For my 40th birthday, I asked my husband for a mini-retreat. I wanted to spend a couple of days alone in silent retreat – reading, writing, and spending time with God – and then a couple of days visiting my dearest friends from childhood. I needed a few days of soul renewal, to recharge as I entered this next year.
When I checked into the retreat center, I noticed they had a labyrinth on site. I’d always been curious about the practice of walking a labyrinth, so I decided to try it while I was there. The next day, I walked to seemingly the edge of the retreat center property, crossing the river that runs through, and finally found the labyrinth, nestled in the woods on the hillside.
I read over a flyer that explained the labyrinth and different ways to experience it, then stepped in and began to walk. I have to say this was a highlight of my retreat, a powerful and moving experience. I spent close to an hour there talking to God, listening for His voice, and hearing His direction for my life as I walked.
Saint Augustine once said, “Solvitur amvulando… It is solved by walking.” Pilgrimage is a journey of spiritual significance and I think this can describe your walk through a labyrinth. It’s a tool to help you walk in place as you make a spiritual journey with God.
A labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool for prayer and meditation. In the middle ages, Christian pilgrims would travel to a cathedral to walk the labyrinth when they were unable to go to Jerusalem during the Crusades.
It is not a maze, but a single path that leads to the center and back. It will twist and turn, but you will not get lost. Walking the labyrinth can be experienced as a metaphor for your own spiritual journey with all its twists, turns, and meandering. The point is not to figure out how to get to the center, but how to take the next step with God. Focus on the journey, not the destination.
Labyrinths can be physically walked or you can do a virtual walk with a table-top version or even an online version. To find a labyrinth near you, search the labyrinth locator. If you don’t live near a labyrinth or physically waking one is not an option, you can print out a table-top version and “walk” it with your finger. I’ve been using one of these in my morning prayers and it’s still an effective method of prayer for me.
There are different ways to experience and walk a labyrinth. I’ll cover a few here, but I’m also including some links to references below that will give you more details, if you’re interested.
One method is called the “Inner Way.” In this one, as you walk toward the center, pray for the release of your fears, distractions, and resistances. You may even want to repeat a phrase such as, “Let go and let God.” When you reach the center, pause and pray for illumination. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you. “Breathe on me, breath of God. Fill me with life anew.” On the way out, pray for the integration of the Spirit’s guidance into your life. Maybe repeat a phrase such as, “Thy will be done.”
Maybe you have a question on your heart, a need that’s troubling you, or are seeking God’s direction on something in your life. Approach the labyrinth with that prayer. Spend your walk praying and talking with God about that particular question or need. Make sure, though, you allow some silence in your walk to listen for the still small voice of God.
A third way to experience a labyrinth is called “Gracious Attention.” In this method, simply quiet your mind and walk. Let go of all thoughts and just listen for God’s voice as you walk. Maybe meditate or repeat a simple prayer or verse, such as “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”
The Labyrinth Society
Veriditas: Inspiring Transformation Through the Labyrinth Experience
About the Labyrinth @ Cal Lutheran University Campus Ministry
Here are some tools to experience a labyrinth walk from your own home {these are affiliate links}. I personally have the pewter handheld labyrinth and find it to be a great way to experience the labyrinth (even in a small way) during my morning prayers at home. I don’t yet have the sand labyrinth, but I’m very intrigued by it and have it on my wish list.
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}
How To Walk a Labyrinth {and enrich your spiritual journey} – Prayer & Possibilities
For my 40th birthday, I asked my husband for a mini-retreat. I wanted to spend a couple of days alone in silent retreat – reading, writing, and spending time with God – and then a couple of days visiting my dearest friends from childhood. I needed a few days of soul renewal, to recharge as I entered this next year.
When I checked into the retreat center, I noticed they had a labyrinth on site. I’d always been curious about the practice of walking a labyrinth, so I decided to try it while I was there. The next day, I walked to seemingly the edge of the retreat center property, crossing the river that runs through, and finally found the labyrinth, nestled in the woods on the hillside.
I read over a flyer that explained the labyrinth and different ways to experience it, then stepped in and began to walk. I have to say this was a highlight of my retreat, a powerful and moving experience. I spent close to an hour there talking to God, listening for His voice, and hearing His direction for my life as I walked.
Saint Augustine once said, “Solvitur amvulando… It is solved by walking.” Pilgrimage is a journey of spiritual significance and I think this can describe your walk through a labyrinth. It’s a tool to help you walk in place as you make a spiritual journey with God.
A labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool for prayer and meditation. In the middle ages, Christian pilgrims would travel to a cathedral to walk the labyrinth when they were unable to go to Jerusalem during the Crusades.
It is not a maze, but a single path that leads to the center and back. It will twist and turn, but you will not get lost. Walking the labyrinth can be experienced as a metaphor for your own spiritual journey with all its twists, turns, and meandering. The point is not to figure out how to get to the center, but how to take the next step with God. Focus on the journey, not the destination.
Labyrinths can be physically walked or you can do a virtual walk with a table-top version or even an online version. To find a labyrinth near you, search the labyrinth locator. If you don’t live near a labyrinth or physically waking one is not an option, you can print out a table-top version and “walk” it with your finger. I’ve been using one of these in my morning prayers and it’s still an effective method of prayer for me.
There are different ways to experience and walk a labyrinth. I’ll cover a few here, but I’m also including some links to references below that will give you more details, if you’re interested.
One method is called the “Inner Way.” In this one, as you walk toward the center, pray for the release of your fears, distractions, and resistances. You may even want to repeat a phrase such as, “Let go and let God.” When you reach the center, pause and pray for illumination. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you. “Breathe on me, breath of God. Fill me with life anew.” On the way out, pray for the integration of the Spirit’s guidance into your life. Maybe repeat a phrase such as, “Thy will be done.”
Maybe you have a question on your heart, a need that’s troubling you, or are seeking God’s direction on something in your life. Approach the labyrinth with that prayer. Spend your walk praying and talking with God about that particular question or need. Make sure, though, you allow some silence in your walk to listen for the still small voice of God.
A third way to experience a labyrinth is called “Gracious Attention.” In this method, simply quiet your mind and walk. Let go of all thoughts and just listen for God’s voice as you walk. Maybe meditate or repeat a simple prayer or verse, such as “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”
The Labyrinth Society
Veriditas: Inspiring Transformation Through the Labyrinth Experience
About the Labyrinth @ Cal Lutheran University Campus Ministry
Here are some tools to experience a labyrinth walk from your own home {these are affiliate links}. I personally have the pewter handheld labyrinth and find it to be a great way to experience the labyrinth (even in a small way) during my morning prayers at home. I don’t yet have the sand labyrinth, but I’m very intrigued by it and have it on my wish list.
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}