Four Steps for Experiencing the Kripalu Labyrinth

"Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention
Be astonished.
Tell about it.” 
—Mary Oliver

Labyrinths have been a part of many cultures and spiritual traditions for centuries. They can be used for walking meditations, as spiritual practices, or to calm the body and mind and enjoy quiet reflection. Tuning into the sound and rhythm of each foot touching the ground creates bilateral stimulation in the brain, balancing the left and right hemispheres and bringing equanimity to the energy body.

Perched on a rise, overlooking grassy hillsides and mountains in the distance, the Kripalu Labyrinth offers a beautiful, natural, and elemental experience to its visitors. Whether you are walking to release, receive, or return, this labyrinth opens itself to you. 

Here are a few tips to enhance your experience in elemental and energetic ways:

Go barefoot. Here’s a chance to kick off shoes (when the weather allows) and literally ground yourself into Mother Earth—Pachamama. Feeling actual dirt beneath your feet immediately connects you to place—and, even deeper, to the wisdom, energy, and power of earth energy. Welcome home to Pachamama. Root yourself in order to rise up; rooting your feet to the earth supports you to rise to the moment, the path, and the journey calling your name on the wind. 

Be wild and free. Shifting with the seasons, the weather, and the time of day, the raw, un-manicured energy of the Kripalu Labyrinth is a welcome invitation to tune in to your playful, wild-child self. The grasses, delphiniums, and wildflowers brush your legs as you pass by. The air swirls around you. The path might be wet with dew from the night, or warmed by the fire of the sun.

Take it in. Take a moment to pause in the center—or anywhere along the path. You might find yourself in Standing Mountain—feet grounded on the earth, palms open to receive, air energy swirling around you. Take a few deep, cleansing breaths. Establish your presence and connection with the elements of nature, with your breath, and with this very moment.

Recite a mantra. As you walk, repeat this mantra silently or out loud: With every step, with every breath, I am home. 

https://kripalu.org/resources/four-steps-experiencing-kripalu-labyrinth