An Old Proverb Says: Before you begin the journey, you own the journey. Once you begin the journey, the journey owns you.
Many of us yearn deeply for our life journeys to follow clean, predictable straight lines: childhood to youth; youth to adulthood; adulthood to maturity; maturity to golden years. In reality, however, our life pathway is rarely, if ever, a straight line. It is more often a spiral in nature, with many twists, turns, reversals and surprises along the way.
As we grow more conscious, we may begin to experience these returns not as disruptive, but as opportunities for practice and an opportunity to harvest “the power of the pivot.” We start to notice and navigate apparent reversals, experiencing meaningful progress as we go. Ironic! How can that be?
Truly, our winding life path is full of emerging endings, messy middles and then new beginnings. Any pivot point, by its nature, is transformative!
The Labyrinth: Some History and Mystery
The oldest labyrinth ever found was inscribed on a bronze coin from the Greek island of Crete, crafted around 1500 BC. Why was the form of the labyrinth stirring in human consciousness, between three to four thousand years ago? Furthermore, ancient labyrinths of varying styles and complexities have been found on every major continent of the world, save Antarctica. Why were labyrinths replicated as such an enduring symbol across so many cultures and geographies, despite limited contact among humans? My answer: Labyrinths are an intrinsic, eternal human metaphor for the power of the pivot and the journey of life and change.
In ITP, we use the language of “taking the hit as a gift.” Labyrinths are a series of pivots or “hits” guaranteed to guide the walker from an emerging ending (upon entering the labyrinth) to the center of the labyrinth, and back to exit the labyrinth from where they entered (to a new beginning). In a sense, the walker is “hit” or redirected so frequently that he or she gains patience, persistence and power along the way.
What is a labyrinth and how is a labyrinth different from a maze?
Labyrinths follow a unicursal pathway. You are protected as you walk your labyrinth journey because a “unicursal” pathway means there is one pathway in, one pathway out, and no dead ends to make it to the center. You need never get lost in a labyrinth. While the labyrinth’s pathway may be complex, the labyrinth is “kind” in that it offers its user a guided journey. Yes, the labyrinth is replete with pivots! Yet, if you stick with the pathway, you are assured a complete journey inward and outward.
Mazes, in contrast, incorporate many dead ends. They are intentionally designed to confuse and confound. The personality of a maze is dishonest and unkind. Mazes draw walkers into impossible situations. One can get lost in a maze, never finding the center, and never finding the way out. Do not enter a maze unless you are seeking confusion and drama. If you are seeking wholeness, stay away from mazes!
What are some productive ways to engage with the labyrinth?
First, ask good questions as you consider labyrinths as a metaphor for the power of the pivot.
- In what ways is your life a journey through a labyrinth?
- In what ways is your present transition a journey through the labyrinth?
- There are three movements in walking a labyrinth: first, the inward journey to the center; second, holding the center space; third, the outward journey back to where you entered. What do the three movements of the labyrinth represent to you?
- How might you use the labyrinth metaphor in a constructive way with others?
Second, experiment with the labyrinth as a space of integration. Here are two examples of finger labyrinths* that encourage the user to consider an interplay of forces on the journey.
(*To experience the journey and the pivot, you may experience these labyrinths as “finger labyrinths” by simply tracing the pattern with your nondominant hand.)
You may write an affirmation in the square at the center of the labyrinth in these examples.
Figure 1 – Mind-Body-Heart-Soul Meditation: Write Your Affirmation in the Center.
Figure 2 – Personal-Professional-Family-Community Meditation: Write Your Affirmation in the Center.
How might the labyrinth metaphor allow you to find greater meaning and fulfillment in your life?
If you are seeking to grow your capacity to lead transformative change for yourself, for others and for the world, now is the time to explore the labyrinth metaphor and practice walking the labyrinth.