Yesterday evening, my daughter was refereeing a volleyball game. My plan was to sit in the car and catch up on work since it was farther away from home.
The moment she closed the car door, Divine Guidance flooded in on me to see how far away one of my favorite labyrinths was from this parking lot. I looked it up and it was 3 minutes away!!!
I instantly knew how I would spend my waiting time and it was incredible.
It was also the second labyrinth I had walked in 36 hours.
If you haven’t guessed it already, I love labyrinths. I symbolically walk them on my birthday. I walk them while on vacation and I walk them when I am struggling. I even helped a friend build one in her backyard.
For me, this more than 4,000 year old tradition of meandering through lines and pathways to arrive in the center of a maze offers me tranquility, peace and protection while basking in the inner sanctuary of these Divine masterpieces.
When standing in the center of this energetic maze, there is a peace, protection and connection here that is palpable.
Labyrinth walking is fairly simple, especially if you are walking through a meander, a single path that leads you to the center. The concept behind this meander is that, before entering, you are invited to set intention or ask a question and allow your walk to the center of the labyrinth let your layers of worry fall away as you walk back and forth. With each step toward the center of the labyrinth, you are approaching the center of your struggle and hopefully seeing it from a different perspective. As you walk around the center, you are looking at your intention from all angles.
Labyrinths are energetic creations and each have its own purpose and property. As you begin to pay closer attention, they begin to feel different.
In this labyrinth below, I always feel the thousands of prayers that have been prayed upon this crystal in the middle. This crystal is always warm and you can feel the incredible faith that is offered here at the labyrinth at the Mercy Center. I always feel powerful peace and healing every single time I walk this path.
Our meditation today is a labyrinth walking meditation from the Eaton Park labyrinth. In this labyrinth, I always feel expansive and free. Each labyrinth offers a unique experience and to be honest, each and every walk offers its own experience.
This I know for sure.
No matter what labyrinth you walk, it will be your personalized guidance for whatever you are holding space for in that moment.
This is actually an important aspect to remember.
Everything that happens during your labyrinth walk is part of your message.
We often hold attachments to the idea that it is supposed to be a private, still, and magical experience.
I assure it will be magical but it might not be still if that is not the message you are supposed to receive.
I’ve walked labyrinths by myself. I’ve also walked them with literally hundreds of people at the same time.
Whatever happens in the labyrinth is part of your personal message.
If there are a ton of people, is the Universe teaching you how to find your center within the chaos? Do you need to be more social? Do you need to spend some time away from people? What does the symbolism of your walk mean to you? Get quiet. You’ll know.
I was once contemplating moving and walked the labyrinth about it and a runner came by and screamed to another runner about a house nearby, and talked about why he had not moved there.
I literally laughed out loud! I mean, it does not get more personal than that. I decided to put the moving on hold after that walk.
Dogs may run in, children may be screaming, people may not respect the preciousness of this space.
Like all things, it is what you make of it and it is all offering you guidance.
Perhaps it’s teaching you to not be triggered when things don’t go according to your plan.
Here are a few of my labyrinth walking pointers:
– Before entering, ask a question or set an intention
-You may bow before entering, your choice.
-Attempt to keep a similar paced stride, not too fast and not too slow but be present with every step. This is walking meditation.
-Respect the pathway and follow the path. Do not cross the lines. This pathway is how the energy flows so it’s important to follow the pathway and not break the energy.
It actually pains me when I see people just walk across a labyrinth as if it is regular ground but I always bless them in knowing they simply don’t know how magnificent this place is yet.
Isn’t this true about so many things in life? We can be unaware and unappreciative of the magnitude of something until we learn more about it and then the sacredness is revealed to us and we become more aware, connected and honoring of it. (There is so much to dive into here in another Love Letter but keep sharing what is most sacred to you so others are blessed and illuminated by your journey.)
– Understand that as you are walking to the center, you are going deeper into your subconscious mind and connecting closer to the Divine. Hold space for this guidance when you get to the center. This is not a game of tag where you tap the center and run back out, unless you feel called to do so. Bask in the center until it feels complete.
Sometimes you will receive your guidance on your way in, sometimes on your way out, sometimes in the center and sometimes from the experience of something that happens during it, like my runner’s message.
The entire experience is your message.
If you’d like to find a labyrinth near you, you can locate one here through the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator.
Sometimes it is hard to get to your own labyrinth so I’ve brought one of my favorite ones to you in this raw and spontaneous labyrinth meditation today. Join me for this wonderful labyrinth walk and find the guidance you have been seeking too.
Much love,
Erin