Labyrinth Walking


Labyrinth02.jpg
Originally uploaded by Camera Wences

My fellow cadre member at Pepperdine's OMET program created a labyrinth with her students at the high school in Los Angeles where she works.

Kristen's Action Research Project

While Cadre 9 was in LA for exhibitions and graduation people got the chance to walk the labyrinth. My parents, Meg, and I had not eaten dinner, it was late, I did not make it to the labyrinth and felt bad. Discussing my situation with KZ, she suggested I find a local labyrinth and walk it. The next day, on the way to work, I noticed a church on Mercer Island had a labyrinth walk on Friday night and Saturday morning. Huzzah!

The labyrinth was printed on heavy canvas. It belongs to Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle but was on loan to the church on MI. The labyrinth was set up where the congregation would normally sit. There were a surprising number of people there to walk the labyrinth, including a boy who managed to "beat" everyone at the time it took to complete the circuit but who, interestingly, sat at the center for a bit.

I found myself too mentally distracted by my recent thoughts and plans to really focus. I spent time thinking about how once one starts walking the labyrinth one understands the whole from the part. It was interesting how long it takes to make it through the labyrinth. I expected to be overwhelmed by emotion through the experience but was not. However, it was good to spent time focused on a task and concentrating on maneuvering and orienting. People who walked the labyrinth were caught up on their own space, and we avoided one another.

The process of walking the labyrinth was interesting. Meg and I noted the difference walking an outdoor labyrinth might make. I look forward to more opportunities to walk labyrinths.

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