Labyrinth Walk with Reflection

The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Campus has a classic circular labyrinth with a brick walking path. A classical labyrinth path leads you to the labyrinth’s center. Foliage and flowering plants delight the senses and invite you to enjoy the walk. In 2006, the labyrinth designed by Gundula Friedman was installed in the courtyard.

A labyrinth, an intricate path in a healing garden, serves as tool to calm, quiet, and awaken the mind and spirit. Walking a labyrinth is an alternative and complementary, integrative health intervention with literature reporting its usefulness for stress reduction, cancer care, cognitive flexibility, spirituality, and as a satisfying physical activity.

https://labyrinthsociety.org/research-bibliography/categories/1350-journal-articles

 

The Labyrinth Society (https://labyrinthsociety.org), an international group offers a labyrinth worldwide locator service and informational and design resources. Labyrinth’s classified by type (https://labyrinthsociety.org/labyrinth-types ), are used in schools, hospitals, retreat centers, churches, prisons, and parks. In this walking and meditative activity, you are invited to engage in thoughtful and respectful meandering along the labyrinth's path while engaging in contemplative practices such as reflection on a meaningful word or words/sounds for meditation from your spiritual tradition.

How to’s
When: Selected Tuesdays 1-2P, once a month with the Labyrinth Docent and anytime on your own. The Labyrinth is open when the College of Nursing is in session.
On selected Tuesdays, a Labyrinth Docent will have a basket with words useful for self-reflection (Your option).
Preparation:

• Come dressed for the weather
• Walking shoes are recommended on the brick surface
• The flat brick surface is wheelchair accessible.

Optional-

• Bring your audio device with ear buds with selected meditative music. Consider using an instrumental meditative app on your smartphone. Two suggestions are the Calm app and Meditation Music App:
• Bring a friend to walk with you too.
• Bring your favorite spiritual meditation

Labyrinth Walking with Reflection:

• Enter the college of nursing main entrance and walk across the atrium. View the floor image of the dance of caring persons and enter the doors to the inner courtyard. The labyrinth begins on your left and the pathway is bordered by the lighter colored brick pattern.
• Walk at a pace that is comfortable as you follow the labyrinth and pause at will to engage in your reflection.
• Once you reach the center of the labyrinth, you can start-over, exit, or take a seat to enjoy the garden.