Labyrinths have been around for thousands of years. The circle and the path are symbols found across cultures and religious traditions. The labyrinth and other spiritual practices help to ground us during unsettled times when our foundations seem to shift; sometimes we can’t think our way out of or to something, and sometimes we need another way of being. When engaging with or praying a labyrinth, a person travels on a single path where the way in is the same as the way out. The labyrinth can be a metaphor for how we walk through life and the situations that may currently be confronting us.
In her book Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, Lauren Artress presents a four-fold path for praying the labyrinth:
(1) Remembering: Be open as you begin, notice what comes and remember you are loved.
(2) Releasing: On the way to the center, release those things that are causing you pain and confusion.
(3) Receiving: Enjoy the center, be still and linger; take a deep breath; receive what God has for you.
(4) Returning: Move back out into the world, more replenished, grounded, empowered, receiving a kindness and mercy; look for an invitation with God to do the work in the world that is yours to do.
All are welcome to join us at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) for an indoor labyrinth walk, and no experience is required. Facilitator Leslie Wright will provide some brief guidance at the beginning for those who may be new to this practice or have been away from it for a while. Then we will walk together in silence.
A free-will offering will be gratefully accepted
You may also like the following events from Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center:
- This Thursday, 22nd January, 10:00 pm, Go Deeper Thursdays (Zoom) in Hiawatha, Iowa
- This Friday, 23rd January, 02:30 pm, Nature & Forest Therapy Experience in Hiawatha
- This Friday, 23rd January, 06:30 pm, Pathways of Peace: Re-enchanting Our Relationship With Food in Hiawatha
