Today, Saturday May 2, 2020 is World Labyrinth Day.
All around this blue green orb we call Earth walkers are stepping onto an ancient path, observing social distancing or staying home and using a finger labyrinth – journeying by foot or by hand into the center and journeying out again.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome to walk a labyrinth.
Step on the path towards mindfulness, becoming aware of life’s journey, of your footsteps and being here now. Carry in your heart a question, a concern, a loved one. Relax, let the path take you to the center. Stay a while in the center and be open to the possibility of transformation.
In Florida alone I walked 138 labyrinths while researching for my book Circle the Center Labyrinths in Florida.
Always check before going to make sure the listing is still there and open.
To vicariously visit some of the ones in my book, see my blogs on labyrinths in Tallahassee and the blog on Gainesville plus the surrounding area.
Here is a five-circuit labyrinth embedded in the sidewalk in Sarasota, Florida, found in the alley behind Women’s Exchange on Orange Avenue. Barbara Trow is walking the walk before the pandemic and masks.
And more labyrinths are being added all the time like the 11-circuit labyrinth found behind First Congregational United Church of Christ in Sarasota. A butterfly garden has been created nearby. When you walk, it is quite possible Monarch butterflies will join you.
And yet, on this day of all days, most of us will be staying home, not venturing forth, locked down, sheltering in place, really frayed at the edges, desperate to feel whole again.
Finger labyrinths are one way to heal the frayed edges. Don’t have one? Here you go:
More resources:
Lars Howlett , a professional labyrinth designer and master labyrinth builder, has posted a video on You Tube showing how he uses finger labyrinths for prayer, meditation and stress reduction.
Some ideas: Consider circling the labyrinth clockwise around the outside with your finger. Do this several times (Lars demonstrates in the video), perhaps with music or your own chant. Find your own voice.
Then enter the path. Try using your non-dominant hand.
If you have a raised labyrinth, say with the path carved out, you can close your eyes and trace the path. If you get lost, that is all right, it is part of the process.
To learn more and see examples of different kinds – visit the resource pages of The Labyrinth Society.
You still have time to sign up free for Walk Around The World hosted by the Labyrinth Society from Friday, May 1 at 8 a.m. to Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. EDT. This is a 24-hour online international event featuring presenters from New Zealand to Hawaii. People from across all time zones will be connected on the GoToMeeting platform.
Using feet or fingers walk a labyrinth today. Your positive energy joins with walkers all over the world, both today and any time you step on the path.