Solvitur ambulando - It is solved by walking
What is a Labyrinth?
A labyrinth can be described as a walking prayer or a walking meditation. It is a flat design that involves following a path from an entrance to usually a central spot. People often mistakenly call a labyrinth a maze but it is not a maze. A maze has walls, dead ends, and multiple entries/exits and is designed to get you lost and confused. Rather, labyrinths have been said to help people find themselves or a Christian might say to help find God, listen to God, pray, meditate, contemplate or simply be still as God speaks to us. Walking a labyrinth for many people can be a spiritual experience. The simple act of walking the labyrinth, following the path, and putting one foot in front of the other can slow the mind, body, and spirit. Numerous cultures throughout the history of the world have used labyrinths in various ways and for various purposes. Often they have come to prominence at times of great change and upheaval. Christians have used labyrinths too, building them into their churches in the early church and into their floors in some of the cathedrals of western Europe, the most famous one still surviving is in Chartres, France.
How can Labyrinths be used?
As has been mentioned, labyrinths can be used for prayer, meditation, and mindfulness. They can also be used in lots of other ways and at various seasons and times. Labyrinths can be used to spark our creativity and gain insight into problems, questions, or ponderings we might have in our lives. One way that I have walked the labyrinth is to come to it with a question that is troubling me. After walking with this question, reflecting, and contemplating it with prayer, I have found that I have at times been able to discern an answer as the question connects with a heart response. A very useful way of preparing or responding to a labyrinth walk, especially if you bring a question to it, is to journal your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Labyrinths can stir the creative juices and I have known people who routinely walk the labyrinth to help them write poetry and connect with their creativity. Labyrinths lend themselves to rituals and celebrations which can deepen the experience. I have walked the labyrinth when people have led practices that encourage forgiveness, healing, emotional release, etc. Also, people who are experiencing grief, stress, anxiety, or illness sometimes find relief through this simple act of walking. People have been known to walk the labyrinth at celebrations like birthdays, relationships, and other milestones in life. More and more labyrinths are being built and used in schools, public parks, community gardens, churches, hospitals, retreat sites, and beaches.
How I found the labyrinth, or how the labyrinth found me?
This document explains the personal journey of how I became involved in working with labyrinths.
| How I found the Labyrinth |
Zweck Labyrinth Resources
The following PowerPoint resources were developed by the late Pastor Rick Zweck who was instrumental in bringing labyrinths into prominence in Lutheran Schools across Australia. Rick was passionate about Christian meditation, pilgrimage, and walking the labyrinth. Rick successfully embedded the labyrinth into the culture of Pacific Lutheran College. The Zweck family has kindly given their permission for these resources to be posted publicly so that the good work which Rick undertook can continue to grow and bless others.
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These two articles below were also written by Rick Zweck for the Australian Labyrinth Network's Newsletter "Labyrinths Matter". The articles deal with how the labyrinth was embedded into the culture of Pacific Lutheran College. Thanks to Rick's pioneering work, students and staff at Pacific know that the labyrinth is an important part of our college's spirituality and practice. Thanks to Lorraine Rodda from the Interim Management Group of the Australian Labyrinth Network for permission to post these articles.
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School Labyrinth Resources
These resources have been developed for workshops I have done with teachers from various schools as well as a brief handout on how to facilitate a labyrinth walk for the Year 7-12 Pastoral Care Groups at my school.
| Unity Labyrinth Workshop |
| Labyrinth Facilitation |
Each year at my school the Year 12s as part of their final week of activities undertake a labyrinth walk. This walk focuses on the start of their transition from secondary school to post-school life. A simple action that is done to ritualise this transition is for the students to take a leaf, stone, or stick and place on it any thoughts, actions, or experiences they want to leave behind in the labyrinth. As they leave school they are invited to leave that thing in the centre of the labyrinth - to place it in God’s hands! Included here is also a reflection paper for students to process their walk.
| Year 12 Labyrinth Walk |
| Year 12 Student Reflection Paper.docx |
Labyrinth CreationThere is an easy way to create your own indoor labyrinth using an adapted packing tape dispenser on a carpet or wooden floor. This video shows how I put down a simple spiral labyrinth in a Kindergarten that 3 - 4 year olds used.
This slideshow gives you some examples of simple tape labyrinths I have created in classrooms over the years. It takes a little bit of effort and time to clear the furniture for the space but if you have flexible learning areas it can easily be done. Masking tape works well on carpet and coloured plastic tape on lino or wooden floors.
Pictured here is how I have attached a long wooden handle to a metal packing tape dispenser. This enables you to lay the tape on the floor without breaking your back. The tape needs to be thread through the dispenser in the right way. If you are considering to make one take note that a simple metal framed dispenser is needed, not the platstic variety which are moulded into a handle.
This Youtube clip is a good example of how easily a temporary labyrinth can be set up on a carpeted open space. A six spiral design is put down and then with a few bits of tape removed an entrance is created together with a couple of turns in the space of two minutes. The labyrinth creator is an American who is well known in labyrinth circles, Lars Howlett.
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Conflict ResolutionThis video shows how a labyrinth can be used to help students problem-solve breakdowns in relationships. The steps are to state the problem, state your feelings, state the other person's feelings, state the problem, brainstorm ideas, and choose the best idea. The process and pattern for this labyrinth have been created by Lisa Gidlow Moriarty of Stillwater Minnesota.
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