Walk the Labyrinth: For Peace, For Focus, For Renewal
October 22, 2018 | By Dayzha Holland | casshcommunications@uwf.edu
Labyrinths offer reflective spaces and healing benefits.
The UWF Department of History is recreating the labyrinth from Chartres cathedral in France, c. 1200. A painted, canvas floor recreating the design of the labyrinth will be installed in the UWF Commons Auditorium and will be open for walking October 22-24. This event will bring to life the atmosphere inside of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres and other Gothic cathedrals during the High Middle Ages.
Why walk the Labyrinth? A labyrinth is an ancient design that represents wholeness by combining the imagery of a circle and a spiral into a purposeful path. In “The Labyrinth: Walking Your Spiritual Journey,” Dr. Daniel H. Johnston, clinical psychologist and faculty of the Mercer University School of Medicine, describes the instrument as a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. David Tolzmann, Chief Geometer at The Labyrinth Company, states that labyrinths have been used for centuries as meditation and prayer tools. Additionally, labyrinths have proven to have significant long-term health benefits. These have included links to lower blood pressure and breathing rates, as well as reduced incidents of chronic pain and insomnia.
Marie-Thérèse Champagne, associate professor of history at UWF, has continued to champion this event to help people get into "medieval mindset." She says she hopes that those who participate in walking the labyrinth gain an appreciation for a practice that comes from the Middle Ages that is still used today for meditation, stress-relief and prayer. This also demonstrates the value of having knowledge of history.
Listen to Dr. Champagne’s recent interview on WUWF, as she explains the Labyrinth experience on wuwf.org.
Come, walk and experience the powerful healing of the labyrinth October 22-24 in the UWF Commons. On October 22-23 the Labyrinth will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, the 24th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
