For over 4,000 years, people from all cultures around the globe have walked various forms of labyrinths to deepen their connection to the quiet.
HospiceCare’s permanent, outdoor, rock Labyrinth gives everyone in our community the chance to do the same.
Located at 2593 Park Lane in Lafayette, just around the corner from our office on Trailridge Drive East, the HospiceCare Labyrinth is a single, intricate and continuous path that takes walkers to its center and back out by the same route. It is a place where anyone in our community can walk in peace and contemplation — whether they’re bereaved or simply having a hectic day.
Not to be mistaken for a puzzle or a maze, a labyrinth is a single, continuous path that takes walkers to its center and back out by the same route. When a walker chooses to enter the labyrinth, this path becomes a metaphor for the journey through life.
Though some believe that the labyrinth evolved out of the spiral figure found in nature, the origin of its design remains a mystery. We do know, however, that the earliest forms of labyrinths found date back to 18,000 to 15,000 BC in the Ukraine. Labyrinths have also been found in Peru, India, Iceland, Scandinavia, the British Isles, Mexico and the Southwestern United States. The Jewish Kabbala, the Hopi Medicine Wheel, and the Tibetan Sand Mandala are all examples of labyrinths.
There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. There is only one path to the center and the same path out. Walkers may embark on the labyrinth as a meditation, a prayer, or simply as a way to experience something new. It’s fine to pause anywhere along the path, and sit or stand in the center for as long as desired. The only guideline for walking a labyrinth is to be open to whatever happens there.
For more information about the HospiceCare Labyrinth call 303.604.5300.
