May 1st Workshop

Heather, Christine and Debby connecting with other labyrinth enthusiasts at the Sacred Pattern, Sacred Path workshop at St. John's Anglican church in South March. We participated in a wonderful day of opportunities - learning more about labyrinths and sacred space from Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, a pioneer in the resurgence of walking meditation and one of the best know North American experts on labyrinths. I purchased her book "Walking a Sacred Path", rediscovering the labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice and look forwards to many hours of insightful reading.

Lessons Learned on the Labyrinth

Several of our Carleton Place Community Labyrinth committee members were really pleased to participate in the Sacred Pattern, Sacred Path labyrinth workshop held at St. John's Anglican Church in Kanata on Sunday May 2nd.   The workshop was facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, author of THE book about labyrinths (Walking a Sacred Path: The Rediscovery of the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practise) and the person responsible for reintroducing the ancient labyrinth to our modern world!

Lauren is a wonderful facilitator, teacher, spiritual director and human BE-ing!  We were all enthralled as she took us through a presentation on the history of the labyrinth, different labyrinth designs and meditative ways of walking the path.  Lauren teaches by story-telling - and sharing some of the many deep, rich experiences she has had over the years introducing the labyrinth to people around the world.

There were several opportunities during the day to walk the indoor or outdoor labyrinth ourselves.  We were encouraged to take time to journal, reflect, rest, really take a break from our busy and hectic lives!  Everyone was really present and in the moment...  We met new friends, had wonderful conversations, laughed, even stretched out on the grass to rest and spend some time cloud-gazing if we felt like it!

Lauren provided the comprehensive labyrinth facilitator training on May 3rd and 4th  and I was thrilled to take this course.  We were able to deepen our knowledge of labyrinth during the course and some of us may go on to become Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitators.  Rather than trying to describe what we learned in detail -  these random phrases give a flavour of the experience...

nourshing our souls

help you find your way

come home to yourself

be present

 feel connected

the soul needs beauty 

take the time you need

whatever happens, happens

teaching self-reflection

 

Do not ask what the world needs.  Ask instead what you need and what makes you come alive and fills you with passion. Because the world needs people who are alive and filled with passion!

Worldwide Labyrinth Day - Celebrated Together

Glad to have celebrated World Labyrinth day with you all today on the site of our “getting closer to reality” permanent labyrinth. A crowd of about 30 people gathered - all were interested and supportive and it was lovely to see some new faces. 

There was a postive energy and a natural flow to the day - from the church bells tolling right at 1 pm - to the recitation of the "Simple Tools" poem by Inez - and to the moment of entering the labyrinth and walking the path - one by one. 

There were smiling faces, embraces, tears and hugs, spine-tingling moments, the much-maligned dandelions brightly leading the way - to the centre!  A moment of being all together - resting awhile - then refreshed , feeling renewed, treading softly back to the entrance, entranced by the feeling of being one of many walking the path today!