Community Labyrinth Events for 2018

It is time to come out of hibernation and look forward to the coming of Spring and all of the beauty and joy that it brings!  As the snow starts to melt the path of the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth also begins to emerge - promising some peaceful, meditative walks and time for reflection.

Flock of hearts, created by Siobhan Allen

Once again - we have a series of special events planned for the coming year. And the labyrinth is open anytime for personal walks. We look forward to seeing you on path!

Sunday April 22 Earth Day Walk 2 pm
Labyrinth opening ceremony and
family walk

Saturday May 5 World Labyrinth Day 1 pm

Thursday June 21 "Summer Solstice Walk
for Peace" 7 pm

Friday Sept 7 "Light up the Labyrinth"
Your help needed!

Set up 6:30 pm/Walk 7:30 pm

Monday Sept 24 Full Moon Walk 8 pm

For more information, contact Christine Hume, 613.859.2136 or christinehume@bell.net

Labyrinth Walking at any Age

Recently a local architect approached our small group and asked for some more information about labyrinths "for seniors".  He has been following the progress of the creation of our labyrinth with interest - and felt drawn to proposing that a labyrinth be incorporated in a new project that he is currently working on with a landscape architect and client.

I first reached out to a master labyrinth builder and fellow labyrinth facilitator Lisa Gidlow Moriarty for some information.   She provided photos of a couple of labyrinths installed in senior settings: a senior centre located near Chicago, Illinois and a nursing home near Minneapolis, Minnesota:

Wheelchair-friendly labyrinth at Senior Centre near Chicago - crushed granite applied to pre-tinted concrete

Accessible labyrinth at Nursing Home near Minneapolis - design applied with a soy-based concrete stain

There are important considerations needed in choosing a proper design for this setting/audience, including: size, path width, wheelchair/walker accessibility in materials and design to name a few.

Crushed granite product (blue) applied to form the labyrinth pattern

Of note - when we were designing the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth accessibility was a very important consideration.  If someone is not able to walk on the turf path - they can circle the labyrinth on the outer contemplation ring or walk the labyrinth using the finger labyrinth on the granite bench.

Sit quietly and trace the path of the labyrinth with your finger - you will be touched by the experience!

I also reached out through the Veriditas labyrinth facilitator network regarding this subject and was heartened to receive the following responses.  If anyone else has other experiences or information to share - we would love to hear from you!

Hi all:
If this is an architect asking, I would gather he would be interested in accommodating some of the challenges that come with seniors.  If space allows, slightly wider paths to accommodate walkers, and even wheel chairs would be helpful.  Just yesterday, we had an older woman come to our monthly walk at Trinity Cathedral.  She required a quad cane but was anxious to walk for the first time.  The first few walkers to enter all knelt at the gateway and she was concerned she had to do so.  I reassured her that whatever she wished to do and was able to do was appropriate and that she could use her cane.  She went ahead and walked.  I don't know whether she had answers to any issues, but she was much more relaxed when she completed her walk.

Phyllis

Hi,
Whilst I appreciate that many seniors are physically very able, it's possible that some of the issues in designing a labyrinth for a hospice setting may be relevant. I'm thinking here about mobility, carers, bereavement, other particular issues that older age can bring. Lizzie Hopthrow has written about labyrinths for hospices in the recent (2013) book edited by Ruth Sewell, Di Williams and myself: Working with the Labyrinth. (Published in the UK, but there's a pdf and downloadable version too)

Warmest wishes
Jan

Dear Christine and all,
Some other installation issues to consider are that pavers can be a problematic for wheelchairs, walkers, and people with balance issues. Also remember that when you widen the paths, especially in a nine, eleven, or even in a seven-circuit labyrinth, that it can make the walk a lot longer to complete.

It is so wonderful to hear how the facilitators here are sharing their stories of how they are holding the space for their senior walkers. These are beautiful stories!

Thank you everyone!
Lea

Hi All
I am attaching a photo of a ‘family’ labyrinth walk. 4 generations of family gathered on Cape Cod.

Family labyrinth walk on Cape Cod

As you can see the older person (matriarch) in wheelchair was included. Everyone was glad to have her on the walk, wheelchair and all. The pavers presented no problem and the older person was happy to be included. If installed correctly the pavers are easy to navigate, but support from others is always helpful!
Best,
Donald

Dear Donald and all,
You are right. If the pavers are installed properly it does make the labyrinth more accessible to wheelchairs and walkers. But as you point out here, the paver installation must be made with this in mind. I think what I was also thinking of was the hospital paver labyrinths that I've seen that have not been installed properly and the problem with people trying to walk and bring along their IV cart, as well as wheelchairs and walkers. So thank you for making this distinction.

This is a beautiful picture. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Lea 

Thanks, Lea, for this.
In senior facilities it is so very important to understand the clients/users. There are many kinds of pavers and other hard surfaces. While wheelchairs with large wheels find pavers less problematic, using a walker, a 4-legged cane or IV cart is another issue.  Some elders tend to shuffle when walking, so an uneven surface may pose a challenge for them.

Being aware of surface texture is important. Concrete can be stamped to resemble stone, but when stamped too deeply, the surface is uneven and dangerous for people with walkers or balance difficulties. It might also hold small puddles of rainwater, adding yet another challenge.

Similarly, granite is beautiful and can have a nice, slightly textured surface, but add rain or water from a nearby sprinkler and it can become a slipping hazard.

Of course here in northern climates we have deep freeze/thaw cycles that cause the earth to move, pushing pavers out.  Accordingly, proper installation requires attention to base material and depth to minimize seasonal movement.

Proper design is also a consideration. When hips or knee issues are present, designs with fewer turns or more sweeping turns are worth consideration. Additionally, patterns with an alternate entrance/exit such as the Baltic Wheel provide options for fatigue, decreased stamina, and varying degrees of ability.

Lisa

Labyrinth Events for 2013

We are thankful for everyone that walked the Carleton Place Community labyrinth - or just gave themselves time to sit quietly on one of the benches this year.  Here is our schedule of labyrinth events for 2013 - hope to see you soon!

Weekly guided walks every Tuesday morning from 9:00 am to 10:00 am - June through October.

May 4th World Labyrinth Day. Annual global event celebrated each year on the first Saturday in May. You are invited to “Walk as One at 1” to effect a rolling wave of peaceful energy as the world turns at 1 pm on May 4, 2013.

June 20th “Walk in Peace” at the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth. Join us at 5:30 for this evening peace walk, bring along a picnic supper, and enjoy the gardens, music and guest speaker. Beverages will be provided.

“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

September 21st “5th Annual Harvest Lantern Labyrinth Walk”. 7 p.m., Over 600 luminaries light up the labyrinth path along with the warm glow of lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Join us for music, bonfire and refreshments. Bring your own lantern creation or borrow one from us. A fun, free, family event in celebration of the Fall Harvest.

The Carleton Place Community Labyrinth, 267 Edmund Street, is located on the property behind the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.


For more information call Debby at 613-257-1014 .

Dedication of the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth - June 18, 2011

Preparing for the dedication!

We who are gathered here hold hopes and dreams for this beautiful labyrinth. Take a few moments to silently identify our own desires and prayers for this wonderful healing tool. (Pause.)

I invite you to cup your hands before you. (Like this.) Imagine putting all your desires for this labyrinth in your hands until they are overflowing.

As you open your hands outward, send all the possibilities that you have imagined for this healing tool toward it.  Thank you!

I am going to offer several prayers for this labyrinth. After each, I would invite all of us to respond by repeating the following phrase,
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

If you would like, lift your hands toward the labyrinth as an indication of the blessings we are sending to it.

The positive energy could be felt by all!

Leader:
Please join me as we dedicate this labyrinth.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May this labyrinth be a place where we welcome the hopes that are brought here, as well as the pain, the questions, the sighing, the laughter, the tears, and expressions of surprise.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May those who arrive in despair find the courage to step over the threshold into the possibility of transformation.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May those who walk here seeking wisdom, find it.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May those who travel the labyrinth’s path carrying heavy burdens discover the ability to set them down.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”


We all feel connected!

Leader: May the center be a place where those who are exhausted find rest, where those who are grieving receive comfort, and where those who are dejected encounter unexpected joy.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May those discovering new perspectives here, find the courage to act on them.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May all who experience the labyrinth discover Divine Love as their companion.

Community:
“We dedicate this labyrinth to the well-being of our community.”

Leader:
May it be so! Amen

Closing the dedication with a chain dance to the centre!

CREDIT:
The prayer was from Jill Geoffrion, and I changed some a bit.  Vanessa Compton

Trillium Foundation Grant Application Update

The Carleton Place Community Labyrinth Committee has applied to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for funding to support the building of the permanent community labyrinth. We will hear whether we have been successful by the beginning of November. The funds from Trillium will be used in the creation of the labyrinth itself as well as enhancing accessibility features of the site.

Our ideal is to have an accessible paving stone pathway from the parking lot to the labyrinth and a path wide enough for wheelchair use around the outside of the labyrinth. We also hope to have two seating areas that can accommodate wheelchairs. Our dream also includes the provision installation of a permanent finger labyrinth -- allowing anyone who cannot walk the 0.5 km labyrinth path to "walk" the miniature version. The Trillium foundation grant will play a pivotal role in making these dreams a reality. Wish us luck!

Deborah Conners, CP Community Labyrinth Grant Committee