A Journey To Self Discovery -- Lessons Of The Labyrinth | Kristin Keyes | TEDxCoeurdalene

How do you connect with yourself? I'm not talking about connecting with our ego, that part of us the Buddhists call the hungry ghost, voraciously ravenous and forever bellowing with need and greed. I'm talking about connecting with our innermost self, that part of us we sometimes call our soul. Psychologists believe that our ego can be that front we present to the world. See, no warts here, look how good, how perfect, how right I am. Our innermost self is always humble. It looks to include everything, the good and the bad, the light and the dark, the sinner and the saint, both of which are a part of me and really both of which are a part of everything. It's an approach to life that includes both and. Now mind you, we need our ego as we're growing up so that we can become that individual, distinct, unique self that we are. But as we mature into adulthood, if the ego remains in the driver's seat, our world can become one big narcissistic mess. And it's often at that point in our life when our ego is living large that we start to question things. Is this all there is to life? Isn't there something more? Some of us question that earlier in our life and others unfortunately never do. But since we're all here at this conference, I think it's safe to say we've jumped the fence onto the side of deeper inquiry and connection. And today I would like to introduce you to a tool that people are using to help them connect with themselves in a transformational way so that they can experience their life's journeys more fully. It was on my quest for something deeper that I was introduced to walking a labyrinth. Back when I lived in Philadelphia, a friend invited me to walk the canvas labyrinth that we had set up at the church I attended in the parish hall. Now the room was quite large and the labyrinth took up about a third to a half of the space. After a few brief instructions, she turned on some quiet meditative music and we began our journey. After that first walk, I was hooked. I had finally been able to intentionally quiet my mind and I had a brief but inviting encounter with something deeper inside of myself. Now I take every opportunity I can to journey to the center of a labyrinth and quiet my mind. Sometimes I just explore my sense of wonder, connect with myself, my curiosity, which really helps to fuel my creativity. I also find the labyrinth a safe place where I can connect with the divine, what I call my cuddle with God. It's hard to describe exactly what that feels like, but as I let go and really quiet my mind, I try very hard to turn off all thought. Not an easy thing. As I rest in that space, it is here, I can feel that connection with God. Of course, the mind is a wily thing and the moment I realize that I'm doing it, the moment's gone and my mind floods with my thoughts again. So what is this labyrinth? How do you walk it? How does it work? And how on earth do you know if something's happening? Let's start with what it is. The labyrinth is old. Labyrinths can be found as far back as 4,000 BCE. Throughout history, they have been found on the ground, on shards of pottery, petroglyphs, the entrances to doors, and the floors of buildings. Labyrinths are not religious, but they are used by most major world religions as a tool to connect with God and self. For example, the Christian tradition incorporated labyrinths more fully in about the 12th century. It was during the Crusades that it became unsafe to pilgrimage to Jerusalem, so the cathedrals in Europe began installing labyrinths on their floors. People would then travel to their cathedral and walk the labyrinth for their pilgrimage. The oldest and most famous of those still available to us today is the labyrinth found in the Chartres Cathedral in France. The labyrinth is also new. During the Reformation and Industrial Ages, the power of knowledge overcame the mystical, and walking a labyrinth fell out of favor. Much of what was known about labyrinths was lost. The current revival we're experiencing here in the United States is due in large part to the efforts of the Reverend Dr. Lauren Artras. She's written many books on the labyrinth and is founder of an organization called Veritas, which is an organization dedicated to the labyrinth experience. I took my labyrinth facilitator training from Lauren at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Now you can find labyrinths in churches, hospitals, prisons, parks, colleges, schools, universities, people's backyards, and more. Labyrinths are different sizes and different shapes. I'm showing here two of the most common shapes, the classical labyrinth, which is considered to be the oldest, and the Chartres-style labyrinth, so named because it is the labyrinth you find in the Chartres Cathedral. They can be made from different materials, rocks that are laid out on the ground or on grass, patio pavers, bricks, concrete, tile, and even plant materials. Now it's important to note that a labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is a puzzle to be solved. The design of a maze is to confuse you and to get you lost. A labyrinth, on the other hand, is designed to provide clarity and to help you find your way. Why are people attracted to the labyrinth? Because it guides healing, it deepens self-knowledge, and it empowers creativity. Those who struggle with sitting meditation find the labyrinth particularly effective as their body is occupied following that shore path in and back out again. They can quiet their mind and become open to what is. There are many different ways that people approach a labyrinth to help them in their life's journeys. I've used it many times just to calm my monkey mind. When I'm feeling stressed or particularly stuck, I walk the labyrinth with the intention of soothing the rest of my day. I've walked it for imagination, creativity, and idea generation. And as a marketing professional, I find those inspirational aspects of the labyrinth particularly appealing when I'm trying to develop a new advertising or promotional campaign. Another very interesting aspect of the transformational power of the labyrinth is how it is being used to complement healing and healthcare. Patients and families walk the labyrinth to reinforce their intentions of healing. Doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers walk the labyrinth to relieve stress or perhaps to find clarity before surgery or talking to those patients and families. For those who are grieving or in deep sorrow, the labyrinth provides solace and peace. The labyrinth experience is different for every person because we all bring different raw materials with us into the labyrinth. We bring our unique hopes, our dreams, our histories, and the longings of our soul. So how does a labyrinth work? A labyrinth is unicursal, which means that it is composed entirely of a single continuous line or path. It is a shape that we find abundantly in nature. Psychologists believe this circular design symbolizes change, movement, and growth. Think of a flower petal, a nautilus shell, your brain, a peacock with its feathers fully extended, a hurricane, the solar system. From small to large, it is an archetype that transcends. The labyrinth allows for a sacred space. It is a place where two worlds flow together, the visible world can meet the invisible, the finite world, the infinite. It is often referred to as a metaphor for life's journey. It restores our equilibrium and balance and helps us reconnect our mind, our body, and our spirit. The layout and design provides a flow that allows walkers to have a solid and integrative experience. The path to the center winds in a clockwise fashion, which quiets and soothes the mind. The path back out unwinds counterclockwise, empowering and integrating the walk experience. So how do you walk a labyrinth? I happen to have one here. When you first look at a labyrinth, it can be very confusing. Where do you start? How do you follow the path? And what happens if you meet someone on the path? The outer circle always has an opening, and this is where you start. You simply follow the path, going at your own pace. Sometimes that path takes you closer to the center. Sometimes it leads you further out. Sometimes the path is short between turns. Other times it is long before you meet the next curve. As I said, a labyrinth is not a maze. There's no guessing where to go or where to turn. There's a clear path that leads you into the center. It is the same path used to walk back out. Now, most labyrinth walks can be divided into four stages. Before I even step onto the labyrinth, I often take a moment to set an intention, and that intention can be anything I want or need at that particular moment in my life. As I walk the path, I let go of the outer world, my cares and concerns. I quiet my mind. As I reach the center, I stay as long as I like. I use that time to receive whatever is. Sometimes I stand. Sometimes I move between the pedals. Sometimes I've sat down. I've even seen people lie down in the middle of the labyrinth. When I'm finished, I simply follow the same path back out. And here I am reintegrating, returning to my world. If I meet someone, I simply walk around them and continue on my journey. When my walk is over, I try to take just a minute or two to reflect on the experience. Did I think of something new while I was walking? Do I feel differently than when I did when I started? So how do you know something happens on the labyrinth? Or better yet, what happens if it feels like nothing's happening on the labyrinth? Something always happens when you do a labyrinth walk. Some people might have that aha moment when they're in the center or when they reflect after coming off. It may be a little later that they realize something has happened. And it can be over time that they recognize things have changed for the better. Let me share with you just a few of the lessons I've learned from walking a labyrinth. Walking the labyrinth helps me to ground myself. I really feel like I can manage the stresses in my life better and more authentically. Over time, walking a labyrinth has helped me learn how to love me for who I am. All of those warts and all the glorious parts of me. As I've come to love me, I can in turn love those around me. Walking a labyrinth has helped me realize that we really are connected in some fashion. And I'm learning how to allow others to be who they are rather than who I might prefer them to be. I've had my share of aha moments as well. I remember back when I was living in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to attend a women's weekend retreat. It was a particularly low point in my life and I was feeling very alone. A labyrinth had been set up in one of the rooms of the conference center. It was a cold, stormy, cloudy day. The room had lots of skylights in it, so it was bright but not overly lit. As I was standing in the center trying not to feel sorry for myself and trying to be open to whatever is, the clouds parted and sunlight flooded the room, wrapping me in warmth. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was giving me a huge hug and that he was telling me he was with me and that he loves me and that I was not alone. In our chaotic and sometimes hectic lives, what a blessing it can be to take the time to connect with our innermost selves, to become friends with that beautiful person each one of us is. Some people are so distracted by too many things making it difficult to find time or the space to reflect. Others might be just a little afraid to take that first step into deeper inquiry and connecting with themselves. For many, the simple act of walking a labyrinth and meandering its many turns provides that quiet space they need to consider the questions and opportunities they may be facing. I invite you on a journey of self-discovery and to explore the lessons the labyrinth may open for you. Thank you.