The labyrinth is found in traditions across the world and throughout history and is a symbol of healing and wholeness that crosses cultural and religious boundaries. Labyrinths are being used world-wide as a way to quiet the mind, reduce stress and encourage insight and self-reflection.

The practice of labyrinth walking integrates the body with the mind and the mind with the spirit. As a circular symbol, the labyrinth is an archetypal image that represents wholeness, healing, inclusiveness, and community.

Walking the Labyrinth allows us to focus our thoughts and gain clarity and insight about our personal and professional lives. The labyrinth can also provide the opportunity to re-vision goals, assess talents and abilities, make decisions, and evaluate progress.

Labyrinths can be found in medical centres, parks, churches, schools, prisons, parks, spas and retreat centres all across North America. A new Chartres style stone labyrinth has just been laid into the floor of Grace cathedral in San Francisco. Increasingly the labyrinth is coming into public awareness in Europe and the United Kingdom, and there are currently several projects in progress to bring the labyrinth to academic as well as faithbased communties and settings.

The labyrinth design we use is a replica of the Eleven-circuit Medieval labyrinth from Chartres Cathedral in France. This pattern, made of Beauce quarry stone and an unnamed black stone to delineate the path, was inlaid into the stone floor of the Cathedral in 1201.

 
Photo by Julie Williams-Krisnan www.jwkphotography.com

The labyrinth we use at Journey Of The Soul is painted onto a 36ft wide octagonal piece of canvas. The canvas labyrinth is designed for indoor usage and is easy to transport and quick to set up in preparation for walks.