Healing Circles ~ A Gathering Place for Nurturing the Feminine Spirit.: When Walking Around in Circles is a Good Thing ...

We've all done it.

Rushed around our home, frantically trying to catch up on a list of things to do before we head out to frantically run a list of errands to do. Then, because our mind is racing on overdrive, and our frantic push to rush has accidentally put our limbic system on alert, suddenly all of the dusty surfaces and out of place things that we have been able to ignore for X number of days, somehow come into perfect focus. So now we add dusting to our To Do list, and maybe even a quick vacuum. And, oh crap! Have to pay the electric bill today. And oh no! Absolutely HAVE to return that call from Mom.

As we pinball our bodies from one room to another ... and another ... and back around again, suddenly it hits us. Ding, ding, ding! "I'm actually running around in circles!"

It's okay. Stop. BREATHE now. Just take a moment to let go of that frantic memory. Breathe in. Then slowly exhale ... and consciously allow yourself to relax.

Okay? Good.

Now with that out of our system, let's talk about a time when walking around in circles can be a very good thing. After all, this blog is called Healing Circles. And here is the circle that inspired that name.

This is a Labyrinth.
Actually, this is OneSelf's portable canvas Labyrinth.
We call her Sophia, which means Wisdom.

All photos by Gerald J. Skrocki (skrockidesign.com)

First and foremost, let me emphasize that a Labyrinth is NOT a maze. There are no dead ends, and there are no crossroads that require you to figure out which way to turn. Rather, there is one single meandering pathway. And even though that pathway curves back and forth and around itself, it leads to just one place ... the Labyrinth's center. In following this path and reaching the Center, you can find your own center and experience the feeling of being centered.

Evidence of labyrinths have been found in literally every culture, dating back to 2500 BCE. They come in many shapes ~ circles, ovals, squares, rectangles and even heart-shaped. The Church adopted their use during the Crusades. And the center of the labyrinth pictured here is an adaptation of one of the world's most famous labyrinths, which is embedded in the nave of Chartres Cathedral in France.

But this post is not about giving you a history lesson on Labyrinths. Rather, it's about inviting you to open yourself to the Labyrinth's gift of Being ... while in motion.

Amazing things happen inside of us when we are able to let go of the outside world's never ending question of, "What's next?". Through simply putting one foot in front of the other as we focus on the single path beneath each footstep, emotional inner chaos begins to dissolve.

This step. This breath. This moment.

This simple motion. And this one. And this one.

Collectively, these simple movements lead to an inner quiet and gentle peace of mind as we reach the Center. And from this center ~ our center ~ amazing emotional healing can begin to take place.


Labyrinth co-owners & facilitators, Connie Barber & Jae Way

Since April of 2003, when Connie and I first spread out our Labyrinth for a private retreat (held at Still Point Retreat Center near Saratoga, NY), we have felt honored to be able to introduce this ancient tool for healing to as many people as are wiling to receive it. At colleges, in churches, at health fairs; at appreciation events for hospice volunteers and healing days for nurses; at our annual overnight women's retreat, and our monthly open-to-the-public walks. We have been honored to witness almost 600 personal journeys along the path of our Labyrinth.

Most of our regular walkers stop by simply to get re-centered for the month, or they seek a quiet place to walk with an idea or question that they want to work out. However, others come to walk with very deeply emotional and poignant stories:

A mother and her son's wife walked the labyrinth together

after a tearful goodbye with their young soldier,

who was flying off to serve in Iraq.

They stood together in the center
to share their tears of fear and sorrow.

Finally, they walked the path outward arm-in-arm.

and

After a long battle with cancer and
having received news from her doctor

that all that could be done had been done,

a woman invited her four oldest and dearest friends

to share a walk to celebrate her life

and to exchange mindful, loving farewells.

Meanwhile, other walkers have wonderfully unique approaches:

A young engaged couple walked our labyrinth twice.

Face-to-face, holding each others' forearms,

they took turns to be the one walking backwards.

Afterwards, they told us that this was their way of
strengthening their trust in being able
to rely upon each other
during their future life's journey together.

And then there are the totally joyful celebrations. Dancing, skipping, leaping, whirling and twirling, sometimes with some of our colorful scarves floating on the breezes behind them, they express in movement the news that they announced as they arrived.

"I graduated from college!"

"My mom's going to be okay!"

"I got the job!"

"He's coming home!"

"I'm a grandmother!"

Whether a joyful celebration or unwanted farewell; whether searching for answers or simply returning to the path for a regular practice of taking time to get re-centered, each walk on the Labyrinth is uniquely personal and personally important to the sojourner. And each walk is important to those of us who have the personal honor of meeting these individuals who have discovered the unique value of walking around in circles.