Enjoying the day with the extra hour
After brunch with my ma down in Northside on Sunday, I loaded up my pockets with candy she had set out for Halloween and we headed out for an afternoon with no agenda. The best kind.
One diversion was the Sacred Labyrinth by the Mercy Hospital up in Mt. Airy.
The sign outside what looked like a compacted track read:
 A labyrinth is a walking meditation, a geometric pattern laid out indoors or outside. They date back 600 years. Unlike a maze, which has false paths and trails, the labyrinth has only one path and requires no analytical thinking.
Proponents say a short walk through a labyrinth can calm anxiety, promote health and aid in meditation. People can use it for stress reduction or as a deeply spiritual experience having to do with their own sense of sacred space within and without. We are all on a journey and while each of us has a unique journey, we share a common one. The labyrinth invites us to get in touch with our own life journey. The labyrinth involves three stages. The first stage, purgation, occurs when entering the labyrinth and involves clearing the mind to be open to the experience of the divine. The second stage, illumination, is reached at the center where walkers stop to reflect and pray. The third stage, union, brings us back to our connection to the world. |
So there’s my mom up pictured up there in “illumination,” I think.
We searched for leaves afterward and then it was off to catch “Running with Scissors,” which wasn’t necessarily bad, but having not read the book, I was more interested in learning about Augusten and less about Annette Bening’s hair-dos.
I skimped on the review here, and totally omitted a trip to a thrift store earlier in the day, but I’m meandering too much, it’s late.
In summation: I’m glad my mom didn’t put me up for adoption, and I ate all the candy in my pockets.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one disappointed by Running With Scissors. The book was fantastic, and you should pick it up if you get a chance, because it’s very little like the movie.
Chris, the light box thing was so simple and easy I should have and didn’t show my beginning students so, I have to thank you 10,000 times for providing this beautiful visual example for illustration!
I forgot where I was typing on my other comment but, I love the idea of the labyrinth and using it for meditation. Thank you again!
Interesting thing about labyrinths – you can get through any maze, regardless of how complicated, by placing your left hand on the wall as you walk through. As long as you don’t remove your left hand from the left-most wall, you will never lose your way. Of course, you may have to walk the entire maze, but who cares when you’re meditating.
Very cool Reuben!