While preparing to walk, you may wish to take a moment to reflect on where you are in life. Clear your mind and become aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your bodywants to go. There are no right or wrong ways towalk the labyrinth.
You are invited on three stages of the Walk:
Release– as you walk the path to the center, release. You can release what burdens you.You can let go of “me” details of your life. This is an act of shedding thoughts and emotions.
Receive– when you reach the center. Stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what God is trying to pour into you.
Return– as you follow the path out, you are joining the healing power of God at work in theworld. Eachtime you walk the labyrinth, you become more empowered to find and do thework for which your soul is reaching and for which God has gifted and empowered you.
Some Approaches to Consider:
Attentiveness– Quiet your mind, letting all thoughts go as they present themselves. Allowa gracious sense of attention to flow through you, being aware and accepting of what youfeel during the walk.
Asking a Question– There may be something on your mind in the form of a question. Aburden you are carrying or a decision you need to make. As you walk the labyrinth, focuson this question that you’ve been asking yourself. Questions need only be asked from theheart and soul of our being. There is nothing magical about the labyrinth-it simply allowsto open up more deeply, so that God can speak to us more thoroughly.
Repetition- Repeating a word or phrase over and over to yourself while you walk can be ahelpful way to focus our attention and listen to God speak to us. Some of you know thishabit as centering prayer.
Prayer– Simply pray through your walk, with words if necessary, or with an openness andlistening to God, or whatever combination of words and silence seems right on that day.
If you wish to read more about labyrinths, here are two resources:
Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritaul Tool by Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress.
Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices by Daniel Wolpert. This book has a chapter on walking the labyrinth
