What is a Labyrinth? Labyrinths and mazes
are not the same. “Mazes can have more than one entrance, numerous choices of
path and direction and cul-de-sacs. They are designed to pose some difficulty
in finding ones way in, or out of them. The walls are usually high enough to
block one from seeing the way out. Mazes are essentially a game and a test of
skill. Labyrinths: Unlike the
maze the labyrinth, sometimes called a “prayer/meditation walk” is not designed
to be difficult to navigate. It has only a single winding path which leads to
the center and out again through a number of twists and turns, with no
diverging paths or dead-ends along the way. A "circuit" describes the
number of times the path circles around the center of the labyrinth. The Cretan
or Classical 7-circuit labyrinth pattern is the oldest and most used of all
labyrinth designs. It consists of a single path winding back and forth in a
series of seven concentric rings, all the while leading to a center point. Why a Labyrinth? Help us make the
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Labyrinth a reality. Nearly half of the
amount needed to purchase materials and install the Labyrinth has been raised. Please make checks
payable to: Please mail check to:
Research conducted at the Harvard Medical School’s Mind/Body Medical Institute
by Dr. Herbert Benson has found that focused walking meditations are highly
efficient at reducing anxiety and eliciting what Dr. Benson calls the
‘relaxation response’. This effect has significant long-term health benefits,
including lower blood pressure and breathing rates, reduced incidents of
chronic pain, reduction of insomnia, improved fertility, and many other
benefits. Regular meditative practice leads to greater powers of concentration
and a sense of control and efficiency in one's life. Labyrinth walking is among
the simplest forms of focused walking meditation, and the demonstrated health
benefits have led hundreds of hospitals, health care facilities, and spas to
install labyrinths in recent years. - The Labyrinth Societ
Won't your please consider a donation large or small?
You can purchase a 4”
by 8” brick in beige or gray color.
UMDF Labyrinth
University of Massachusetts Labyrinth Project
c/o The Center fo Religious
and Spiritual Life
Room 202, Campus Center
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, Ma 02747