HI Everyone – This week I borrowed the labyrinth from Hospice so the children at Maryvale could walk it.  The labyrinth is fun! Check out below how the children responded.  Labyrinth is typically used as a tool for healing or personal/spiritual change or transformation.  It is good for enhancing “right brain” activity.  That is the part of the brain where the healer, the artist or child within us all lives! (our culture is mostly left-brained) Labyrinths began in ancient times and can be found all over the world.  The walk is compared to “your walk of life” or “your journey to your centre”…discovering who you are…making changes, etc.  I like to encourage walking the labyrinth your way…

For the kids it was a fun experience for them – they take to it naturally, though some of the kids walked it carefully.  I introduced it on Monday and had it out all week for staff and kids to walk it freely.  Their response was varied and diverse.  Some of the kids were hesitant but mostly open and curious – the adults were more hesitant and analytical!  Some of the kids ran it, jumped it, skipped it and hung-out on it.  I introduced it as a pathway to a centre – not like a maze that is meant to confuse you and test you.  I offered information about the history of the Labyrinth and that there is no “right way” to walk the labyrinth – you are free to walk it your own way.  I wanted them to get the feel of it before offering any organized activities – plus, I wanted to see how they would respond.  One girl walked right to the centre and didn’t even walk the path! Most walked, ran, jumped, skipped to the centre.  Some were careful, others were hurried. Some got lost and started again. Some were confused, others bored.  Most of them were smiling and laughing, a few were serious.  The energy on the labyrinth was playful or careful.  Some of the kids were doing headstands at the centre!  It was incredible to see the life on the labyrinth – most of the time the energy is very quiet as adults are walking – with kids it is alive and playful. 

On the second day we walked it again, then I taught them how to draw the labyrinth.  See the photos below. 

 

On the third day I offered a meditation/visualization before we walked the labyrinth.  The meditation was a relaxation that brought the kids to listen to their heart and to see themselves living their heart’s desires - whether it was to go somewhere, meet someone or see the person they would like to become.   After they got into the centre they had to find a few words, feelings or images that were postive qualities or feelings about themselves.  The last part of the activity was a wax-resist drawing with their name in the middle and all of their positive feelings, qualities or dreams written or drawn all around – check out the photos – they did a wonder-full job! Or they could make the finger labyrinths in clay. Here are a few photos:

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