Experiencing the Labyrinth
Experiencing the Labyrinth
By Tara Giddings
The labyrinth walk at Grace Cathedral is essentially a spiritual metaphor for life, it is what you choose to make of it. At the end everyone walks the same path but ultimately each person has a very different experience.
If you choose to walk in the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral by simply breathing and being in the moment then you will find yourself in the meditative state. By focusing only on moving forward your heart rate slows, you thoughts slow and your emotions slow, allowing your mind to clear. However to someone who has no experience with meditation and a negative mindset I’m sure it would only seem like a confusing set of twists and turns, then again maybe that’s how life would seem with too.
Before entering the labyrinth a kind elderly woman explains the spiritual passage, the personal exploration and group experience. She says the labyrinth should be approached just like the first time you would go into the ocean, feeling each grain of sand between your toes and imagining the water, perhaps by focusing on every sensation of the water washing over your feet, from the soft touch to the rush of the waves, the consistent give and take of the tides. The labyrinth is representative of many different religious ideologies but overall is a symbol of a spiritual journey, of connecting with oneself and the world around you. Part of the way the labyrinth works is by encouraging the walker to be mindful, to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, on each individual step, on each new moment. The relaxing sounds of music and the candle light provide a calming atmosphere.
Ultimately the labyrinth is a personal individual experience. One woman sobbed silently, preps overcome by some personal realization, people of different cultures walked along perhaps thinking in different languages, tourists immersed themselves into a new world of hippie San Francisco and of course a few people looked as if they had no idea what they were doing there. The labyrinth walk is a choice, you can choose to see it as merely a pattern on the floor or you can choose to see it as an opportunity to clear your mind and accept whatever feelings appear. In my mind the song Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac played as I thought that each person here needed to do what was right for them, just like in most all life situations.
If you go to the beach expecting wind, too much sand, freezing cold water, a sunburn, and thinking about all the ways it could turn into a generally dreadful experience then chances are once you are there you will be so focused on everything going wrong that you will have a dreadful time. If you go to the beach with no expectations and enjoy the feel of sunshine on your skin, appreciate the excitement of the waves and simply stand in awe of the beauty around you then chances are you will be so focused on the good that you won’t even care about whatever small things go badly. I think the approach of viewing the labyrinth like entering the ocean was pretty accurate.
I may not be spiritual enough to say this is a life changing experience for everyone, but I believe there is a lesson to be learned from it. To focus on moving forward in life, to clear your mind on occasion just to focus on the present and to think about what you do believe in, whether its love, people, nature or making a ridiculous amount of money. The labyrinth can, with an open mind, teach us that all experiences are what we make of them, that if we choose to be open to possibility and not judgmental, then we can find something larger than ourselves or if we are lucky, discover a little bit more about ourselves.
By Tara Giddings
The labyrinth walk at Grace Cathedral is essentially a spiritual metaphor for life, it is what you choose to make of it. At the end everyone walks the same path but ultimately each person has a very different experience.
If you choose to walk in the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral by simply breathing and being in the moment then you will find yourself in the meditative state. By focusing only on moving forward your heart rate slows, you thoughts slow and your emotions slow, allowing your mind to clear. However to someone who has no experience with meditation and a negative mindset I’m sure it would only seem like a confusing set of twists and turns, then again maybe that’s how life would seem with too.
Before entering the labyrinth a kind elderly woman explains the spiritual passage, the personal exploration and group experience. She says the labyrinth should be approached just like the first time you would go into the ocean, feeling each grain of sand between your toes and imagining the water, perhaps by focusing on every sensation of the water washing over your feet, from the soft touch to the rush of the waves, the consistent give and take of the tides. The labyrinth is representative of many different religious ideologies but overall is a symbol of a spiritual journey, of connecting with oneself and the world around you. Part of the way the labyrinth works is by encouraging the walker to be mindful, to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, on each individual step, on each new moment. The relaxing sounds of music and the candle light provide a calming atmosphere.
Ultimately the labyrinth is a personal individual experience. One woman sobbed silently, preps overcome by some personal realization, people of different cultures walked along perhaps thinking in different languages, tourists immersed themselves into a new world of hippie San Francisco and of course a few people looked as if they had no idea what they were doing there. The labyrinth walk is a choice, you can choose to see it as merely a pattern on the floor or you can choose to see it as an opportunity to clear your mind and accept whatever feelings appear. In my mind the song Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac played as I thought that each person here needed to do what was right for them, just like in most all life situations.
If you go to the beach expecting wind, too much sand, freezing cold water, a sunburn, and thinking about all the ways it could turn into a generally dreadful experience then chances are once you are there you will be so focused on everything going wrong that you will have a dreadful time. If you go to the beach with no expectations and enjoy the feel of sunshine on your skin, appreciate the excitement of the waves and simply stand in awe of the beauty around you then chances are you will be so focused on the good that you won’t even care about whatever small things go badly. I think the approach of viewing the labyrinth like entering the ocean was pretty accurate.
I may not be spiritual enough to say this is a life changing experience for everyone, but I believe there is a lesson to be learned from it. To focus on moving forward in life, to clear your mind on occasion just to focus on the present and to think about what you do believe in, whether its love, people, nature or making a ridiculous amount of money. The labyrinth can, with an open mind, teach us that all experiences are what we make of them, that if we choose to be open to possibility and not judgmental, then we can find something larger than ourselves or if we are lucky, discover a little bit more about ourselves.
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