“Solvitur ambulando (It is solved by walking)”

— St. Augustine

In the nave of Chartres Cathedral outside of Paris lies an 800-year-old, 42-foot circle of stone cut into the floor. People come from the world over to walk the symbolic path of this labyrinth to its center and out again.

The labyrinth, an ancient tool and a metaphor for life’s inward journey, is used in contemplative prayer and meditation. It is also thought of as a guide for healing, to deepen self-knowledge and empower creativity. As in life, walking the labyrinth requires endurance and mindfulness and never takes you straight to your goal.

It is said that walking a labyrinth orders chaos and stimulates the creative, right side of the brain as it invites the walker to enter its circuitous path to the center and out again into the exterior world.

Unlike mazes that present cognitive puzzles and dead ends that can confuse the walker, labyrinths present only one choice: whether or not to enter and walk the path.

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There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Some find it meaningful to consider the three traditional stages to a walk: Emptying, receiving and integrating. But you might want to enter free from any particular thought or framework. When you arrive at the center, stay as long as you like, then follow the path that leads you back out.

According to Jeff Sayward, a world-renowned expert on labyrinths, the oldest one is located in southern Europe and dates back 4,000 years. Today, labyrinths are experiencing a resurgence as people look for ways to heal, de-stress or pause to reflect on their lives. Hospitals, churches, community centers, colleges and retreat centers are just a few of the environments that offer labyrinths to the public. An online labyrinth locator (http://labyrinthlocator.com) can help you find one in your hometown or in a place you may visit.

The Rev. Lauren Artress is the force behind the labyrinth movement. An Episcopal priest and canon at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Artress is the founder and creative director of Veriditas, a nonprofit organization that aspires to “activate and facilitate the transformation of the human spirit” through use of the labyrinth. She travels the globe offering experiences for people to walk the labyrinth and become facilitators.

Maine has a number of public and private labyrinths. Two area churches, Trinity Episcopal Church in Portland and First Parish Church in Brunswick, have portable canvas labyrinths for public walks.

Perhaps you might begin the new year with a labyrinth walk and invite a sense of calm and peace into your life.

Barbara Babkirk is a certified labyrinth facilitator and founder of Heart At Work, a career counseling practice in Portland. She will co-lead a women’s retreat in May that will visit Chartres. For information, go online to www.journeytoyoursacredself.com.

 


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