Our Labyrinth
June 03, 2007
*There's been some interest in our little meditation
path on a certain online discussion forum, so I
thought I should blog about this again.
Coincidentally, for my birthday this year Tina gave
me some decorative little molded "stones" for putting
in a garden.
As you can see, they are very pretty and have Chinese characters molded into them with English translations. But Tina didn't intend for me to put these in a garden. They were obviously for our labyrinth. The "stones" were the perfect shape and size to fit with the real ones we used for making the path. The gift of these decorative stones was also meant as a hint, or a nudge, to get out there and clean up the labyrinth. It falls into disarray over the winter, and I had been neglecting it this spring. But Tina's plan worked and I got out there and cleaned it up, and added the new "stones" to the path.
Kai was very pleased to have the path cleaned up. The ground where the labyrinth lies is pretty uneven, so when it's cluttered with sticks and leaves, and the grass has grown to hide the potholes, walking it can be a bit treacherous. last year he walked it a few times with me, but he required a fair bit of direction to get all the way in and back out.
It's not that walking a labyrinth is difficult, it's not a maze or a puzzle. The path simply wanders back and forth in a unique pattern to the center. Once you get there you turn around and walk the same path back out. But for little ones it's difficult not to step over the stone border and onto another circuit. And since it's not a simple spiral, if you step over the stones you are probably headed the wrong way. Also there are times when you find yourself almost to the center (the goal) and suddenly the path seems to twist in the wrong direction leading you away from where you want to go. This is confusing the first few times you walk a labyrinth, you have to learn to trust the path and to keep going forward, even if that doesn't look right. (funny, kind of sounds like life!)
This weekend however, Kai figured it out, and he walked to the center and back out, over and over again! Each time he got to the smooth round stepping stone at the heart of the labyrinth he would proudly step onto it, put his fists in the air and shout, "I did it!" then he turned and followed the path back out.
I love our little labyrinth. It grew out of one of the many flights of fancy I am prone to. I get these wild ideas and dream up elaborate plans; which usually lapse into disregard and are left unfinished. Fortunately the labyrinth was simple enough and we were blessed with the exactly perfect spot for it. It's been there for quite a while now, 5 years or more. The space has formed around it and seems to just belong there now. We used to spend more time out there, but not as much lately, which in a way makes it more special.
NOTE: Ours is classical seven circuit Cretan labyrinth. It is about 22 feet in diameter, which is pretty much the minimum size required to lay one out for walking.
As you can see, they are very pretty and have Chinese characters molded into them with English translations. But Tina didn't intend for me to put these in a garden. They were obviously for our labyrinth. The "stones" were the perfect shape and size to fit with the real ones we used for making the path. The gift of these decorative stones was also meant as a hint, or a nudge, to get out there and clean up the labyrinth. It falls into disarray over the winter, and I had been neglecting it this spring. But Tina's plan worked and I got out there and cleaned it up, and added the new "stones" to the path.
Kai was very pleased to have the path cleaned up. The ground where the labyrinth lies is pretty uneven, so when it's cluttered with sticks and leaves, and the grass has grown to hide the potholes, walking it can be a bit treacherous. last year he walked it a few times with me, but he required a fair bit of direction to get all the way in and back out.
It's not that walking a labyrinth is difficult, it's not a maze or a puzzle. The path simply wanders back and forth in a unique pattern to the center. Once you get there you turn around and walk the same path back out. But for little ones it's difficult not to step over the stone border and onto another circuit. And since it's not a simple spiral, if you step over the stones you are probably headed the wrong way. Also there are times when you find yourself almost to the center (the goal) and suddenly the path seems to twist in the wrong direction leading you away from where you want to go. This is confusing the first few times you walk a labyrinth, you have to learn to trust the path and to keep going forward, even if that doesn't look right. (funny, kind of sounds like life!)
This weekend however, Kai figured it out, and he walked to the center and back out, over and over again! Each time he got to the smooth round stepping stone at the heart of the labyrinth he would proudly step onto it, put his fists in the air and shout, "I did it!" then he turned and followed the path back out.
I love our little labyrinth. It grew out of one of the many flights of fancy I am prone to. I get these wild ideas and dream up elaborate plans; which usually lapse into disregard and are left unfinished. Fortunately the labyrinth was simple enough and we were blessed with the exactly perfect spot for it. It's been there for quite a while now, 5 years or more. The space has formed around it and seems to just belong there now. We used to spend more time out there, but not as much lately, which in a way makes it more special.
NOTE: Ours is classical seven circuit Cretan labyrinth. It is about 22 feet in diameter, which is pretty much the minimum size required to lay one out for walking.