The labyrinth's path weaves back and forth as it follows the pattern from the outside to the center and back. The rhythmic turns seem to cause the mind's focus to shift from the left side of the brain to the right side and back again. Back and forth; back and forth. Yin and yang. Logical and creative. Masculine and feminine energies.
Depending on what's happening in my life at the time I walk a labyrinth, I may seek peace of mind, balance or guidance with a decision. I only know what I'm going to focus on at the moment I step onto the labyrinth.
The other day, I mentioned to my husband that we hadn't walked a labyrinth since the one we happened upon on a beach in northern California 18 months ago. Its layout was set with stones, drift wood and feathers laid in the sand. The surf roaring in my ears, breeze caressing my skin and sun beaming down on the crown of my head made walking that labyrinth one of my most cherished memories.
My husband immediately googled labyrinths in Santa Fe, New Mexico. To our delight, it has four labyrinths easily accessible to the public. One of them was right under our noses when we visited the Cathedral Basilica St. Francis of Assisi off Santa Fe's historic plaza!
Made of inlaid colored stone, the cathedral's outdoor labyrinth lies mere steps from the main entrance. Its 11-circuit design with a 6-petal rose at the center is patterned after the famed Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France.
While tourists photographed the church and statuary, I walked the labyrinth, pausing in each petal of the center rose to meditate on an intention. In the midst of voices and busy activity, I enjoyed sublime peace. I felt reconnected to the Source. I felt at one.
And I was reminded to become more aware of my surroundings. At any time, a labyrinth just might be in plain sight!
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