When Katie Bull was a busy new mom, adjusting to the joys and stresses of being a first-time parent, she would regularly pause the beautiful chaos to walk the winding path of a labyrinth while holding her son heart-to-heart in a baby carrier. It was a calming, bonding experience.
“It was a gentle, peaceful pace, and I just remember doing it again and again and again. That walking soothed him, just as a rocking chair might,” said Bull. Though others surrounded them on the path, it was their own unique experience, benefiting them both. Bull and her husband had become parents very suddenly, mere weeks after completing the steps for adopting a child.
“Walking the labyrinth definitely helped soothe my nerves [while] I was going through this major life change,” she recalled, explaining that the practice helped her process and cement the enormity of having “this teeny brand new baby … and honoring this life that we were given.”
For decades, Bull has been teaching people of all ages about the ancient contemplative practice of walking labyrinths, a globally known ritual dating back centuries. While a labyrinth can resemble a maze design on the ground, it has a single path, with no route choices or dead ends.
“It’s an ancient healing practice found all over our planet, in every culture,” said Bull, who has a master’s degree in social work and is an advanced Veriditas-certified labyrinth facilitator. She said labyrinths are used for prayer and meditation, to foster creativity or simply to “clear the mind.”
Labyrinths can be temporary, placed indoors or outdoors, with the path laid out using stones, rope or other everyday objects, or the design can be printed on a large portable canvas mat. Many are permanent, created using tiles, mosaics, concrete or paint. In the San Fernando Valley, there are several permanent labyrinth sites, including at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery, Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino and at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Woodland Hills.
Bull, who lives in Encino, leads group labyrinth walks across Los Angeles, including at Holy Spirit and Forest Lawn, which are two of her favorite places for her own spiritual walking.
Though there are several different types, classical labyrinths are the oldest and most widely used, typically featuring one continuous circular path that loops back and forth to create seven “circuits” before reaching the center.
After arriving at the center of the labyrinth, individuals then walk back out following the same trail to complete the “prayerful journey,” described Bull. Though there’s no specific faith or “dogma” associated with labyrinths, the practice is largely considered spiritual, and for believers, walking a labyrinth provides a “direct journey to God” or to their higher power, she explained.
“The practice touches upon the spiritual, it touches upon the historical, it touches upon the scientific,” continued Bull. “The more we walk, the more it can balance the brain. Walking through the different quadrants of the labyrinth, you’re engaging both sides of the brain.”
A labyrinth turns a simple walk into an inner journey, she added, describing it as a “moving meditation” for people who can’t or prefer not to sit still to meditate in the traditional way. And while the body is occupied walking a repetitive path, it can be easier for many people to focus, pray or reflect on whatever is important to them at that particular moment, according to Bull.
“It’s using the whole body [as a] form of meditation,” she said. “Once the mind quiets, creative thinking and ideas can often emerge – project themes, thesis ideas or solutions to problems.”
There are five Rs of walking labyrinths, said Bull. The first R is for the reason: Before starting, the walker identifies why they will walk (such as anxiety about an exam or a loved one’s recent death). The next R is release: As they begin, they release emotional clutter, such as sadness or worry, to help quiet their mind. The third R is for receive: In the center of the labyrinth, the walker opens up to listen for insights, ideas, answers or to simply feel quietly at peace.
The fourth R is for return: As they start the return path, they carry what they received with them, such as comfort or clarity. And the final R is for reflect: After exiting the labyrinth, the walker reflects on the experience, either quietly or by sharing the experience with fellow walkers.
For Bull, walking labyrinths has provided solace, mental clarity and emotional healing at various points in her life, including following the death of her mother.
“When my mother died, as part of my process, a couple of us went to a labyrinth after the funeral,” said Bull. As they walked, a little girl who was walking nearby with a different group of people suddenly called out to another child, who happened to have her mother’s name: Aggie.
It was a meaningful moment for her, as Bull walked along the labyrinth, “honoring my mom.”
To find local labyrinth locations, go to www.labyrinthlocator.org.
The Holy Spirit Retreat Center at 4316 Lanai Rd. in Encino will host a free Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk on Sunday, June 21, at 7 p.m. For more information, call (818) 815-4480.