THE LURE OF THE LABYRINTH

Have you ever walked a labyrinth? When you find yourself rattled, frazzled or just plain bonkers, find a labyrinth and walk yourself to peace. Known as a "walking meditation" , the labyrinth is an ancient symbol for wholeness and has been used as a meditation and prayer tool. A labyrinth is not to be confused with a maze. A maze is a puzzle fraught with twists, turns and dead ends through which you must think. A labyrinth takes you inward to the center and back out the same way. A meditative walk that quiets the mind and soothes the soul.

The (not so good) picture below is one I took at the labyrinth at Audubon Park, one of my favorite spots in the city. I try to go before work or at lunch at least once a week. I particularly like the mornings when it's really quiet and usually no one else is there. Walking the labyrinth is a great way to quiet the mind, enjoy nature and get ready for the day.
Visit the website at http://www.labyrinthataudubonpark.org/.

The picture below is of a labyrinth at a Lacombe church. Beyond Katrina has a story ,by Maida Owens, about the destruction of several labyrinths in southeast Louisiana from Katrina and Rita. Maida is the director of the Louisiana Folklife Program. (www.louisianafolklife.org) The story details the destruction or disintegration of the labyrinths as well as the surrounding gardens and trees. Trees are still dying from the salt water effects of the storms. Anyone concerned with nature and the environment will find this story interesting and sad.

"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation... Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. His anxiety subsides. His inhuman void spreads monstrously like a gray vegetation." ~~~ Jean Arp