If a student walked past the KAV on Thursday afternoon, they may have been greeted with an unusual sight. In the center of the room, a giant circular cloth with intricate designs had taken up a large portion of the floor space. In this large swath of purple cloth, intricate white paths wove around the circle to form a maze-like pattern. In the center of this maze, the paths diverged and the open space was adorned with pillows.
While this may seem like an unusual sight, the use of this circle has emerged in several cultures as a new way to relax and, in a way, meditate. This event hosted by Called to Lead and Assistant Chaplain Rev. Amy Shorner-Johnson was titled “The Labyrinth Experience: A Walking Meditation.” The maze-like design on the floor is this labyrinth. It provided a setting for stress relief, prayer, centering and mindfulness. Using this confined space marked by the walking paths, those who took part in the event were able to meditate by focusing on one task: walking.
“Labyrinths have occurred all over the world,” Shorner-Johnson said. “They have been thought to originate around 3000 BC. It is something that, while it looks like a maze, it only has one way in and one way out.” With the circular labyrinths such as the one in the KAV the path is the same as the path out. “There’s no way to get lost, which is nice. Since it is something that is used for meditation, de-stressing or prayer, it is not meant to cause anxiety. It is supposed to be something that centers you.”
Even though it may look like a maze, Shorner-Johnson stressed that a labyrinth is not the same as a maze. “It’s nice because it’s not a maze, so there are no choices you have to make,” she said. “It’s a way to focus with less distraction. It also can be a way to meditate simply by slowing down. You focus on the step that is ahead of you and nothing else.” Tying together her own experience with meditation, Shorner-Johnson found the practice to be very useful. “I’m personally not very good at meditation,” she said. “When I try to meditate, I find myself easily distracted and it sort of mirrors the labyrinth[’s patterns]. It’s a symbolism of the distraction.”
Shorner-Johnson also stated that it is a way of letting go of control and stress. Labyrinths such as this have been used with children and in hospitals for development and therapy. It has also been used to assist in conflict resolution, which ties into principles of Called to Lead. In addition to fulfilling these goals, Shorner-Johnson said, “It also may just be something to take to discover something inside of you; to look down deep and listen to your own life and self.”
Shorner-Johnson suggested to students who came to the labyrinth to walk at a pace that is comfortable and take their time with the path. When the students reached the center, they were encouraged to sit on the pillows to center themselves, pray or just enjoy the silence and peace. After their time in the center, the students followed the path outwards again.
Junior music major Samantha Keynton attended the event and found the experience very relaxing. “It took my mind off of the stress of midterm week,” she said. “I was making sure that I was going on the right path.” Her experience was very helpful to de-stress and was similar to her centering herself with past meditation experiences. “I like focusing my energy on relaxing and not on the outside world,” Keynton said. “It was a nice way to de-stress after a long week.”
This event will be offered two more times this semester: on Oct. 28 in the M&M Mars room from 2-4 p.m. and Nov. 11 from 2-4 p.m.
