Using the labyrinth for ADHD children
I tried the labyrinth with my eldest daughter who is 14. She has ADHD and is also really struggling with her behavior and emotions at the moment - it was amazing! When she got stuck, she immediately opened her eyes and said 'well I'm finished - I cant' go any further because I'm stuck' I suggested to her that she calm down, close her eyes and have another go, but I gave her no instructions on what it was she must do, I just told her to rest her fingers back where they were and to let them do what she felt they ought to!! This made her even more frustrated and she just replied that there was no point, as all she could do was go back the way she'd been and what was the point in back-tracking - I just looked at her and raised my eyebrows! I could see that she was starting to realise what was happening and see how this was very reflective of her attitude at the moment. She quietened down and had another go - she was more relaxed and I noticed that she was the reverse to me; her right hand kept waiting for her left!! She finished the labyrinth and came back out and we were able to talk about how her feelings were very similar to how she deals with things in her everyday life.
I think that the labyrinths are fantastic. Initially I thought that £35 was quite a lot of money to spend on one item, but I am glad that I decided to as it is a tool that the whole family can use. Although the things that it brought to the surface were things that might come about through general discussion I think the labyrinth manages to do it in a much more subtle way but with quicker results - we love it!
What are the mental/physical benefits of using a labyrinth?
The benefits are many, we all know stress puts pressure on the body and can cause all sorts of disease, when the mind is still, the body has a space for bringing about balance and healing. In this busy demanding world that we live in today, it is very difficult to find quiet place where we can get in touch with ourselves. Many people are interested in meditation to de -stress, but don't know where to start. Working with a labyrinth allows you to reach deep levels of relaxation very quickly by simply following the path .
How does one walk a labyrinth i.e.. What must you do or think while you are using it in order to get the benefits?
No skill is required and there are no set rules to walk a labyrinth. The labyrinth is a non-invasive, universal archetypal tool to enhance and bring clarity to your life. Children love to run and play on a labyrinth, while adults might prefer a quieter more contemplative walk.
However if you want to use the labyrinth as a tool to bring in more clarity about a situation, one makes an intent/ asks a question before entering the labyrinth and then allows an answer or solution to ' arrive' while loosing oneself on the path.
There are three stages in the process:
1. The way in, allows a letting go of the old thought patterns, emotions, beliefs etc. Loose yourself to the path, observing your thoughts and feelings.
2. When one reaches the centre there is the opportunity to be still and in a mood of receiving, invoking whatever quality you are needing to bring into your life. Allow yourself to be drawn to one or more of the petals, spending sometime in quiet contemplation.
3. The path back out is when inspiration, understanding and new ways of seeing a situation arrive. Again, just allow your mind to flow with the path, observing your process.
Read more on children and Labyrinths
Align yourself with the deepest truths you know.
1) Become aware of your beliefs and how they influence your perceptions. Think about the saying: "Seeing is believing." Perhaps it is equally valid to say: "Believing is seeing."
2) Become aware of your emotions. If they are anything other than enthusiasm, what are you resisting?
3) Be willing to re-examine your past and memories you may have suppressed. Areas of unconsciousness represent areas you are unaware of, but that doesn't mean they don't influence you.
4) Be willing to walk away from situations that rob you of your personal power.
5) Be willing to let go of control over others. Trying to control others is usually as sign of fear and resistance. We cannot be self-empowered when we are trying to control others.
6) Be willing to feel your feelings without resistance. Embrace all emotions with enthusiasm. When you are angry, for example, really feel the anger. When you are in pain, be willing to fully experience the pain. Remember, it is the judgment of our feelings that causes the resistances that inhibit our personal power.
7) Connect with all the aspects of yourself. Get to know your inner child, your logical adult and your spiritual or higher self. Work on integrating the three into a harmonious unit.
8) Examine those areas in your life where you are not yet self-empowered and see what choices you have made that you may be willing to change.
9) Know the difference between self-empowerment and self-isolation. Ideally, when we are self-empowered, we connect more fully with others rather than less. Intimacy is the product of two self-empowered individuals willing to be totally seen and known by each other.
10) Understand that it isn't so much what happens to us in life, but how we deal with it that matters.
11) Be willing to be "cause" rather than "effect" in your life. This means taking full responsibility for your words, thoughts and deeds. It also means never seeing yourself as a victim of circumstances.
12) "Dance in your passion and play in your joy."