From the Editor's Computer
Have you ever walked a labyrinth? I have had the opportunity to walk labyrinths at workshops, plus, I have a wooden finger labyrinth.
So there is no confusion, a labyrinth and a maze are not the same thing. A labyrinth has only one way in and one way out. There are no dead ends and it is impossible to get lost as the route is very defined. A person moves from the edge to the centre, and from there back to the edge. Traditionally, labyrinths have been used for pilgrimages, walking meditation/prayers, healing and or a quiet retreat from the busyness of life.
Labyrinths are an excellent metaphor for how I’ve found life to really be like, no matter how we live it or we perceive it to be. First, there is only one way in (birth) and one way out (death). Between those two points, we are aiming to become more centred in ourselves before we reach the end of the journey.
While the path may twist and turn, so much so that we may feel we are travelling backwards at times, we are always moving forward. Also, it truly is impossible to get lost or off track, no matter how disorientated we may feel as we journey along. There are no wrong turns or dead ends that we need to escape from.
When you walk a labyrinth, there is no striving or strain, no rush or hurry. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other. That is the same with life. All our striving, anxiety, stress, strain, worry, fighting, ladder-climbing, etc, doesn’t really get us any further along than if we just relax and enjoy each step we take, each and every day.
Of course, living life, as walking a labyrinth, works best when we are completely present as we concentrate on the current moment and the next step we need to take. We know that distractions will come, and because of that knowledge, we can keep moving forward, even if we have to pause for a breath or two.
Each person who walks a labyrinth experiences something different, and so it is with life. We each experience the journey in our own unique ways.
Beth
Beth
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