Labyrinth

"Let the beauty you love be what you do.
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth." –Rumi

I walked a labyrinth yesterday. Walking a labyrinth, as I just learned, is an ancient tradition that is shared by just about every major religious tradition (Greek, Celtic, Mayan, Native American, and others).

This geometric form defines a sacred space, and the walking of it represents the act of pilgrimage. And so I walked, twice in the context of my retreat weekend. The first time I walked, I walked largely out of curiosity. I had not yet seen Bethany’s labyrinth nor experienced it, so I wanted to check it out. I walked with my camera in hand, took photographs, and figured out the doing of it. Quickly, I realized this was no sight-seeing experience, and that the discipline of taking this circuitous path could be deeply meditative. The second time I walked, I stepped deliberatively (having read the brochure on the meaning and the manner of walking the labyrinth). I took nothing with me, so my hands were free, my heart open, and my mind un-tethered. And I understood the intention of this winding design--an offering of time and space for meditation, prayer, centering and reflection. I shall return.