Into the Circle
This past weekend, I went away with my bestie and her husband to Door County, Wisconsin for a long, overdue get-away. My friend and I had planned the weekend for months and had signed up for a “Cultivating Mindfulness” retreat.
The retreat was held at The Clearing; a beautiful location nestled between a forest of beautiful trees in all colors, shapes and sizes and the rocky shores of Ellison Bay. The sturdy and handsome stone and wood building housed the thirteen women that came together on a chilly fall day.
Part of the agenda included an outdoor hike through the woods to the labyrinth walk. For the last several years, I’d heard a lot about labyrinths, and had wanted to walk one; even though I didn’t know much about them. Early morning it was raining upon our arrival, but I was hopeful it would stop, in order to experience the outdoor hike and labyrinth walk.
Preparing for the hike, the facilitator explained we could enjoy each other’s company and surrounding nature on the way to the labyrinth, but had asked us to be silent through the circle and then continuing on the walk back.
Blessings fell and the rain cleared up shortly prior to the hike. The facilitator led twelve women into the woods, on a narrow, rocky, uneven trail that opened into a grassy meadow. To one side of the meadow was a star gazing circle and on the other side, the labyrinth.
A labyrinth is a single path leading to a center and used for a spiritual and meditative walk. We each entered the path with several seconds apart, slowly walking with an open heart. There may be a answer you seek or just prepare to receive any blessing or guidance. It was a humbling experience.
It usually takes ten to fifteen minutes to walk to the center circle. The path twists and turns throughout the journey, just as life does for each of us. At one point, I was looking down at the pebbles that were embedded in the dirt, and I randomly thought about the heart shaped rock collection at home and wondered if I would find one along my path. I don’t think it was even ten seconds before I looked down and there was a heart shaped rock waiting for me to gather it up and tuck it in my glove…..holy cow! Chills of excitement, then gratitude ran down my spine, and I knew that rock had been waiting for me.
Once everyone reached the circle, together without a word we felt each other’s energy for a few powerful moments, each one feeling and knowing their own heart. Then one by one we began the journey back out of the circle, on the same path that took us there.
The hike and labyrinth walk was a memorable experience as I felt the power of the earth under my feet and nature all around as the forest welcomed us back to where we started. Going into the circle with an open heart was exactly what I needed for my soul; I would guess the other women would echo my sentiment. How do you cultivate mindfulness?
xoxox…..Sheryl