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Walking the labyrinth can be a powerful spiritual tool as it engages body, mind and spirit in a journey to one's center.
Prairiewoods guests are invited to experience walking the labyrinth in the meadow beyond the two strawbale hermitages. To find it, follow the road going east on the north side of the Guest House.
A labyrinth, unlike a maze, has one concentric, circular path with no dead ends. The path leads to the center and is a metaphor for the spiritual journey. The goal is connecting with the Spirit within us.
The tradition of walking a labyrinth goes back as far as 5000 years and is found in many sacred traditions.
The labyrinth at Prairiewoods is a replica of the one embedded in the stone of the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.
There is no right or wrong way to walk the labyrinth. Choose your own pace and do what feels natural. Take as much time as you wish. If you want to dance, run, or stop along the way, then do so. You can stay in the center for as long as you like before beginning the return path.
If you meet someone along the path, you may choose to step off and let them pass. After leaving the labyrinth you might allow yourself a few moments of quiet to reflect on the experience.
Walking the labyrinth is described as following a three-fold path found in traditional Christian mysticism.
- Purgation: a releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. This is an act of shedding thoughts and emotions. It quiets and empties the mind.
- Illumination: when you reach the center. Stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.
- Union: which is joining God, your Higher Power or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul is reaching for.
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| My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know God’s lurking places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas…In nature. |
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- John Muir
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