Everything You Need to Know About the Labyrinth Experience

 “Everything You Need to Know About the Labyrinth Experience” is locked	 Everything You Need to Know About the Labyrinth ExperienceIf you’ve ever seen the movie The Labyrinth, you’re familiar with the winding, twisting path that a 16-year-old girl must embark on in order to save her baby brother from a wish the Goblin King granted her. While the labyrinth is part of a movie, it’s also part of a spiritual practice – a form of meditation that has been said to help guide people on a journey to the mind, body and spirit. According to the Medical University of South Carolina, meditation labyrinths have been used to encourage healthy communities as people from all walks of life and all cultural backgrounds can benefit from it. Meditation has been around for many, many years and the labyrinth experience is a form of walking meditation.

Labyrinths do not require any specific level of skill, so anyone can complete them. The focus is typically to start through the labyrinth, taking different paths towards the center – meanwhile, focusing on the journey itself and noticing (without judgment) the different thoughts or feelings that arise. The labyrinth experience isn’t designed to frustrate participants or even to serve as a form of challenge that must be accomplished – it’s merely a winding path that represents the greater notion of life and the search for peace, happiness and health.

The University of Oklahoma emphasizes that labyrinths have been implemented in a variety of cultural designs throughout the world – they’ve been implemented in basketry, carved on shrines and inscribed onto ancient Greek currency. If you decide to embark on this beautiful meditative journey, here is what you should remember:

  • Reflect on what you’re grateful for upon entering the labyrinth and upon any questions or problems with which you hope to receive some guidance on.
  • As you walk through the labyrinth, release any negative thoughts, feelings or sensations that are not promoting your peace, happiness and/or health.
  • Be silent, pray and meditate as you slowly encounter each step in the labyrinth. Be open to receiving whatever it is that comes to you during this time.
  • As you find your way through the labyrinth, allow yourself to feel rejuvenated.
  • Reflect on your experience as you exit the labyrinth. Contemplate its resemblance for you and what you’ve taken from the experience.

Cumberland Heights is a nonprofit alcohol and drug-addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Cumberland river in Nashville, Tennessee. On a sprawling 177-acre campus, we are made up of 2 12-Step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers and 4 sober living homes. We believe that each person has a unique story to tell – and that’s why we always put the patient first.

Call us today at 1-800-646-9998 to take the next step towards your happiness and health.