Tuesday, May 7, 2013

A Calming Labyrinth

All spiritual traditions have some form of meditative repetition.  Catholics have the rosary, others have prayer beads.  Eastern religions have mantras.

The labyrinth is one of the oldest of these forms.  As you follow a labyrinth, you focus only on the action at hand—where you walk, how you turn, making your way step by step in a well-patterned maze.  The goal is not so much to get through as to lose yourself in the process, to think of nothing but the moment.

I have tried a lot of different forms of meditation, but this is the one that works best for me—it gives my mind something to do while I try to rest it.  What I gain is a reprieve from the many daily worries that weigh on my spirit.

If you have a local labyrinth, I encourage you to try it.  It will not solve your problems, but it can help ease your mind for a while.  The one pictured above is at the Paleakula Gardens Peace Sanctuary on the island of Hawaii.

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