Walking The Labyrinth

Early this morning, I walked the labyrinth at the retreat center where I’ve been participating in a course of the PATH method of healing.

Labyrinths are ancient and have been used in spiritual practice through many cultures.

The concept is you enter where you choose to enter, and you follow the path around and around, until the path leads you to the center.

Prior to entering, I stood silently, meditating and praying as to what I wanted to rid myself of, what I deeply know I no longer need. And as I walked the labyrinth, I said out loud, “I no longer need this.” And prayed in my heart for it to be released.

There is no direct route to the center, and that is the whole point of walking the labyrinth. It forces you to look forward as it keeps you in the moment, all at the same time. As I walked around and around, I found myself doubting whether one of the paths I was taking would bring me to the center and I found myself thinking, “Well, I could just step over one of the lines to the center” but I knew that was neither the purpose nor the correct energetic approach and wouldn’t bring me closer to my inner wish of letting go.

Even though I was in the country hills above, the noise generated by the traffic on Hwy 101 was always in the background. I realized this is like our minds, always talking in the background, telling us what we have to do, who we should talk to, when we didn’t do something right, how someone hurt our feelings. I think one of the main goals of our lives is to get that inner voice to quiet down and give us some moments of peace!

And so, my inner voice was doubting I would make it to the center, but I acknowledged that and continued with my prayer, opening my hands wide and letting the prana or energy of this magical place enter my hands. And my prayer became, “My hands are full of restored prana or energy to help the women who come to my practice heal.”

And when I reached the center, I walked around 7 times, alternating between shaking my hands out, letting go of what I no longer needed or wanted, and opening my arms wide with my palms up, able to receive the immense positive healing energy from our mother earth. My mind was quiet, my heart was full and I was on my way.

To Your Health,