One New Thing #3 Walking Meditation in a Labyrinth

 

One New Thing #: 3

What:  Walking labyrinth at the Innerwork Center x Union Presbyterian Seminary site

Where:  3318 Loxley Road, Richmond, VA

Cost: FREE 

Fave thing: Being bundled up in the cold, walking mindfully and trusting the path would take me to the center even though it wove and wandered all around!

This one was really cool - doing a walking meditation in a labyrinth has been on my mind since I first learned about this one in Richmond - put together by the Innerwork Center and Union Presbyterian Seminary (fun fact! I went to Union as a part of my Masters program in 2008-2010, but I don’t believe this was there then - someone correct me if I’m wrong?).

I’ve been meditating for about 2.5 years now and it’s become a truly integral and important part of my morning routine and day. My current routine is just 3 minutes of sitting quietly - going through things I’m grateful for, how I want to see my day go, and listening to anything God, the Universe has to share -  has a really profound and centering effect for me (try it!). 

With this background, I knew the basic gist of a walking meditation - you walk and meditate (how hard can it be right?). But I did some Googling the night before to learn more about the super old and historic aspects and see if there was a “right” way to do it.

Some basic history lessons:

  • Walking a labyrinth is an age-old form of meditation, spiritual quest or pilgrimage or a even repentance. 

  • Some labyrinths are over 5,000 years old!

  • One of the most well-known labyrinths is in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres in Paris, France, constructed around 1200 (over 800 years old). Many labyrinths, including the one I walked, is built on this pattern and they are known as Chartres-style labyrinths.  This style takes on an in and out pattern, often with 11 loops going towards the circle

  • You can find labyrinths in tons of places all over the world with examples in Africa, Asia, across Europe and in North and South America. These laybrtis can be found outside made with natural materials or indoors, via intritricate floor and tile work.

Why do a walking meditation anyway?

  • Walking meditation quiets the minds, walk long enough and eventually you’ll quiet that mind chatter and just focus on the task at hand: walking one foot after another 

  • It’s calming + good for those who believe they can’t sit still long enough to meditate

  • Is a form of grounding by connecting to the earth

  • It’s a right brain activity and can help you get into a contemplative state of mind

  • Reduces anxiety

  • Deepens self-knowledge, awareness

  • Guides healing

Suggestions to approach a walking meditation:

  • Set an intention prior to walking 

  • Focus on the steps, not about where the path is leading or how long it will take

  • Once you arrive at the center - take that time however you want: prayer, sit down, or some sort of noticing that you made it.

  • To leave, go back the way you came - this means retracing your steps backwards until you get to the start

  • If you encounter other people on your journey, step quietly to the side, ask quietly to pass, or wait

I liked this concept of approaching the three stages of a labyrinth: release on the walk there, receive at the center, and return on the walk back out.

About the one I walked:

  • It’s located at 3318 Loxley Road - pro tip: you’re looking for a field, not a house, but this address will get you there. The location is not (as of this writing) widely publicized or easy to find.

  • It’s free and open to the public! You can literally go any time.

  • The internet tells me there’s another labyrinth at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church on the Southside, but I haven’t checked it out yet.

  • The pattern is done in the historical, full size Chartres pattern - based on the labyrinth in the Chartres Cathedral in France.

  • There is a plaque which gives you guidance + some history when you arrive as well.

My takeaways:

  • I went at sunrise in the freezing winter. But I actually really enjoyed bundling up and just focusing on walking despite the cold.

  • I usually like to run when I’m angry or upset to release those pent up emotions - I can see using walking meditation almost as a preventative measure BEFORE I get to that place or as a way to work through something on my mind.

  • I felt my mind really wondering how this thing was going to get me to the center - especially when it seemed like I was getting close and then it would turn and take me completely in the opposite direction. After a few minutes of this, I was able to just let go and trust that I would get where I was supposed to go eventually - and I did!

  • I didn’t have any special revelations at the center (this time), but I liked the sense of accomplishment. 

  • Being forced to go back the way I came was also a test of patience - as a Type A, I like to do a task and then quickly go on to the next - often without time to really soak in and think about what I just did. Walking out the way I came in was gentle reminder to do just that.

  • The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes - it seemed a little longer while I was actually walking it, but really it took no time.

  • I’d like to try this with a group or other people. I was by myself and it was peaceful; adding other humans would give this a different vibe and make it a community event.

  • I would love to try to find other labyrinths when I travel. This World Labyrinth locator is said to help you do that (although the two that exist in Richmond aren’t there, so maybe it’s just for more well known ones?). I do know there’s one in Portugal that I’d LOVE to try to visit when I go in March. https://labyrinthlocator.com/

 
Sydney BassComment