Spring Gratitude Practice
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.”
Creating a Gratitude Practice with the Labyrinth
This Spring, I invite you to experience this simple practice as a way to offer gratitude for the small and the ordinary. Children will love it too. It might be fun to share this with your loved ones at the supper table or at bedtime.
This experience is meant to be grounding, centering, and insightful. It can take less than 5 minutes - depending on how long you spend walking the labyrinth.
Gratitude Walk with the Labyrinth
You might want to do this at the start or end of your day. There is no right way to walk a labyrinth. Here are just a few ideas for how to do it:
Gaze at the labyrinth in front of you. You may want to place your hands on it.
Take a breath in and exhale with a sigh. Do this a few times.
Reflect on the experiences of the day. What is one thing that you are grateful for? What is a seasonal sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch that has brought your pleasure?
Write the thing that you are grateful for in the labyrinth. Each time you do this, you will be adding to the labyrinth. The end result is a labyrinth infused with your gratitude.
Once you have added your words to the labyrinth, you can walk it.
Begin to focus on the entrance to the labyrinth. Place a finger from your non-dominant hand at the entrance of the labyrinth. Pause and take another breath.
Mindfully trace the pattern of the labyrinth, allowing yourself to wander into your inner world. Perhaps you may want to be aware of the words that you are tracing with your finger. All of the little things that you are grateful for. You may want to even name them out loud as you walk the labyrinth.
Follow the path of the labyrinth all the way to the center.
When you arrive at the center, rest here for several breaths.
Take time to pause and listen.
When you are ready, return by retracing the path back out from the center.
Pause when you reach the entrance and take another deep breath.
What’s a labyrinth?
Labyrinths are universal patterns, ancient symbols of wholeness that are found throughout the world. A labyrinth has only one path that leads from the outer edge into the center.
Labyrinths are used today as a walking meditation and as a tool for self-care, stress reduction, and relaxation. Unlike a maze, there are no tricks or dead ends or choices to make - just space to quiet the mind, connect with your body, and open yourself to the journey.
Finger labyrinths make labyrinth walking accessible no matter where you are.
To learn more about labyrinths, download my free guide.
