Labyrinths, what a great learning tool!

The other day I had a call from my friend Leigh (www.gatheringinspiration.com), asking me to come see her up at our local primary school, as a mutual friend Eva (www.evawolfram.com) was building a labyrinth. I LOVE labyrinths! My first experience of one was at a ’spiritual awareness’ day. A smooth stone had a labyrinth carved onto it’s surface, with the path being wide enough for any finger to comfortably follow in the groove. I was told the way to do it was to trace out the groove slowly, pausing if needing to, but to keep my finger in the groove at all times until the labyrinth was completed. I noticed immediately the slowing down of my breathing and heartbeat; before I knew it I was transported to another time and place. It truly was a magical experience. Being seasoned at meditation I can tell you that it took me into a Delta much quicker than I would have thought possible by doing something so simple. To this day I am still amazed at how relaxing and meditative it is to trace a labyrinth with my finger. I highly recommend it.

Last year I went to the Bestival and I walked a labyrinth that Eva made there. It was Magical. It was like the hand-held tracing labyrinth but much, much better. I remember getting very clear on issues that were going on for me at the time, and in the process of walking around towards the center I felt a release of some deep worry that I was currently working through. At the center of the labyrinth was a tree, and soft strips of material and colored pens had been provided for making wishes and tying them on to the tree. The peace I felt upon arriving at the center was phenomenal. Labyrinths are truly a sacred place and a way to remember who we really are.

Needless to say, with my previous experiences of labyrinths I jumped at the opportunity to see what teachings I would get. (I forgot to mention each cycle of doing the labyrinth at the Bestival gave me a teaching that was beneficial for my growth at the time.) Before I even walked up the drive to the school I could feel the energy shift. I could feel my breathing slow down and my whole body relax, release and drop into a meditative state. I stopped and breathed in the air and the energy. The walk up the drive was a walk of honor. I could see the labyrinth in the field to my right, and my heart opened with the possibilities.

Some mothers of the children who attend Chale Primary School were helping Eva to build the sacred structure that had already changed the energy of the land. Once the stones had been laid completely and precisely in place (the planting of the tree and much more is yet to be done), I was able to take my journey through the labyrinth, and I did it hand in hand with 4 year old Millie. I explained to Millie about staying on the path, and about the wish we would make once we got to the center as we wound our way around. Being excited about the wish Millie asked if we were every going to get to the middle (the place of wishes). At that exact point we were on the outer ring of the labyrinth but we were actually almost at the center. It struck me then that it often feels that we are the furthest away from our dreams, desires, wishes when we are actually the closest to them. It looked and felt like we were the furthest away from the center that we had been on our journey - there were times when we’d seemed to be a lot closer - yet where we were at the moment that Millie questioned our ever reaching our goal was at the shortest stretch of our journey. I love knowing that. I love even more having experienced that learning.

If you want to create a sacred space of great learning I highly recommend having someone like Eva Wolfram to create it for you.

Be easy on your journey and know that when you feel the furthest away, you are probably have only a few steps further to go…..