Walking the Labyrinth is an ancient spiritual act that is being rediscovered during our time. Labyrinths can be found in almost every religious tradition around the world.
The Kabbala, or Tree of Life based on the number eleven found in the Jewish mystical tradition. The Hopi Medicine wheel based on the number four. The Cretan labyrinth on the island of Crete, has seven rings and is four to five thousand years old. The Tibetan sand paintings are mandalas created through a meditative state.
At Les Costes is found the eleven-circuit labyrinth. The most well known example of this type of labyrinth is embedded in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. The difference between a labyrinth and a maze can cause confusion. A maze has many entrances and dead-ends and cul-de-sacs which frequently confound the human mind. Labyrinths offer only one path. They are a tool for meditation. By following the one path to the centre, the seeker can use the labyrinth to quiet the mind and find peace and illumination at the centre of his or her being. As soon as one enters the labyrinth, one realises that the path of the labyrinth serves a metaphor for one's spiritual journey. The labyrinth is a universal meditative tool. Anyone from any tradition or spiritual path can walk into the labyrinth and, reflecting in the present moment, can benefit from it. It appeals to children as well as adults. Labyrinths can be danced, or skipped (even crawled). The seeker is only asked to put one foot in front of the other.