The Benefits of Walking a Labyrinth
Labyrinth at Carrefour Beausoleil
By Joanne Maillet
Walking a labyrinth allows us to think with the heart instead of the head. All you need to do is simply trust the labyrinth. It is a form active meditation.
There is a difference between a maze and a labyrinth. The goal of the maze is to find the exit and instil fear, confusion, and insecurity. It makes us wonder whether or not we will remain trapped inside, if we’ll ever find the exit, if we should turn right or left, and so on.
The labyrinth is the complete opposite. There is only one way to take us to the centre, which is the goal, and from there, we simply take the same path to the exit. The labyrinth can take us to a deep inner place and the result of walking it can be a release of stress, a creative idea, relaxation, joy, sadness, a connection, a well-being, an answer … No matter what we’re looking for, we just may find the answer as to what is troubling us. There is a kind of metaphor that happens while walking this ancient path.
The path of the labyrinth represents the path of life. It represents, in part, the path of unknown purpose, challenges along the way, the solution to an issue. Each part of the journey is connected; the turns, the directions, long and short paths are all part of the experience. We sometimes get the impression that we’re getting further away from the centre as we’re getting closer to it. The centre of the labyrinth represents our own centre, the centre of Self, a place we all have access to but that, unfortunately, we don’t always know how to reach.
“When we pray, we talk to the Creator.
When we meditate, we are listening to the Creator.”
Did you know there’s a labyrinth at the Carrefour Beausoleil in Miramichi? And it’s always open to the public? This labyrinth is a replica of the Chartres Labyrinth, which is found in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres in France.
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