Psychology for my students #28
When you feel knocked off course, re-centre and re-align yourself with your cores values and aspirations, and trust life to fulfil your dreams when the time is right.
Have you ever walked a labyrinth?
Distinctly different from Harry Potter's or Hampton Court's mazes, labyrinths are unicursal -that is, they have just one path which takes you, twisting and turning in a variety of unexpected directions, to the centre.
Walking the labyrinth is a very ancient tradition: it features in the Greek legend of Theseus and the Minotaur and many of our mediaeval cathedrals have labyrinthine floor patterns. In the Scilly Isles, labyrinths can be found marked out with stones near the shores. They were thought to be used by fisherman before setting out to sea.
Based on an understanding of how the conscious mind (the one with the question, problem or dilemma) can access the subconscious mind (the one in touch with deeper wisdom), the idea is that the walker, when following the labyrinthine path, has to focus on where he is going. Thereby, the constant chit-chat of his conscious mind is stilled, and it is in these still moments that the deeper "knowing" of his unconscious mind can be heard.
A good way to help yourself hear the wisdom of your subconscious mind is to phrase your problem or dilemma into a question that can be answered with a straight "yes" or "no", before entering. Then, as you walk, consciously enjoy the path as it twists and turns, leading you to the centre. Once in the centre, or, perhaps as you pass through the exit (having followed the same path in reverse), your answer, or some deeper understanding to help you with your answer, is likely to pop into your mind.
There are many different labyrinth designs -and it is easy to create your own. The one below, set in a herb garden, is based on a circular design traditionally used by the Knights Templar.
