Labyrinth

Last Friday most of the third graders and some of the fourth graders experienced the Labyrinth at the First United Methodist Church.  This is part of the Third Grade Rites of Passage Program.   A labyrinth is a design (in this case painted on the floor) having a single pathway which, after a series of twists and turns, arrives at the center of the design, and then proceeds out again.  Walking it is a contemplative practice in which one pays attention to the experience "in the moment". 

What is interesting is that so much can be experienced within the simple act of walking through this design.    The path is set so there is little need to be lost in thought wondering where to go.  It is possible to relax and open up to the journey:  "The firmness of the boundaries creates the openness of the space."  This is a common characteristic of all contemplative practices, where the integrity, simplicity, and beauty of the  form allows for a deepening to take place, a deepening not usually experienced when traveling on the surface of busyness and thinking.

You are invited to experience the Labyrinth for yourself, as it is open to the public:  http://www.fumcboulder.org/labyrinth.jsp.  It might make for a great winter break activity!