Labyrinths are an ancient practice of linking our external world to our interior one in a meditative or prayerful journey. We walk in looping, concentric circles until we reach the center, or the heart, and in returning to the outer world, we bring back with us our insights or connections discovered along the way. Unlike mazes, where we make wrong turns and get lost, labyrinths are a continuous journey in which our only commitment is to take the next step.
If you don’t have a way to walk a labyrinth right now, finger labyrinths can be an immediate and accessible way to also connect to that meditative experience. Whether at home, in a hospital, or nursing home, finger labyrinths can be found in both printable and wooden versions. If you do not have the use of both hands, you can visually track a labyrinth.
But if you don’t have access to a walking labyrinth or finger labyrinth, we recommend a readily available adaptation: a “spiral hand” meditation. This is a practice that you can take with you into your day to help ground in the moment.
Before You Begin
Our bodies often hold scars, injury, and pain, and touching them can hurt. Only you know what feels possible today. Make this practice your own. Use a lighter touch, skip places that need rest, or step out of the practice whenever you need to. You can always return when you feel more supported.
The Practice
Find a starting place. Is there a place that feels like a natural entry point on your hand? If you do not have use of both hands, you can choose another place, like your thigh or forearm, within easy reach of your body to visualize the spiral.
Take a few deep breaths. Arrive with an awareness of your breath and any intention that you want to take with you. What decision is weighing you down right now? Is there a question you are carrying? Do you have a prayer or a hope that you are holding in your heart? Or do you need to quiet the demands of the external world to be able to hear your own voice? Silently or out loud, speak your question or hope or prayer.
Begin the spiral and notice what you find. Slowly trace with your finger the outside lines of a spiral. As you move from outside the spiral towards the center, notice the textures in your own skin: places that feel soft or dry, wrinkly or hairy, cool or warm, bumpy or smooth. Observe the variations in color and tone. Do you sense a breeze against your skin or the touch of fabric? As you spend time with the unique terrain of your own body, your mind might get noisy with judgment or distraction. Consider those thoughts as co-travelers crossing paths with you. When they travel into your awareness, take deep breaths and return to your original intention or prayer, focusing on the “next step” by continuing forward in this labyrinth, letting thoughts pass on by.
Rest at the center. When you reach the middle, you will have arrived at the heart of the labyrinth. This is a place to rest, breathe, and reflect. What did you notice? What words or images arose for you that feel vivid or special? Did you feel as if you made space for your own inner world and were able to rest in it for a moment? You may have not received clear instructions or answers to your original question or prayer, but may have discovered or felt something else. Perhaps, similar to a map in a mall or school campus, your finger simply pointed you to the clearest statement possible: “You are here.” Allow yourself to rest here.
Begin the return. When you are ready, begin your return back to the starting point on your body. Do not get attached to the literal lines of the spiral as you retrace your “steps” around the labyrinth, continuing to proceed as slowly and thoughtfully as you did while entering it. Can you observe a difference or a shift in your felt sense of the moment? There is no right or wrong answer here.
Close with gratitude. When you return to the starting point, let your finger rest there for a minute before disengaging from the practice. Take a few more deep breaths, repeat or claim any word or image that you want to carry forward with you, and offer a gesture of gratitude to your own body for carrying you through this practice, this day, this life.
