How to walk the labyrinth

The walk in the labyrinth can of course be done in different ways. If you are five years old, you may take it differently than if you are fifteen, fifty-five or eighty-five. It is you who decides how you want to approach it. Playful or thoughtful, with explorative curiosity or as a way to find stillness, devotion and peace. You can think of the walk in the labyrinth as a prayer of the feet or as a meditative exercise in which the whole body and all the senses participate.

However you relate to the labyrinth, we hope that it will offer you joy and blessing.

If you want to take a meditative walk through the labyrinth, you can do like this:

First, read through this text and then put it away so that you are not distracted by it.

Stand at the entrance of the labyrinth, where the arrow is located. Gather yourself for a moment in silence. Close your eyes. Which feeling fills you? Are you tired, worried, happy, sad, grateful, distraught or collected? Maybe it’s some completely different word that describes your feeling? Listen to your own breathing. Breathe in rest – breathe out worry.

If you wish, you can say a short prayer before you begin. Birgitta’s prayer may be appropriate: ”Lord show me your way, and make me willing to walk it”. Other prayers can be: ”God, open me to your love”, ”Guide my steps into the path of peace” or why not ”I put my life, with all that it contains, in your hands.”

Think about what you want to leave with God. You can carry it with you into the labyrinth. It can be something you want to leave in God’s custody, a burden you want to let go, a prayer for someone you love, or perhaps a longing. Sometimes there is a basket of stones by the labyrinth. Then you can take one in your hand as a reminder of what you are carrying with you.

Take a first step into the labyrinth and let it be followed by the next. Walk slowly and attentively, without stopping. Try to be in continuous slow motion. Feel how the ground beneath your feet carries you. You are here. You are part of God’s creation and the forces of life envelop you. Imagine the infinity of the universe above your head. Your life is connected to the heavenly, the sacred.

Listen to your body – what does it have to tell you? Listen to the reality that surrounds you. Is it windy or is it still? Is it chilly outside or is the sun warming? Is the rain falling? Try to rest in the feeling that fills you, without trying to describe or analyze it.

If you can, let your thoughts quiet. Rest in the silence. Maybe you feel that worries, thoughts and questions are intruding. Maybe you’re distracted by things happening around you. Then try to just let go of everything that distracts. Let it pass and disappear. At each step, you will go further into the chamber of your own heart and seek rest, stillness and renewed courage. Let everything that is inside you and everything that is around you be included in your prayer. Let God’s grace flow through you. If you want, you can pray with the words: ”In every step are you”.

Concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and let them take you further and further into the center. Try to be equally attentive and present in every movement.

When you reach the center of the labyrinth, you have arrived. The cross in the middle is the pilgrimage destination, the heavenly Jerusalem, the meeting place with God. Here it is worth stopping for a while. Here you can put away what you have been carrying, your prayer or burden. If it feels good, you can bow before the cross and make the sign of the cross over yourself.

If you want, you can then take the same route back through the labyrinth – and then slowly return to ”normal”. If you don’t have much time, you can choose to walk straight out.

When you come out, you can, if you wish, end by thanking God and praying: ”Glory to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever, and forever and ever. Amen” or pray with the words of the blessing. If you would rather express yourself with body than with words, you can bow again and make the sign of the cross.

Try to formulate for yourself what you have received during the walk that can give you courage and strength. Then, as you leave the labyrinth, try to maintain the feeling of stillness and peace within you.