Concord University is dedicated to improving the lives of our students and communities through innovative teaching and learning, intellectual and creative activities, and community service and civic engagement. A foundational part of this mission is creating and sustaining opportunities for self-care and renewal.  To that end, the Campus Mental Health Committee has explored ideas for creating an outdoor space for meditation.  The campus beautiful provides unique opportunities for such experiences amidst our lush, scenic environment.  Labyrinths provide a unique, innovative structure to facilitate the practice of reflection and meditation.  When the campus and community interact with the labyrinth, they are invited to reflect through walking meditation.

Location

The Labyrinth is located on top of the Fine Arts building. The campus and surrounding community members can access the Labyrinth by the stairs or elevator located inside the Fine Arts building.

History

Labyrinths are ancient patterns that can be found all over the world (Algeo, 2001). The Labyrinth Society explains that labyrinths are an ancient archetype dating back 4,000 years or more; it is used symbolically as a walking meditation, choreographed dance, or site of rituals and ceremony, among other things (2023). Labyrinths are unicursal, circular patterns with one spiral path to the center, unlike a maze with many false starts and dead ends within (Bigar, 2009). Labyrinths are distinct from the maze as they typically have a single path to the center, whereas a maze can have many, but the terms are often interchangeable (Mark, 2018). The Labyrinth Resource Group states that labyrinths are often used as a place to do walking meditation (2019). Labyrinths can be found in many settings today, places of worship, hospitals, long-term care facilities, parks, and even on college campuses (Heard et al., 2015). Labyrinths provide a space to contemplate, confront challenges, meditate, pray, and find serenity by integrating the body-mind (Renye, 2020). Labyrinths range from simple to complex, and their sizes vary, and there is no set time for how long it will take for one to complete as each is unique (Bumgardner, 2022).

Directions on How to Use the Labyrinth

To use the Labyrinth, you will start at the beginning and follow the path to the center. You must walk the path quietly to allow yourself and others to meditate. When passing another person in the Labyrinth, you should move over to allow passage but not stop and talk. Once you make it to the Labyrinth’s center, you can stand for as long as you like before following the path to the beginning of the Labyrinth.

Labyrinth Survey

At the end of your journey in the Labyrinth, we invite you to complete a quick survey. This survey will help us to understand how the Labyrinth is helping students and mental health practices on campus. There will be a QR Code located at the beginning of the Labyrinth.