their own labyrinth. I showed them the “seed pattern�?for the labyrinth

and had then practice drawing it. Once they understood it, they were sent on to

the next task �?painting wooden blocks with bright colors and healing words.

Their labyrinth was to be constructed of one-foot sections of 2”x4�?wooden

planks. Each camper was given eight blocks. Brushes and paint were made

available. As a group project, they were to choose colors and words meaningful

to them and to paint the blocks. They were asked to think of words representing

healing and hope and to use bright colors.

On the morning of the third day of camp, I returned to direct the construction of

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labyrinth, and we will watch.�?I had already decided to make him the labyrinth

leader by giving him the responsibility of measuring the path width with a

yardstick and showing where the blocks should be placed. He reluctantly agreed,

and we placed the first few blocks out in the seed pattern. Soon he was caught

up in the action and with some gentle teasing from his fellow campers, he led

them in laying out the labyrinth. It took about 30 minutes. When we finished, the

angry young man wanted to be the first to walk the labyrinth and to test it out. He

had taken ownership and wanted it to be done right. He seemed much more

relaxed and energized.

Once the labyrinth was complete, and the campers posed for a photograph, we

set it up for walking. A “burning bowl�?was set in the center of the labyrinth. Slow

peaceful background music was played. Each camper was given a slip of paper

on which to write a healing wish or prayer for himself or herself. The wishes and

prayers were carried into the labyrinth, and at the center they were dropped into

the fire releasing the energy of the intention.

This walk was the first time I ever experienced adolescents actually walking

quietly and slowly. The labyrinth was beautiful with its bright colors against the

grass. The healing words were wonderful to read. Words like hope, love, and

peace. Mom and dad. The names of friends. Pizza. Nascar. It was a very special

walk, and I was quite moved when I entered the path to join them.

After the Healing walk there was a celebration with upbeat music and the

Appleton Dance which is a patterned way of walking the labyrinth while holding

hands with a partner. It is lively and fun and generates laughter, excitement, and

joy.

That night before the closing of the camp the older counselors, who has also

participated in the labyrinth building and walks, chose some of the younger

campers to walk the labyrinth. One of the young campers chosen was a nineyear-

old boy who was recently diagnosed with diabetes. At the beginning of

camp when introductions were made the campers had been asked their

nicknames, and this young boy had said that his was “Skeeter.�?Several days

later when asked how he got this nickname, he admitted that he made it up on

the spur of the moment because everyone had one and he wanted one too.

Skeeter sounded right to him, and so this is what he was called.

On the night of the labyrinth walk, Dr. Jones noticed that Skeeter was very

serious when his turn came. Skeeter was crying when he came out of the

labyrinth. Dr. Jones took him aside asking what was wrong. Skeeter said that

walking the labyrinth made him think about his brother with whom he had a

difficult relationship. Skeeter and wanted it to be better. Dr. Jones comforted him

and made some suggestions for opening communication with his brother. Soon

Skeeter was off having fun with the rest of the campers.

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I have known the labyrinth to bring up issues of relationship for adults as they

walked it but this was the first time I saw it with a child. For me this added

another level of healing that can occur, even for children. Such unresolved issues

can arise and time is needed for discussion.

change, and doing something to honor and support the change.�?The word ritual

comes from an Indo-European root meaning “to fit together.�?Change by its

nature pulls things apart and loss always occurs. You cannot change and stay

the same. You must let go of something to move towards the new expereince.

Arrien says of ritual, “In this way, human beings support the changes they are

experiencing and create a way to ‘fit things together�?again.�?Thomas Moore in

the soul and to the deep imagination whether or not it all has practical effects�?

Even the smallest of rites of everyday existence are important to the soul.�?/P>

A ritual is a structured experience designed to celebrate life. It creates a

container in which we can learn more about ourselves and our relationships with

others. A ritual deepens our connection to our psychological and spiritual center.

With the labyrinth many rituals are possible. There are many ways of “fitting�?the

changing events of life together to make things whole. Some rituals are useful

adaptations from traditional experience and others are created as new changes

arise and need support.

Several times I have helped to facilitate a candlelight communion service using

the labyrinth as the mindful path to the key elements of the ritual. The procedure

is to place candles around the outside of the labyrinth and along some of its

paths. Quiet, peaceful music is played. A small table is set at the center of the

labyrinth. On it are placed a candle, flowers, and a goblet of wine. Participants

gather near the entrance of the labyrinth. The priest or minister initiates the ritual

with traditional readings and prayers. Standing at the entrance, the officiator

gives each person the bread with a traditional statement such as, “The body of

Christ broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin.�?/P>

Once receiving the host, the participant must journey towards the center to the

wine, the Blood of Christ, to complete the sacrament. In the typical communion

service receiving the bread and wine are almost instantaneous occurrences. With

the labyrinth there is a long thoughtful journey with the bread towards the wine. It

requires concentration and care. You must guard and protect the host and make

your way in the gathering darkness towards the light of the candle. There is

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ample time to become aware of your responsibility in this process. Other people

are passed in the coming and going rhythm of the labyrinth. At the center the

participants partake of the sacrament, and on the way out have time for more

reflection, celebration, or thanksgiving.

An opportunity for small group discussion of the process can be provided

although often people are quite content to just take away the peace that they

have received.

Another use of the labyrinth in the Christian context is at Christmas with a

symbolic “Following of the Star.�?As the wisemen and shepherds were guided by

a star in their spiritual quest, so we can follow a light in our search for spiritual

awakening and rebirth. This is again a candlelight service and luminaries are

beautiful when placed around the labyrinth. At the center of the labyrinth is set a

lantern with star shaped holes through which the light shines. Participants gather

at the entrance and are given unlit candles that they carry into the center. The

candles are lighted at the star lantern and then slowly brought out of the labyrinth

as a symbol of the light of spiritual enlivening.

The first time I did this walk it was on a unexpectedly windy Christmas Eve. Once

the candles were lit at the center, it was very difficult to keep the young flame

burning. You had to protect it carefully using your hands and body as shields

against the wind or the flame would be blown out. This challenging walk was a

wonderful metaphor for spiritual awakening in which the initial flame is fragile and

must be nurtured. Also, it highlighted one’s personal responsibility for guarding

the spiritual process and ensuring its development.

Similar walks could be done at Easter as the Journey Towards the Cross or as

the Walk to Amais. Group discussion could be used to help explore the insights

gained.

The labyrinth could be walked as the Wandering in the Wilderness, Journey

of Joseph, or the Flight from Egypt.

Sig Lonegren, author and labyrinth authority, has written of a labyrinth walk

based upon a Chakra meditation. He notes that the classical labyrinth with its

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seven paths with can be correlated with the seven chakras of Eastern thought. A

chakra is an energy vortex in the body often pictured as a spinning wheel of light.

These energy centers can become blocked in their function, and energy flow is

disrupted. Physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual symptoms may then develop.

With the correspondence of the seven chakras and the seven paths, it is possible

to walk the labyrinth with each path as one of the Chakras. For each Chakra-path

you consider how that energy is working in your life. On the labyrinth the Chakras

are not walked in a sequential order. The labyrinth paths are numbered 1-7 from

the outside in towards the middle. When you walk the labyrinth you begin on path

three which is the Third Chakra. This is the level of ego with its current issues

and concerns. As you walk you move out of the ego to other areas of focus. You

progress to the Second Chakra which is the area of emotions and the to the First

Chakra concerned with survival needs. From the First or Root Chakra you reach

the Heart Chakra and then ascend into the upper levels through the order of

Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Chakras. It is through the Fifth or Will Chakra that you

reach and finally approach the center. A reverse meditation is done on the way

out as you review any insights gained. Detailed instructions for this meditation

and on his Mid-Atlantic Geomancy web site (www.geomancy.com/).

A very simple walk that is appropriate for any spiritual tradition and can be done

with no preparation other than brief instructions is one of releasing, receiving,

and thanksgiving. The first half of the labyrinth is walked as the letting go of

worries, concerns, and fears. This is symbolized by walking with the hands palm

down in a gesture of release. At the center of the labyrinth the palms are turned

up in a gesture of receiving whatever gifts of insight and peace are offered.

Leaving the labyrinth the palms are placed together in a gesture of prayer and

thanksgiving as you walk towards the exit.

The labyrinth can be walked as the journey towards union. When used in

marriage ceremony the groom walks in first and is followed by the bride. The

officiator greets them in the center for the wedding. They walk out as husband

and wife and are greeted by well wishers. For a baptism the infant can be carried

into the center for the labyrinth for the anointing and blessing with holy water.

Other life transitions could be ritualized with the labyrinth. For example,

birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, a new job, a move, or a divorce. Plan a

ceremony with a beginning, middle, and an ending process and use it to honor

the change and integrate it into your life.

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Recently Kate, a friend and member of our healing group, was moving away to

another state. At our last meeting together we wanted to say goodbye to her.

Since we were at our church where we have a labyrinth, we all gathered in front

of it. Kate was asked to walk in first. Others followed after she completed the first

circuit. We were entering with about one minute separating the walkers.

When Kate arrived in the center, she had time alone as she waited. One by one

others entered the center with her and had a few moments to say a private

goodbye. They then turned and slowly walked out. After the last goodbye, Kate

walked back out of the labyrinth to a group hug.

The labyrinth became the container for the emotions of parting and provided a

safe and sacred place to share those feelings. It was a very meaningful and

emotional experience. Such a ritual would work as well for saying, "Hello." It

would be a warm welcome into any group. Gifts of parting or welcome could be

given.

The classical seven-circuit labyrinth is very simple to draw and once you know

the “seed pattern�?you can draw a labyrinth anywhere you go. I find it especially

fun to draw one on a beach. Anne Reynolds of the Labyrinth Society has a wellknown

photograph of herself drawing a labyrinth in the sand. It is now on the

cover of Melissa Gayle West’s labyrinth book.

Whenever at the beach, I draw a labyrinth and then sit back and see what

happens. Adults are curious. They look and point at it as they talk to each other,

but they usually walk right past it. However, any child younger than 10 and,

especially, around than the age of six immediately runs into the labyrinth and

follows the path to the center and back out. Usually more than once and until

their parents come and pull them away.

One of my most powerful "labyrinth lessons" came through the experience of

sharing the labyrinth on a beach. I had agreed to meet with some of my

daughter's friends in St. Augustine, Florida. Our plan was to draw the labyrinth on

the sand and to walk it as a group. I was staying in Jacksonville Beach some 30

miles to the North. As I wanted to be sure that everything would go well, I

practiced drawing the labyrinth at Jacksonville. The tide was low. The beach was

long and flat with soft, wet sand. The labyrinth was easy to draw and was clearly

visible.

The next day I traveled South to St. Augustine. High Tide was still hours away. I

met with my daughter and her friends. We briefly discussed the labyrinth and the

various lessons it could teach and then drove a short distance to the beach.

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I quickly learned that 30 miles can make a big difference. This was not the long,

flat beach of Jacksonville. This beach was short and steep. It had coarse, dry

sand. And, even though high tide was hours away the beach was almost covered

by the rushing waves. Hastily, I tried to draw the labyrinth but the dry sand would

not hold the pattern. Particles of sand would flow into the groove I was making

and the pattern would be lost. I recruited others to help create the labyrinth. We

found that the group effort of repeatedly tracing the pattern would make it hold.

The labyrinth was becoming visible, but the ocean was rushing in. With waves

crashing we began to walk the labyrinth. Just as the first person entered the path

the waves reached the outer ring of the labyrinth and washed it away. Those not

walking the labyrinth were stationed near the ocean and given the task of

redrawing the labyrinth as the waves obliterated it. This task became more and

more demanding as the tide continued to advance.

Those walking the labyrinth were having an unusual experience. As they neared

the ocean side of the labyrinth the path would suddenly disappear. The

"Guardians of the Labyrinth" would rush in to redraw it. The disappearing path

had to be walked on faith that it existed even if not seen and that it would

reappear. Protective forces, the Guardians, were at work maintaining the

labyrinth and ensuring the continuity the process.

Upon exiting the labyrinth the walkers now became the "Guardians" who

protected the path for others. With a group effort we did hold the tide at bay at

least long enough for all to walk the labyrinth and to take away valuable lessons.

After the experience we all sat and talked about the many metaphors of the

labyrinth.

The most outstanding lesson of this day was of needing faith that the spiritual

path existed and that it was being protected. Some times in life the tides of

darkness rush in and threaten. It may become difficult to see the path you are on

and you may feel lost and alone. You must travel in faith that the path is being

maintained. The good news is that there are real Guardians to help you. Meeting

others who are returning from the center provides some assurance that the

journey can be made. Reaching out to others is necessary on this spiritual

journey.

Above all, God's Grace remains the primary protector of the labyrinthine spiritual

journey through life. This journey is taking you to your “Deep Center�?for true

insight into yourself as it prepares you to bring your gifts back out into the world.

The fundamental teaching of the spiritual journey remains, "To love your

neighbor as yourself." You must first find and accept your true nature so as to

love yourself and then go forth into the world empowered to love your neighbor.

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference .

Dan Johnston, Ph.D. Fayetteville, Arkansas - November, 2000

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The next time you visit a beach try drawing a labyrinth in the sand. I drew one on

the beach at Hilton Head, S.C. every day for the seven days of the NICABM

Conference on the Psychology of Health, Immunity, and Disease. Many of those

attending the conference were introduced to the labyrinth for the first time when,

during the two-hour afternoon breaks, they found it on the beach. Of those who

walked the labyrinth, many told me that they found the experience relaxing and

meaningful. The result of my efforts on the beach was an invitation to return to

the December 2000 conference and present a lunchtime workshop on the use of

the labyrinth In Healthcare. So, always draw labyrinths wherever you go. You

never know what will happen?

Using labyrinth with children is invariably fun. It is full of excitement and

challenge and always provides the unexpected. Whenever I work with children, I

first help them learn the difference between a maze and a labyrinth. I provide

them with pencils and a very simple maze that almost anyone can complete. I

continue to give them several successively more difficult mazes until everyone

has made wrong turns and become lost. Next, I give them a simple three-circuit

labyrinth. When they complete it, I ask what is the difference between a labyrinth

and a maze. Someone always recognizes that you cannot get lost in a labyrinth. I

give them a more complex seven-circuit labyrinth and have them again trace the

path and discover that there are no dead-ends. With this as an introduction we

then walk a labyrinth together.

I tell the children that the labyrinth is like life and ask that they think about this

possibility as they walk. I also suggest that they walk slowly and quietly. This

never happens. Even if I walk first to model how to do it, someone is catching

and passing me before I reach the center. After the walk I get the children

together to talk about what they learned about life. If the children are old enough

for independent work, I place then in small groups for discussion before we all

talk together.

One of the first times I did this was at an Episcopal Church where I had helped

built an outdoor labyrinth. The children, ages 6-11, were in a bible school class.

When we met for discussion after the labyrinth walk, I was amazed at what they

had to say about the labyrinth. The children told me that life was like a labyrinth

because:

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference .

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One young girl, about six years old, said that the, “Labyrinth was like life because

if you followed you heart you couldn’t get lost.�?I was also struck by the children’s

recognition of losses in their lives as relationships some and go.

The most profound insight for me came from a young boy, and it was not what he

said but what he did that was striking. I wrote a brief article about it for my web

site. The following excerpt for it begins as we were going out to walk the

labyrinth.

As we were preparing to go outside, one young boy, about eight years old, held

up his paper labyrinth and asked if he could take the “Labyrinth Map�?with him. I

hastily said, ”No. Just leave it here. You don’t need a map.�?And, with that said,

we all went out to walk the labyrinth.

I told the children that they could walk a labyrinth anyway they wanted, but that

were helping to monitor the children. I decided to walk first, so I could model

“slow and quiet�?walking. The children were to follow me, and then the parents

would walk.

Now, I have never actually seen children walk a labyrinth slowly and quietly,

because the labyrinth has its own energy that calls to children and asks them to

run and shout. All went well for a few moments of slow walking, but as more and

more children entered the labyrinth the energy of it caught them. The noise level

went up. There was running and stumbling, laughing and shouting, and “high

fives�?were being passed all along the path. Parents, both those already walking

and those waiting to enter, were loudly whispering to the kids to slow down and

be quiet. They made a valiant effort at control but to no avail. The joy of the

labyrinth was contagious. A few parents even smiled and walked faster.

Several children, who had run through the labyrinth, wanted to do it again. One

was the young boy with the “Labyrinth Map.�?Secretly, he had put it into his

pocket and was now taking it out for comparison. Back he went into the labyrinth

with his map. He was carefully comparing his position in the labyrinth to the map,

so he could tell where to go next. At each turn he evaluated where he was and

how much progress he had made. He looked at his map to see where to go next.

He would occasionally seem lost, but with the aid of his Labyrinth Map he made

the journey to the center and back out again, where he seemed quite pleased

with his success.

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference .

Dan Johnston, Ph.D. Fayetteville, Arkansas - November, 2000

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I watched this young boy with amusement as he struggled to find the path he

was already on with the aid of a map he didn’t need. Suddenly, I realized what a

wonderful image! What a metaphor! This is what we all do. We try to solve the

Labyrinth of Life. We seek the experience of life in our minds through our

thinking. We want to understand the journey in advance. We want to be prepared

and to avoid surprises. We want the security of a map. We want the map of

intellectual concepts with the left-brain logical, sequential, analytical assurance

that we are going in the right direction.

In reality, the right or correct direction is always right before us, if we will just give

up the distraction of the map. If we move from left-brain to right-brain, open our

eyes, and drop the illusion of the map, we can clearly see the path and recognize

is one of intuition and faith. It always involves risk. The path is full of creativity

and surprise and always takes us off the beaten path, the well-known path,

towards where no map can go, and where no map is of use. Each path in life is

unique. My path is not yours, and yours is not mine. We must each find our own

way.

There is no Labyrinth Map, nor is one needed. This is an extraordinarily difficult

never was. The map is not the experience. The map only points you towards it.

Excessively relied upon, the map takes you away from the experience.

We are all like the young boy with the Labyrinth Map. We all have our strategies

While clinging to the Labyrinth Map robs us of the lived labyrinth experience,

such clinging may also be needed in order to lead us to the precipice where the

trail disappears, and we are thrust onto our own resources. We may need the

safety of a map until we learn to trust our experience and ourselves.

Such trust may begin at the entrance to one of Life’s Labyrinths, often disguised

as one of life’s crises, where we are forced to discard the Labyrinth Map and step

into the journey to our own deep selves through a leap of faith.

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference .

Dan Johnston, Ph.D. Fayetteville, Arkansas - November, 2000

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Rows of ragged rocks outline a path for

healing?

Brown, decaying leaves hug the winter

ground �?a blanket to transform?

The labyrinth awaits the sojourner--

almost calls her name--

Will you enter my simple boundaries

and journey my paths

One Step at a Time?

Straight ahead, yet winding and crooked

The curled road beckons to be trod --

reinforcing the uplifted

blessing the downtrodden

Maybe tears, maybe joy, maybe peace

One Step at a Time.

All who are heavy laden, come stand at

the gate

All who are fragmented, place one foot

down

and the other in front

All who find wonder in the commonplace,

Come travel the narrow rows

One Step at a Time.

Give up your burdens, your middle of the

night worries

Lay a care on a silver, craggly rock as

you pass

and move on to the next,

the monotony will soothe you

One Step at a Time.

Moving inward,

The trail winds in and out

Muscles untensing,

The walker’s job seems easy,

The cares tumble down

and hit the ground with imagined force

lightening the load on contact

One Step at a Time.

Step 48, step 49, many more follow

while curling toward center like a

snail into its shell

Motionless at last,

a wooden cross is sighted,

God’s presence overwhelms

and envelopes the inner sanctum--

His peace now a cloister

on the journey half over

One Step at a Time.

The pause to discover

new perspectives to ponder

fresh eyes, lightened heart

the world is a wonder

with steps unencumbered

the pilgrimage rewinds

One Step at a Time.

The breathing is slower

the feet touch down lower,

and easier on the road well-worn

The unknown, now familiar

the end is the beginning

the sad is now glory

All happening unexpectedly

One Step at a Time.

A twist inward

A transformation outward

A fresh view from fatigued eyes

All part of a simple design

of much complexity

with the whole greater

than the sum of the steps

All the while traveling

One Step at a Time.

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference

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Dan Johnston, Ph.D. Fayetteville, Arkansas - November, 2000

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This is the book that began the current interest in labyrinths. It is beautifully

written and inspiring with its presentation of the power of the labyrinth as a tool

for transformation. Focuses more on the Chartres' style labyrinth. Highly

recommended.

Gothic Image Publications, 1996.

Gives a good history of labyrinths. Focuses mainly on the classical seven-circuit

labyrinth. Has interesting suggestions for using labyrinths

Very informative with much practical information. A good section on creative and

healing uses for labyrinths. Detailed instructions on how to construct your own

labyrinth.

today’s healthcare.�?Healthcare Marketing Report, June 1999, pp. 16-17.

http://www.lessons4living.com

A web site for psychological and spiritual growth. Online tests for burnout, stress,

and depression. Has a special section on the labyrinth and its uses. Free

labyrinth screensaver.

�?01 Ways to Use a Labyrinth�?Labyrinth Society Conference .

Dan Johnston, Ph.D. Fayetteville, Arkansas - November, 2000

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http://www.geomancy.org/tls/

Official web site of The Labyrinth Society with the mission of supporting all those

who create, maintain, and use labyrinths and of serving the global community by

providing education, networking, and opportunities to experience transformation.

http://www.labyrinthproject.com/

The site of Robert Ferre' with useful information on the making of labyrinths. Also

has labyrinth products.

http://www.stonecircledesign.com/

Very useful information about the healing power of labyrinths in healthcare

settings. StoneCircle specializes in the design, development, and promotion of

environments that enhance health and well being.

http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/

Web Site of Lauren Artess and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Home of the

Labyrinth Locator where you can find a labyrinth near you.

http://www.geomancy.org/labyrint/labyrint.html

Excellent material on labyrinths and other sacred spaces. Web Site of Sig

http://ilc.tsms.soton.ac.uk/caerdroia/homepage.htm

Recently redesigned site. Excellent information. Good general resource.

Get uses and Ideas from the group