Are the strength, power, and love you are searching for already within you or are you searching for them outside of yourself? I have recently discovered a spiritual practice that is helping me answer that question. This spiritual practice is “walking the labyrinth.” I will share how my experience with labyrinths has impacted many aspects of my life.
Finding My Way Home Through Labyrinths
I met Debi and Marty Kermeen at the Nurture Your Divine Spirit Retreat at Unity Village in Kansas City, Missouri in 2023. The Kermeens build and facilitate labyrinths all over the country. Before I met Debi and Marty and learned about their work, I was often operating on autopilot. I was always on the go and didn’t make time for self-reflection. Since then I have had many opportunities to walk a labyrinth, whether on my own, with a friend, or participating in a facilitated labyrinth walk. I have slowed down and become more present. I have begun journaling regularly. As a result, I feel more centered, my relationships have deepened, and I approach situations at work with more calmness and detachment from chaos.
At the retreat in Kansas City, I had the opportunity to participate in a labyrinth walk facilitated by Debi Kermeen. Since the retreat, I have walked labyrinths at Aurora University, Unity in Naperville, and at the Riverwalk in downtown Naperville, Illinois. I have continued to walk labyrinths regularly because I found the facilitated labyrinth walk at Unity Village to be a healing and transformative experience. This practice has shown me that life, just like a labyrinth, is not a linear process. Life has lots of twists and turns, but walking the labyrinth has helped me see that life is always about coming to the center. For me, this means getting in touch with Self, my core truths, my inner knowing.
When I first walked the labyrinth at Unity Village, I thought I would immediately receive the answers to my questions. Now I realize that answering life’s questions involves a “process” and there are many different paths to get to where I am meant to be. There have been times when I have received clarity on my intention, but not a direct answer. I learned it is not only okay to slow down, but it is crucial to my self-growth. I recently had an experience that felt like a metaphor for life. I was on my daily run and was not consciously aware of where I was going. I was feeling hurt, disappointment, and anger. I was caught up in my emotions and was focused on the “destination” rather than where I was on the “path.” Since I was distraught and eager to reach my destination, I chose to take a shortcut. On the shortcut, I fell into a hole, sprained my ankle, and banged up my knee, which has forced me to slow down and take time to reflect and heal. Similarly to my labyrinth experiences, this has presented another opportunity for me to remember that I need to slow down in life, get in touch with my center, and approach life from the inside out.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have participated in many labyrinth walks. I am learning that my path always leads me to where I am meant to be, even though there may be stumbles, challenges, detours, circular meanderings, and many learning opportunities along the way. The practice of walking the labyrinth has become a very meaningful and beautiful spiritual practice for me.
“All you need is already within you, only you must approach yourself with reverence and love.”
― Nisargadatta Maharaj
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