Body Prayer: Labyrinth Walk

Apr 9, 2017 ~ Prev | Intro | Next

Walking a labyrinth is an ancient prayer practice that is especially meaningful in a period of intense contemplation, such as Holy Week. A labyrinth is a single winding path that leads into the center of a circle and back out. This winding shape helps to focus prayer. Labyrinths developed in Christianity as a substitute for pilgrimage and were often built into the floors of cathedrals or monasteries.

The process of praying the labyrinth has three parts: releasing, receiving, and returning. It can also be thought of as walking toward God, union with God, and returning to the world.

Begin a labyrinth journey with a prayer for illumination to focus yourself on God. As you walk toward the center, you can pray about those things that are obstacles to your relationship to God. Let go of them as you approach the center. When you reach the center, spend as much time there as you want, asking God enter your life in a new way. As you trace the path back outward, pray to be more fully filled with the Holy Spirit in your life. When exiting the labyrinth, thank God for the experience.

Other ways to pray a labyrinth include meditative mindfulness, concentrating on your body as you walk, or reciting a mantra. You can recite scripture as you walk. You may pray for others as you walk, addressing different needs at each turn.

Permanent labyrinths are available at the Alliance Community Hospital and at the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center. Alternatively, you can create a type of labyrinth walk by winding among the pews in the sanctuary, treating the altar as the center. You can use a similar prayer process with a finger labyrinth, such as found below. Trace the path with a finger on your non-dominant hand.