Labyrinth Information and Locations
Labyrinth Information and Locations
From:
Cheya Dixon
Although
some people choose not to live their lives on a spiritual journey, many are
flocking to different techniques to help them maintain a more balanced and
centered lifestyle. One technique
that has become popular and therapeutic is walking the labyrinth.
This paper will explain what a labyrinth is, how to walk one properly,
its history, benefits, and details about labyrinths in our community.
Prior
to embarking on such a serious journey, an understanding of the labyrinth is
required. It dates back to
thousands of years before Christ. Labyrinths
can be found in nearly every culture and religious tradition, with the earliest
labyrinth found in Algeria in the 4th century.
The labyrinth in medieval Christianity was used as a symbol for
pilgrimages. Early Christians vowed
to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and walk in the steps of Jesus.
During the Crusades, the pilgrimages proved too dangerous and expensive
therefore labyrinths were constructed within large European cathedrals as a
symbol of the actual pilgrimage. Many
labyrinths are based upon the famous 11 circuit pattern found in the Cathedral
of Notre Dame in Chartres, France constructed in 1200 A.D.
The center of the labyrinth has been called “New Jerusalem” or
“City of God.” The journey
symbolizes the twists and turns of life as well as the necessary and constant
presence of God. Christians
journeyed to the center of labyrinths to touch the divine.
Walking the labyrinth can be seen as a mirror of our own spiritual
journey. There are two particular
labyrinth styles that are used more commonly than others.
The Chartres and Cretan labyrinths.
The Chartres labyrinth is found on the floor of the French Cathedral.
The Cretan labyrinth has roots in the ancient myth of the Monotaur.
This one in particular is reminiscent of the shape of the cross at the
entrance.
According
to one specific internet source “a labyrinth is a path for assisting mental
focus. The holistic function of
labyrinths is to further those who are on the path to a psychological well
being. A labyrinth has a single,
winding, unobstructed path from the outside to the center.
The labyrinth is often seen as a metaphor for our spiritual “life
journey”, many twists and turns
but no dead ends. In other words,
we always have the opportunity to make another choice in life or “turn” in
the labyrinth. The labyrinth is a
powerful tool to help your mind and body relax. The chance to release both mental and physical tension by
walking a labyrinth is there for each individual.
In addition, those people who find it difficult to sit still and meditate
or pray will find the perfect outlet in the moving meditation that is the
labyrinth experience. It is at once
kinesthetic and introspective, a complete mind-body integrative activity.
People have used labyrinths as oracles; places to receive answers to
life’s troubling questions and as an oasis for the spirit.
In other words, a place to receive wholesome “nourishment” for the
spirit within by connecting with a divine nature; a situation not readily
available in our usual day to day existence.
It is also a tool that seems to be bridging the ever-widening gap between
traditional religious ritual and new age spiritual practices.
In sum, a labyrinth is a playground for allowing our intuitions to take
wing. So follow what comes into
your head and your heart while inside the “walls” of the labyrinth; what
many consider to be “Sacred Space” (www.relax4life.com/whatisit.html).
Using a labyrinth as a meditation tool is simple.
Begin at the sole opening and wind your way around the circle.
At the center, some stop to read, think, or pray; sometimes people who
are grieving leave an object there. Then
follow the same path out. My only
experience walking a labyrinth has been at Grailville.
I have walked this particular labyrinth three different times, and each
time has been special in so many ways. I
am able to concentrate and contemplate in a more focused manner each time I take
the walk. My head seems so much
clearer and I always walk away with an answer to the question that I set as my
intent before I began. Having had
such positive experiences with Grailville, I am actively seeking other
labyrinths in the area to find the same type of healing.
There are several labyrinths in Cincinnati that are open to the public.
Directions can be found at www.mapquest.com
They
are:
·
Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road,
Loveland (513) 683-2340
·
Northern Hills Fellowship, 460 Fleming
Road, Springfield Township (513) 931-6651
·
Heritage Universalist – Unitarian
Church, 2710 Newton Road, Anderson Township, (513) 231-8634
·
Unity Center of Cincinnati, 1401 East
McMillan, East Walnut Hills, (513) 961-2527.
·
Mercy Franciscan Holistic &
Wellness Center, 2366 Kipling Avenue, Cincinnati, (513) 853-5987
·
Sisters of Charity Motherhouse, 5900
Delhi Road, Cincinnati, (513) 347-5300
All
of these labyrinths come highly recommended; however the last two offered are a
bit more unique than the rest. Mercy
Franciscan is unusual in that it is a tennis court that has been converted into
a labyrinth. The paths are straight
and turn at right angles instead of the more customary curves.
The Sisters of Charity Motherhouse has a chartes-style outdoor labyrinth
of bricks and gravel and set atop a hill.
In
conclusion, there are several different ways to rejuvenate the human body, mind,
and soul, but one of the most effective is the labyrinth. It can be utilized in times of grief and pain, joy and
jubilation, or just much needed exercise to help become more centered.
It can be done alone or with a group.
There is no need to seek outside counsel, or have any prior training to
be able to take advantage of the healing that comes with this experience.
There must be something special about taking this walk since so many
people, for thousands of years have chosen to walk the same path that is sought
today. This form of meditation has
proven to provide the peace and tranquility that we so often lack in our busy
lives. Few things in this life are
free, and even fewer are the things that provide rest and relaxation for the
soul; the labyrinth is both. A
labyrinth brings people closer to wholeness and offers a visual purposeful path
that can be seen in the form of a circle, mimicking our own journey to the
center of ourselves. So much care
and consideration is given the upkeep of our external appearance don’t we at
least owe it to ourselves to pamper the internal as well? We do, and if we are not careful, the exhaustion and stress
can seep to the surface making the truth visible.
It is imperative to continually fill our cup with exercises like walking
the labyrinth, so that light and goodness prevail, and the joy that we desire
can be achieved.
Additional
websites...
http://www.labyrinthcompany.com/homepage.html
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Cincinnati Healing Touch