[Music]
how do you connect with yourself I’m not
talking about connecting with our ego
that part of us the Buddhists call The
Hungry Ghost voraciously ravenous and
forever
bellowing with need and greed I’m
talking about connecting with our
innermost self that part of us we
sometimes call our soul psychologists
believe that our ego can be that front
we present to the world see no warts
here look how good how perfect how right
I am our innermost self is always humble
it looks to include everything the good
and the bad the light and the dark the
sinner and the saint both of which are a
part of me and really both of which are
a part of everything it’s an approach to
life that includes both and now mind you
we need our ego as we’re growing up so
that we can become that individual
distinct unique self that we are but as
we mature into adulthood if the ego
remains in the driver’s seat our world
can become one big narcissistic mess and
it’s often at that point in our life
when our ego is living large that we
start to question things is this all
there is to life is it there something
more some of us question that earlier in
our life and others unfortunately never
do but since we’re all here at this
conference I think it’s safe to say
we’ve jumped the fence on to the side of
deeper inquiry and connection and today
I would like to introduce you to a tool
that people are using to help them
connect with themselves in a
transformational way so that they can
experience their lives journeys
fully it was on my quest for something
deeper that I was introduced to walking
a labyrinth back when I lived in
Philadelphia a friend invited me to walk
the canvas labyrinth that we had set up
at the church I attended in the parish
hall now the room was quite large and
the labyrinth took up about a third to a
half of the space after a few brief
instructions she turned on some quiet
meditative music and we began our
journey after that first walk I was
hooked I had finally been able to
intentionally quiet my mind and I had a
brief but inviting encounter with
something deeper inside of myself now I
take every opportunity I can to journey
to the center of a labyrinth and quiet
my mind sometimes I just explore my
sense of wonder connect with myself my
curiosity which really helps to fuel my
creativity I also find the labyrinth a
safe place where I can connect with the
divine what I call my cuddle with God
it’s hard to describe exactly what that
feels like but as I let go and really
quiet my mind I try very hard to turn
off all thought not an easy thing as I
rest in that space it is here I can feel
that connection with God
of course the mind is a wily thing in
the moment I realize that I’m doing it
the moments gone and my mind floods with
my thoughts again so what is this
labyrinth how do you walk it how does it
work and how on earth do you know if
something’s happening let’s start with
what is it is the labyrinth is old
labyrinths can be found as far back as
4000 BCE throughout history they have
been found
on the ground on shards of pottery
petroglyphs the entrances to doors and
the floors of buildings labyrinths are
not religious but they are used by most
major world religions as a tool to
connect with God and self
for example the Christian tradition
incorporated labyrinths more fully in
about the 12th century it was during the
Crusades that it became unsafe to
pilgrimage to Jerusalem so the
cathedrals in Europe began installing
labyrinths on their floors people would
then travel to their Cathedral and walk
the labyrinth for their pilgrimage the
oldest and most famous of those still
available to us today is the labyrinth
found in the shark’s Cathedral in France
the labyrinth is also new during the
Reformation and industrial ages the
power of knowledge overcame the mystical
and walking a labyrinth fell out of
favor much of what was known about
labyrinth was lost
the current revival were experiencing
here in the United States is due in
large part to the efforts of the
Reverend dr. Loren artists she’s written
many books on the labyrinth and his
founder of an organization called
Veritas which is an organization
dedicated to the labyrinth experience
I took my labyrinth facilitator training
from Loren at Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco now you can find labyrinths
and churches hospitals prisons parks
colleges schools universities people’s
backyards and more labyrinths are
different sizes and different shapes I’m
showing here two of the most common
shapes the classical labyrinth which is
considered to be the oldest and the
shark style labyrinth so named because
it is the labyrinth you find in the
shark’s Cathedral they can be made from
different materials
rocks that are laid out on the ground or
on grass patio pavers bricks concrete
tile and even plant materials now it’s
important to note that a labyrinth is
not a maze a maze is a puzzle to be
solved the design of a maze is to
confuse you and to get you lost a
labyrinth on the other hand is designed
to provide clarity and to help you find
your way why are people attracted to the
labyrinth because it guides healing it
deepens self-knowledge and it empowers
creativity those who struggle with
sitting meditation find the labyrinth
particularly effective as their body is
fallen is occupied following that shore
path in and back out again they can
quiet their mind and become open to what
is there are many different ways that
people approach a labyrinth to help them
in their lives journeys I’ve used it
many times just to calm my monkey mind
when I’m feeling stressed or
particularly stuck I walk the labyrinth
with the intention of soothing the rest
of my day I’ve walked it for imagination
creativity and idea generation and as a
marketing professional I find those
inspirational aspects of the labyrinth
particularly appealing when I’m trying
to develop a new advertising or
promotional campaign another very
interesting aspect of the
transformational power of the labyrinth
is how it is being used to compliment
healing and health care patients and
families walk the labyrinth to reinforce
their intentions of healing doctors
nurses and health care providers walk
the labyrinth to relieve stress or
perhaps to find clarity before surgery
or talking to those patients and
families for those who are grieving or
in deep sorrow the labyrinth
provide solace and peace the labyrinth
experience is different for every person
because we all bring different raw
materials with us into the labyrinth we
bring our unique hopes our dreams our
histories and the longings of our soul
so how does a labyrinth work a labyrinth
is unicursal which means that it is
composed entirely of a single continuous
line or path it is a shape that we find
abundantly in nature psychologists
believe this circular design symbolizes
change movement and growth think of a
flower petal a nautilus shell your brain
a peacock with its feathers fully
extended a hurricane the solar system
from small to large it is an archetype
that transcends the labyrinth allows for
a sacred space it is a place where two
worlds flow together the visible world
can meet the invisible the finite world
the infinite it is often referred to as
a metaphor for life’s journey it
restores our equilibrium and balance and
helps us reconnect our mind our body and
our spirit the layout and design
provides a flow that allows walkers to
have a solid and integrative experience
the path to the center wines in a
clockwise fashion which quiets and soon
as the mind the path back out unwinds
counterclockwise empowering and
integrating the walk experience so how
do you walk a labyrinth I happen to have
one here when you first look at a
labyrinth it can be very confusing where
do you start how do you follow the path
and what happens if you meet someone on
the path the outer circle always has an
opening and this is where you start you
simply follow the path going at your own
pace sometimes that path takes you
closer to the center sometimes it leads
you further out sometimes the path is
short between turns other times it is
long before you meet the next curve as I
said a labyrinth is not a maze there’s
no guessing where to go or where to turn
there’s a clear path that leads you into
the center it is the same path used to
walk back out now most labyrinth walks
can be divided into four stages before I
even step on to the labyrinth I often
take a moment to set an intention and
that intention can be anything I want or
need at that particular moment in my
life as I walk the path I let go of the
outer world my cares and concerns I
quiet my mind as I reach the center I
stay as long as I like I use that time
to receive whatever is sometimes I stand
sometimes I move between the pedals
sometimes I’ve sat down I’ve even seen
people lie down in the middle of the
labyrinth when I’m finished I simply
follow the same path back out and Here I
am reintegrating returning to my world
if I meet someone I simply walk around
them and continue on my journey when my
walk is over I try to take just a minute
or two to reflect on the experience
did I think of something new while I was
walking do I feel differently than when
I did when I started so how do you know
something happens on the labyrinth or
better yet what happens if it feels like
nothing’s happening on the labyrinth
something always happens when you do a
labyrinth walk some people might have
that aha moment when they’re in the
center or when they reflect after coming
off it maybe a little later that they
realize something has happened and it
can be over time that they recognize
things have changed for the better let
me share with you just a few of the
lessons I’ve learned from walking a
labyrinth walking the labyrinth helps me
to ground myself I really feel like I
can manage the stresses in my life
better and more authentically over time
walking a labyrinth has helped me learn
how to love me for who I am
all of those warts and all the glorious
parts of me as I’ve come to love me I
can in turn love those around me walking
a labyrinth has helped me realize that
we really are connected in some fashion
and I’m learning how to allow others to
be who they are rather than who I might
prefer them to be I’ve had my share of
aha moments as well I remember back when
I was living in Philadelphia I had the
opportunity to attend a women weekend
retreat it was a particularly low point
in my life and I was feeling very alone
a labyrinth had been set up in one of
the rooms of the conference center
it was a cold stormy cloudy day the room
had lots of skylights in it so it was
bright but not overly lit as I was
standing in the center trying not to
feel sorry for myself and trying to be
open to whatever is the cloud
pardon and sunlight flooded the room
wrapping me in warmth I knew beyond a
shadow of a doubt that God was giving me
a huge hug and that he was telling me he
was with me and that he loves me and
that I was not alone in our chaotic and
sometimes hectic lives what a blessing
it can be to take the time to connect
with our innermost cells to become runs
with that beautiful person each one of
us is some people are so distracted by
too many things making it difficult to
find time or the space to reflect others
might be just a little afraid to take
that first step into deeper inquiry in
connecting with themselves for many the
simple act of walking a labyrinth and
meandering its many turns provides that
quiet space they need to consider the
questions and opportunities they may be
facing
I invite you on a journey of
self-discovery and to explore the
lessons the labyrinth may open for you
thank you
[Applause]
you
how do you connect with yourself I’m not
talking about connecting with our ego
that part of us the Buddhists call The
Hungry Ghost voraciously ravenous and
forever
bellowing with need and greed I’m
talking about connecting with our
innermost self that part of us we
sometimes call our soul psychologists
believe that our ego can be that front
we present to the world see no warts
here look how good how perfect how right
I am our innermost self is always humble
it looks to include everything the good
and the bad the light and the dark the
sinner and the saint both of which are a
part of me and really both of which are
a part of everything it’s an approach to
life that includes both and now mind you
we need our ego as we’re growing up so
that we can become that individual
distinct unique self that we are but as
we mature into adulthood if the ego
remains in the driver’s seat our world
can become one big narcissistic mess and
it’s often at that point in our life
when our ego is living large that we
start to question things is this all
there is to life is it there something
more some of us question that earlier in
our life and others unfortunately never
do but since we’re all here at this
conference I think it’s safe to say
we’ve jumped the fence on to the side of
deeper inquiry and connection and today
I would like to introduce you to a tool
that people are using to help them
connect with themselves in a
transformational way so that they can
experience their lives journeys
fully it was on my quest for something
deeper that I was introduced to walking
a labyrinth back when I lived in
Philadelphia a friend invited me to walk
the canvas labyrinth that we had set up
at the church I attended in the parish
hall now the room was quite large and
the labyrinth took up about a third to a
half of the space after a few brief
instructions she turned on some quiet
meditative music and we began our
journey after that first walk I was
hooked I had finally been able to
intentionally quiet my mind and I had a
brief but inviting encounter with
something deeper inside of myself now I
take every opportunity I can to journey
to the center of a labyrinth and quiet
my mind sometimes I just explore my
sense of wonder connect with myself my
curiosity which really helps to fuel my
creativity I also find the labyrinth a
safe place where I can connect with the
divine what I call my cuddle with God
it’s hard to describe exactly what that
feels like but as I let go and really
quiet my mind I try very hard to turn
off all thought not an easy thing as I
rest in that space it is here I can feel
that connection with God
of course the mind is a wily thing in
the moment I realize that I’m doing it
the moments gone and my mind floods with
my thoughts again so what is this
labyrinth how do you walk it how does it
work and how on earth do you know if
something’s happening let’s start with
what is it is the labyrinth is old
labyrinths can be found as far back as
4000 BCE throughout history they have
been found
on the ground on shards of pottery
petroglyphs the entrances to doors and
the floors of buildings labyrinths are
not religious but they are used by most
major world religions as a tool to
connect with God and self
for example the Christian tradition
incorporated labyrinths more fully in
about the 12th century it was during the
Crusades that it became unsafe to
pilgrimage to Jerusalem so the
cathedrals in Europe began installing
labyrinths on their floors people would
then travel to their Cathedral and walk
the labyrinth for their pilgrimage the
oldest and most famous of those still
available to us today is the labyrinth
found in the shark’s Cathedral in France
the labyrinth is also new during the
Reformation and industrial ages the
power of knowledge overcame the mystical
and walking a labyrinth fell out of
favor much of what was known about
labyrinth was lost
the current revival were experiencing
here in the United States is due in
large part to the efforts of the
Reverend dr. Loren artists she’s written
many books on the labyrinth and his
founder of an organization called
Veritas which is an organization
dedicated to the labyrinth experience
I took my labyrinth facilitator training
from Loren at Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco now you can find labyrinths
and churches hospitals prisons parks
colleges schools universities people’s
backyards and more labyrinths are
different sizes and different shapes I’m
showing here two of the most common
shapes the classical labyrinth which is
considered to be the oldest and the
shark style labyrinth so named because
it is the labyrinth you find in the
shark’s Cathedral they can be made from
different materials
rocks that are laid out on the ground or
on grass patio pavers bricks concrete
tile and even plant materials now it’s
important to note that a labyrinth is
not a maze a maze is a puzzle to be
solved the design of a maze is to
confuse you and to get you lost a
labyrinth on the other hand is designed
to provide clarity and to help you find
your way why are people attracted to the
labyrinth because it guides healing it
deepens self-knowledge and it empowers
creativity those who struggle with
sitting meditation find the labyrinth
particularly effective as their body is
fallen is occupied following that shore
path in and back out again they can
quiet their mind and become open to what
is there are many different ways that
people approach a labyrinth to help them
in their lives journeys I’ve used it
many times just to calm my monkey mind
when I’m feeling stressed or
particularly stuck I walk the labyrinth
with the intention of soothing the rest
of my day I’ve walked it for imagination
creativity and idea generation and as a
marketing professional I find those
inspirational aspects of the labyrinth
particularly appealing when I’m trying
to develop a new advertising or
promotional campaign another very
interesting aspect of the
transformational power of the labyrinth
is how it is being used to compliment
healing and health care patients and
families walk the labyrinth to reinforce
their intentions of healing doctors
nurses and health care providers walk
the labyrinth to relieve stress or
perhaps to find clarity before surgery
or talking to those patients and
families for those who are grieving or
in deep sorrow the labyrinth
provide solace and peace the labyrinth
experience is different for every person
because we all bring different raw
materials with us into the labyrinth we
bring our unique hopes our dreams our
histories and the longings of our soul
so how does a labyrinth work a labyrinth
is unicursal which means that it is
composed entirely of a single continuous
line or path it is a shape that we find
abundantly in nature psychologists
believe this circular design symbolizes
change movement and growth think of a
flower petal a nautilus shell your brain
a peacock with its feathers fully
extended a hurricane the solar system
from small to large it is an archetype
that transcends the labyrinth allows for
a sacred space it is a place where two
worlds flow together the visible world
can meet the invisible the finite world
the infinite it is often referred to as
a metaphor for life’s journey it
restores our equilibrium and balance and
helps us reconnect our mind our body and
our spirit the layout and design
provides a flow that allows walkers to
have a solid and integrative experience
the path to the center wines in a
clockwise fashion which quiets and soon
as the mind the path back out unwinds
counterclockwise empowering and
integrating the walk experience so how
do you walk a labyrinth I happen to have
one here when you first look at a
labyrinth it can be very confusing where
do you start how do you follow the path
and what happens if you meet someone on
the path the outer circle always has an
opening and this is where you start you
simply follow the path going at your own
pace sometimes that path takes you
closer to the center sometimes it leads
you further out sometimes the path is
short between turns other times it is
long before you meet the next curve as I
said a labyrinth is not a maze there’s
no guessing where to go or where to turn
there’s a clear path that leads you into
the center it is the same path used to
walk back out now most labyrinth walks
can be divided into four stages before I
even step on to the labyrinth I often
take a moment to set an intention and
that intention can be anything I want or
need at that particular moment in my
life as I walk the path I let go of the
outer world my cares and concerns I
quiet my mind as I reach the center I
stay as long as I like I use that time
to receive whatever is sometimes I stand
sometimes I move between the pedals
sometimes I’ve sat down I’ve even seen
people lie down in the middle of the
labyrinth when I’m finished I simply
follow the same path back out and Here I
am reintegrating returning to my world
if I meet someone I simply walk around
them and continue on my journey when my
walk is over I try to take just a minute
or two to reflect on the experience
did I think of something new while I was
walking do I feel differently than when
I did when I started so how do you know
something happens on the labyrinth or
better yet what happens if it feels like
nothing’s happening on the labyrinth
something always happens when you do a
labyrinth walk some people might have
that aha moment when they’re in the
center or when they reflect after coming
off it maybe a little later that they
realize something has happened and it
can be over time that they recognize
things have changed for the better let
me share with you just a few of the
lessons I’ve learned from walking a
labyrinth walking the labyrinth helps me
to ground myself I really feel like I
can manage the stresses in my life
better and more authentically over time
walking a labyrinth has helped me learn
how to love me for who I am
all of those warts and all the glorious
parts of me as I’ve come to love me I
can in turn love those around me walking
a labyrinth has helped me realize that
we really are connected in some fashion
and I’m learning how to allow others to
be who they are rather than who I might
prefer them to be I’ve had my share of
aha moments as well I remember back when
I was living in Philadelphia I had the
opportunity to attend a women weekend
retreat it was a particularly low point
in my life and I was feeling very alone
a labyrinth had been set up in one of
the rooms of the conference center
it was a cold stormy cloudy day the room
had lots of skylights in it so it was
bright but not overly lit as I was
standing in the center trying not to
feel sorry for myself and trying to be
open to whatever is the cloud
pardon and sunlight flooded the room
wrapping me in warmth I knew beyond a
shadow of a doubt that God was giving me
a huge hug and that he was telling me he
was with me and that he loves me and
that I was not alone in our chaotic and
sometimes hectic lives what a blessing
it can be to take the time to connect
with our innermost cells to become runs
with that beautiful person each one of
us is some people are so distracted by
too many things making it difficult to
find time or the space to reflect others
might be just a little afraid to take
that first step into deeper inquiry in
connecting with themselves for many the
simple act of walking a labyrinth and
meandering its many turns provides that
quiet space they need to consider the
questions and opportunities they may be
facing
I invite you on a journey of
self-discovery and to explore the
lessons the labyrinth may open for you
thank you
[Applause]
you
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