The Labyrinth as a Meditative Tool

"Finger Labyrinth"

There are many types of moving meditation. Walking, Jogging, Tai Chi, Qi gong, and Yoga are several popular methods. One of the oldest methods of meditative self-development that is often overlooked is walking a Labyrinth. A labyrinth is different from a maze. A maze is designed to get you lost with twists and turns that take you to dead ends, etc. A labyrinth is designed to always take you to the center. Once entering a labyrinth, you find that you take many turns left and right, right and left, however, following the path will ultimately take you into the center. The process of walking the labyrinth can be compared to achieving success in life: Choose to walk the path. Walk the path. You course will take you in many directions, but if you stay on the path, you will eventually reach your goal.

Labyrinths are found in every culture in all parts of the world. Labyrinths are one of the hidden mysteries that are right in front of us, begging us to partake and explore, but few do. Typically, labyrinths are outside in nature, which is relaxing to the mind in itself. One of the most famous of an internal labyrinth is at Chartres Cathedral near Paris, France. The labyrinth at Chartres was built around 1200 and is laid into the floor.

There is no right way to walk a labyrinth. You only have to enter and follow the path.

I often use a labyrinth walk as a walking meditation. Pay attention to your experience as your walk can encompass a variety of emotions, attitudes or feelings. Just be open and trust the universe. You may find, as I have, that walking a labyrinth can provide an excellent meditative practice.

The attached video was taken at a labyrinth located at Richland College in Dallas, TX. It is difficult to capture it via photos or video while on the ground, however, there is a "Finger Labyrinth" located next to the actual labyrinth visually showing what type of labyrinth you are walking. The finger labyrinth photo appears on top of the post.

Video of Richland College Labyrinth

Kill Stress Before It Kills You

A new terror alert, a higher cost of living, a polluted environment, this morning’s traffic jam, this afternoon’s bout with the boss, and this evenings "discussions" with the spouse. Does this sound like a typical day? Just thinking about it can start the blood boiling. It's apparent that stress has become part of our lives and that we have little control over the majority of the situations that produce stress.

There are many negative effects of stress on the human body. High blood pressure, strokes, migraines, backaches, asthma, constipation, ulcers, menstrual pain and even Cancer are some of the known effects of continued stress. The stress process weakens the immune system which can then act as a domino effect. How many times have you felt "flustered" and lost the ability to reason while in a stressful situation. Let's look at what happens to the body and mind while under stress.

An unpleasant situation occurs; the brain activates the Pituitary gland which releases the ACTH hormone into the bloodstream. This hormone then goes to the Adrenal glands causing them to secrete various steroids into the bloodstream. Blood is diverted from our internal organs to our skeletal muscles causing a raise in blood pressure and an increase of the heart rate, breathing, and oxygen consumption. All of this and more occurs in a split second. It now becomes easier to understand why confusion or "flustering" occurs during a stressful situation.

These hormonal effects are actually a survival method that has been termed "Fight or Flight". Thousands of years ago when Prehistoric man roamed the Earth, stress was a method of survival. Being approached by a hungry Saber Toothed Tiger would have been one of the few stressful situations of the day. Realizing that this beast was sizing him up for a meal, his built in survival method would instantly initiate. Blood would be pulled from his internal organs to his skeletal system and his Adrenalin would "kick in" giving him the ability for a fight or a quick flight, (probably the latter). This effect on the body was immediate and temporary allowing him to escape, sometimes.

In the last 50 -80 years, however, Fight or Flight has turned corporate, so to speak. The Fight or Flight stress response has preserved the Human Race in terms of survival. The problem is that in today’s society, stress is almost a continuous process. A continued stress process means a continued hormonal secretion along with a steady steroid production. As stated previously, this process breaks down the immune system which of course means an increased probability of sickness.

Normally we can't change stressful situations, so how do we control stress in our lives? The first step is to realize that it is not the situation which produces stress, but our reaction to the situation. Change the reaction to a stressful situation and you change the level of stress. Relaxation of the mind is the key to controlling ones reaction and thereby reducing the toll of stress. Relaxing the mind can be achieved in a number of ways. Have you ever noticed that during a stressful situation that it is common to sigh? That is a subconscious mechanism that increases the oxygen flow in the blood to the brain. Take advantage of this consciously. The next time you feel stressed. Take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly as you can out of your mouth. The increased flow of blood and oxygen to your brain will allow you to think more dearly.

A regular exercise program increases the body's ability to ward off the effects of stress and is highly recommended by many health professionals. If you can remove yourself from the stressful situation, even for a few moments, and then return, you would have an opportunity to clear your mind and consider the options.
Experiencing nature is a wonderful way to rid stress anytime. Get outside and walk a trail, feel the sunshine and breeze, or watch the sunset. Walk a Labyrinth or do some Tai Chi, Yoga or other breathing exercises. It does not cost anything and it only takes a few minutes before one starts to feel that there are greater energies at work in this universe. What happened earlier in the office then becomes a little less powerful on our system. Find a relaxation technique that interests you and practice it daily.

Realize now that you are not a victim of circumstance but have the ability to control stress in your life. Make the effort to establish a mental relaxation technique and you will see definite positive results in your mental, physical, and emotional performance.

The Technology of Meditation

I am a huge proponent of technology, perhaps even a bit of a techno-addict, especially fascinated with what is new to the personal growth marketplace. More and more we acknowledge the benefits of managing stress. I’m sure some of the tech-savvy readers think, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to simply flip a switch and be able to relax? Today, there are technologies available that can help to relax the mind, enhance memory, and even increase performance. Before we discuss them, however, let us first discuss frequencies, specifically frequencies of mind and levels of consciousness.

When two people are conversing, we can assume that they are operating at a conscious or Beta level. If we were to measure their brainwave patterns, it would probably be in the area of at least 21 cycles per second, or cps. As we go to sleep at night an interesting thing happens, in that our brainwave activity of cycles per second starts to naturally drop. We enter the Alpha state of consciousness at around 14 cps, drift into Theta consciousness at around 7 cps and continue into unconsciousness, or Delta, at around 3 cps. We reverse the process when we awaken going up from unconsciousness to conscious or from 3 cps to over 21 cps. Some people have referred to the states between conscious and unconscious as “Altered States”, however, they are really naturally occurring states of consciousness experienced by everyone, everyday of their lives. The trick is to remain at a particular brainwave pattern, say Alpha, for a period of time, in order to realize the benefits produced by that level of consciousness. Some of these benefits include: Increased relaxation and reduction of tension, improved memory and concentration, improved reflexes and performance, slowing the aging process, increased efficiency, elimination of selling slumps, and an overall improved quality of life.

There are actually more benefits than there is space on this page to print them, so we’ll stop here. There are many effective methodologies, which allow one to zero in on the Alpha level. Some of these methods include Meditation, Massage, Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and even Prayer.

Biofeedback has been around for over 30 years and I consider it one of the first mass-personal development technologies available on the market. Older technologies for personal development include the rattle, drum and bell, and can be found at Shamans Are Us… Biofeedback machines use electrodes, which are attached to the skin where they measure conductivity. Conductivity of the skin changes with tension and relaxation and one can see their own responses change the level in a gauge or listen to them alter through an audible device. The main goal is to increase self-awareness of tension and relaxation. In order to change a behavior, one has to be aware of it, which is the basis of Biofeedback. Today, we have a variety of sound and light machines also known as “Mind Machines”. A Mind Machine is a microprocessor-controlled portable device designed to create relaxation or other mood changing effects through the use of sound and light stimulation. The user selects a pre-programmed session, puts on headphones and stimulation glasses, and sits back and enjoys the mental ride. Mind machines can be for relaxation, stimulation, meditation, exploration, or simply for fun. Some light and sound machines produce an interesting phenomenon called Binaural Signal Generation. The premise is that if a sound frequency is introduced into one ear and an alternate sound frequency is introduced into the other ear, the brainwave pattern will entrain itself to the difference between the two frequencies. This technology has been introduced into several models of mind machines to enhance their ability to alter brain wave activity. Most of the mind machines designed for personal use are very portable, about the size of a portable Compact Disc player. They easily fit into a road warrior’s overnight bag or in the top desk drawer of an executive or cube farm detainee. Once while I was working with a particular project team, I set up a mind machine at an empty cubicle and made it available for team members to take 10 minute “Mind Tuning / Mini Vacation” sessions throughout the day. It was a simple and yet effective way for people to quickly recharge their batteries and a good excuse to avoid the coffee and candy machines during breaks. Light and Sound machines are being used as tools by many professional therapists, however, manufacturers note that these machines are not medical devices and should not be used for the relief of any medical condition and they are not intended as a replacement for medical or psychological treatment. I consider them tools for relaxation and exploration and have been experimenting with various models since 1989.

I am happy to say that technological advances have allowed for even more affordability and portability using your cellular phone as your own personal mind machine. Simply closing your eyes can begin the process of lowering brainwave patterns and then adding binaural sounds via headphones or isochronic tones via speakers will help drive brain wave patterns into the lower, beneficial levels of consciousness. Http://www.mobilemeditation.com provides audio files that you can download onto your desktop computer and/or onto your cellular phone. As they are MP3 files, they simply play with your device's music player. This is exciting as everyone has their cellular with them at all times, making it the perfect place to store these brainwave altering MP3 files. Of course, you could put them on an IPod or other MP3 player or simply download them onto your computer as well. Imagine having digital files with you that you can use when you want to relax, reduce stress, enhance creativity or learning, or simply recharge your energy.

Maybe one day we will be able to retire the physical road warrior status and simply send our consciousness on the journey instead. Imagine the cost savings… Who knows, perhaps mind machines are a preview and a genesis of our next technological leap forward, but for now, it is fun to simply press a button on the mobile phone and relax anytime the need presents itself.