Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Meaning

Dan Pink discusses the labyrinth as a "metaphor for our times" (AWNM, page 227). To get a better sense of how labyrinths free the right brain, visit a labyrinth. There are two publicly available labyrinths in our area:

  • Our Lady of Lourdes on West Church Street has a publicly accessible labyrinth in the lawn on the west side of the building.
  • Trinity Episcopal Church on North Main Street in Elmira also has a labyrinth. Starting in June, it will be available to the public the first Tuesday of the month from 6-8 pm, the second Thursday of the month from 2-4 pm, and third Friday of the month from 7-9 pm.

You can also view this YouTube video which provides more information about the history and significance of the labyrinth:


If you do visit one of the labyrinths, feel free to share your experience in the comments.

5 comments:

  1. There is a small labyrinth on the east side of the Presbyterian Church next to Lafayette Park in Watkins Glen. The path is stone and there is a bench in the middle. The setting is peaceful and the experience is calming.

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  2. I walked the labyrinth at Our Lady of Lourdes on the way home from work one day. I was completely entranced by the experience. Focusing on the path kept my left brain engaged so my right brain could let ideas flow. It was a wonderful contemplative experience, and I can't to do it again. I felt very relaxed and peaceful when I was finished.

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  3. I have never even heard of labyrinths in terms of a spiritual experience, but found it quite interesting.
    I would like to check one out in person.

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  4. I visited a labyrinth a few years ago in the basement of a large church in Rochester. It was interesting. I do alot of praying regularly, so, it wasn't more intense spiritually than other times of meditation, but it was a tool of focusing in prayer. Meaning is central to me as an evangelical Christian and centers in Christ. My greatest joy is in serving the Lord and I love to teach about Scripture's relevance to every person.

    I do like the idea about dedicating your work to a person. My work is dedicated to the Lord, but it could also be dedicated to a person. An interesting idea would be to dedicate my work each day to a different student in my care - thninking about how I may be able to touch his or her life in some significant way and working that day for that one student.

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  5. I never knew these things about a labyrinth. I strongly desire to visit one and will absolutely do so. I also plan on talking to students about labyrinths (and what they REALLY are) when we read The Minotaur in the future. This Greek myth paints the wrong picture of a labyrint and why they were established.

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