The Labyrinth & Walking Meditation

Please call Chaplain Roger if you would like to schedule your class or group for a labyrinth experience. The Labyrinth can be scheduled most anytime with enough advance notice to reserve the Student Union Ballroom.

The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual and mystical tool which is returning to use during a time when people are seeking to find their way, connect with the earth, and touch the sacred. The pattern of this labyrinth is based on the one found embedded in the floor of the mystical and magical Cathedral of Chartes in France. A Labyrinth is different from a maze in that you do not have to search for a path. Just follow the labyrinth and it will lead you to Spirit while helping you explore your relationship to God, others and the creation. Walking the “little pilgrimage” requires attention, awareness and an open heart.

You can discover a great deal about the history and spirituality of the labyrinth at http://www.gracecathedral.com/labyrinth/index.shtml
or at the following links.

Read about the experiences of other students.

Here are two simple way to encounter the labyrinth.

Remove your shoes to remind yourself that you are taking the first step of a journey. As in the Journey of Life there is no right way to walk the labyrinth. Just walk slowly. Pay attention to what is happening in your heart and mind. The pattern on the ground helps you slow down and listen to your inner wisdom and the inspiration of God/Spirit.

Remove self judgment. Just be. Reflect on what you notice about yourself and the process of walking the labyrinth. Contemplate on how does this relate to the way I live my life? What can I learn from this? The labyrinth may make you aware of the next turn in your journey of life. There are many ways to meditatively walk the labyrinth, but no manner what method you choose, bring an openness to the experience. Expectation of what will come can be a barrier to the sacred experience trying to happen. Here are two suggestions of how to experience the labyrinth.

Bring a question with you in the labyrinth. Not a yes or no question, but one that is open for reflection. Pose your question. Walk in. Focus your attention on walking and observing the process. What are your thoughts and feelings? What is your experience? When finished, contemplate how your experience relates to your question.

Pray as you walk. You may recite your mantra, breath prayer or other sentence prayer.
Pause, sit in the center for a few moments and listen. You may take the prayer needs of others with you, visualizing them as you walk. You may have a conversation with God, but don’t do all the talking. Take some time to listen. Your answer may come as awareness in words, it may come as a visual symbol, or it may come as a feeling or intuitive insight.

Chaplain Roger is available to help you process your experience now or at a later time. He is also avilable for spiritual education and guidance. 408-605-1687. chaplain@sjspirit.org