Has anyone ever done labyrinth meditation? [View All]

[Lydia Leftcoast]

I did for the first time today. We had an Advent "quiet day" at my church, which began with a morning prayer service and a series of questions to meditate upon in either thought or writing. Then we went into another room, where a labyrinth cloth was spread on the floor.

The idea was to ask ourselves a question and meditate upon it as we made our way to the center and back. As I progressed through, I began to see how similar to life the walk was. We might approach a goal, only to find it just out of reach and ourselves headed in the opposite direction. At some points, we had smooth sailing, and at others, we were forced to turn and go in the opposite direction, finally arriving at the center after numerous twists and turns. Then it was time to retrace our steps and find our way out.

As I continued, the relationship to the other people walking the labyrinth also also caught my attention. Some were walking faster, some slower, some in the opposite direction, some on paths that were so close that we brushed against each other. It made me think of how I encounter other people: as exemplars, as obstacles, as chance acquaintances, and how the relationship can work out: me stepping aside, them stepping aside, squeezing past, or trying to avoid them entirely.

I'm not sure what it all means, but it was an exceptionally thought-provoking exercse.