This labyrinth, made from bricks, is located at the left rear of the property in Ashburn where the office is located, behind 3 large spruce trees. Clients are welcome to walk the labyrinth before or after their appointment as an adjunct to their healing.

What is a Labyrinth?

There are many different types of labyrinths. The first labyrinths appeared over three thousand years ago on coins and pottery, and carved into rock faces, then on the ground and finally in churches and cathedrals. This seven-circuit labyrinth is the most common type and is found in all cultures and in all time periods. A labyrinth is perfectly balanced with an equal number of right and left turns -- in this case, seven. Unlike a maze, there is only one entrance, only one way to the center, and no dead ends.

Amazing Patterns

Within the labyrinth is sacred geometry and many different patterns, relationships, and proportions found in nature and life. One of the many patterns found in labyrinths is the meandering pattern, found in the flow of water and throughout nature in such varied forms as the pattern of lightening and the pattern sutures form between the cranial bones. In the flow of water, this pattern slows down the flow for the support of life and is associated with the filtering and oxygenation of water. Water that flows too quickly creates erosion; too slowly creates stagnation. Walking the labyrinth slows down our rhythms and aligns us with this meandering pattern.

The labyrinth also contains the Golden Mean - a rule of proportions found in nature that guides the growth of any organism. The Golden Mean can be found in shells, plants and flowers, animals and humans down to the cellular level. These patterns represent nature's design for efficiency and simplicity. The labyrinth invites us to move and align ourselves with these basic patterns that create and sustain life and vitalize us. This simplicity is experienced on a kinesthetic level.

The Experience

The labyrinth is a tool for expanding the spirit, focusing the mind, and transforming and improving our health and sense of well-being. A person's energy field can expand two to three times its usual size after a walk through the labyrinth, and with it comes a feeling of being centered, balanced, whole, alive and one with the universe. The labyrinth helps us to be in the moment and remember who we are and why we are here.

The labyrinth encourages us to slow down and come to our center. The walk to the center is a metaphor for going to your own center. Following the path occupies your logical left brain, freeing your intuitive and creative right brain. It relaxes the mind and is a tool for connecting with the divine within ourselves. In our fast-paced and stressful society, entering the labyrinth is a simple way to allow one to disconnect from the outside world and go within. From chaos, order is restored and balance achieved. In this balanced state, the body can heal itself. The seven-circuit labyrinth is an especially powerful tool for balancing the seven major chakras. Seven is also found in the patterns of nature.

Earth Effects

The labyrinth organizes energy in a way that is useful to us. The ancients discovered that building labyrinths affected drainage and weather patterns, and drew underground water to the area beneath the labyrinth. As people walk the labyrinth, the energy at the site is increased and a sacred site is formed. The focused attention people have while walking a labyrinth feeds the earth.

How to Walk A Labyrinth

There is no wrong or right way to walk a labyrinth, and every experience of walking the labyrinth can be a different one. Before entering, take a moment and focus on what you would like to gain from walking the labyrinth. This can take the form of a question or a problem you would like to solve. Silence should be observed and cell phones turned off. Be open to any release or enlightenment that may occur.

Start at the entrance and follow the path at your own pace, without rushing, and staying between the bricks. At the center, you may want to take a moment to meditate. When you feel ready, follow the path back to the entrance. You may want to take a moment and sit in the meditation garden behind the labyrinth to reflect on your experience. Walking the labyrinth prior to your appointment can open and prepare you for deeper healing and help you to focus on what you would like to gain from your session. Walking the labyrinth after your appointment can further the healing process and help with integration of the session.

         

Heidi also helped her Girl Scout troop build this labyrinth in Leesburg, Virginia that is open to the public. It was made with quartz rock found throughout the grounds of the Audubon Naturalist Society’s Rust Sanctuary. 

 

         

If you are unable to walk a labyrinth, feel free to print out this picture and trace it with your finger for a centering and calming break during your busy day.