Walking the Path

We laid the last log on the Labyrinth on Monday evening, 7/29, and, as we did so, a gentle, misty rain fell from a cloudless sky, tickling our skin and kissing the space, as though to send a blessing. I stepped back and looked at the incredible project and felt myself sigh as I allowed my vision to flow from one edge of the beautiful piece of work to the other… over 100 feet across. WOW! 

I stood in silent witness as Jen, one of the Keepers of the Labyrinth, meditatively walked the path in solitude and dedication. The process was methodical and powerful, taking over 40 minutes to complete. And I stood there, feeling the power of the earth pulsing through my body, the feel of the air through my hair, the energy crackling through me with fire, and the smell of the evaporating mists all around  me. I felt immense joy and satisfaction as tears rolled down my face. I had been part of something beautiful and miraculous.

Early the next morning, prior to leaving Sanctuary, I took my turn in the Labyrinth, approaching her with a wide open heart and a mind that was buzzing with curiosity. It had been a long time since I’ve walked a labyrinth and never had I walked one as sizeable as the Labyrinth at Sanctuary. I cleared my mind and stepped into the entrance with the intent of fully experiencing myself and the Walk.

A labyrinth is designed to be devoid of confusion. There is one way in and one way out. While walking it, you need not make decisions about which way to turn. You simply follow the clearly defined path. About halfway through the process of walking in to the Heart of the Labyrinth, I realized I hadn’t been watching my feet as I walked. I had felt so much trust about the path that had been laid down, there was no need to make sure I was going “the right way.”

Within the Labyrinth, there is only one way. The Labyrinth supports the person in walking a sure path as an experiential learning about trust. I noticed that, even if I looked way ahead, down the path, I usually could not see the next turn because of the arching walkway I travelled. The curvature hid each turn until I was right upon it, but I did not feel fear or concern. I knew that I would get to the Heart, eventually, and I wouldn’t get lost.

The power of the Labyrinth is that it teaches me to trust myself, to trust the walk, to trust the path. Because my destination was clearly set in my mind – I was going to the center – and I set forth on that path with that goal in mind, I had no distractions, no problems, no detours. I merely needed to walk and trust.

When you are creating your life, working on a business, building a new relationship, healing old wounds, writing a book, or any other fabulous endeavor that human beings can dream up, it is important that you can clearly see, feel, hear, taste, touch, and smell your end goal. When you are able to bring your destination into pristine focus and have it singing with glorious aliveness in all of your senses, then you are able to let go to trust the journey on the way to your goal.

Having a clearly delineated goal, intention, or end result in mind, gives you the space to continue onward no matter what comes at you, even if you cannot see the next turn in the path. It removes the indecision and allows you to focus on the next step, the next step, and the next step until you have reached your goal. It also gives you a touchstone of accountability for remaining in alignment with your desired outcome. If you clearly know what you want to feel, see, hear, taste, touch, and smell upon arriving, then you have within you an amazing tool for clarity in the form of these powerful questions: “What wants to happen next?” and “Is this thing that I’m considering in alignment with my end goal?”

Being in alignment with your end goal at all times – even if it doesn’t make sense on the surface – is like walking the Labyrinth. There is no confusion, there is no distraction. It is only you and the Walk. Even if you cannot see what is around the next bend.

© Angie K. Millgate 08/05/13