A Labyrinth is an ancient archetypal pattern which is most often laid as a path on the ground to be walked. By surrendering to the winding path one finds stillness and peace.
What are the mental/physical benefits of walking a labyrinth?
A Labyrinth is the opposite of a maze, as mazes have many paths and choices, including dead ends - they are about multiplicity, choice and strategy, a journey of the mind. Our everyday lives are very much like a maze.
A Labyrinth on the other hand offers a single meandering path and is about guidance, trust and reflection and is a journey for the heart and brings about stillness for the mind.
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 quite and to 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 ie. What must you do or think while you are walking 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 quiter 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:
The way in, allows a letting go of the old - thought patterns, emotions, beliefs ect.
When one reaches the centre there is the oppotunity to be still and in a mood of recieving, invoking whatever quality the walker is needing to bring into their life.
On the path back out is when inspiration, understanding and new ways of seeing a situation arrive.
How does one use a finger labyrinth – and does this offer the same benefits as a “walking” labyrinth?
A finger labyrinth allows the user to access this ancient pattern in a space of their choosing. A walking Labyrinth, to be effective, needs at least a 5m x 5m space. A finger labyrinth can be used in any enviroment no matter how small, be it an office space or in the home or school, where it can be of immediate use for the user.
There are different types of finger labyrinths, some designed more as a doodle and others as an active theraputic or meditational tool. The most benificial finger labyrinth is a double one, meaning it has a left handed and a right handed pattern for the user to use both hands at the same time in mirror image. This causes the left and right hand sides of the brain to come into alignment, bringing the user into the present almost immediatly. It is very focusing and grounding and extreemly benificial for children, especially those with learning and behavioral problems.
I have a garden labyrinth I'd like to list on your site. Its a classical design made with bricks and stones, and was laid out by Terry de Vries Nel. I live in Somerset West, Western Cape. I'd be happy to let visitors walk in it but this would have to be done by appointment. I can be contacted via email: theresa@greenspace.co.za
Thanks!
Theresa
