09/25/2023
Untangling the Maze in our Mind
by Tara Bennett-Goleman
In a small town in the Berkshire Mountains I came across a large field surrounded be woods that holds a meticulously designed labyrinth - a smaller version of the famous one at Chartes Cathedral. This maze of stone walkways adorned with floral plantings invites you to embark on a mini-pilgrimage, a timeless, leisurely stroll. Near the entrance a plaque encourages you to leave your thoughts behind as you enter, and be open to what you experience as you meander its turns and twists.
At the entrance itself you walk under an arbor gateway. As I walked toward that arbor I recalled the tori gates – gracefully curvd archways you pass through to enter a Japanese temple or tea garden. They stand a symbolic reminders of leaving the ordinary and stepping into the extraordinary. “Great,” I thought. “This is a helpful reminder to bring to any moment. I’ll give it a try,” and stepped under the labyrinth’s gateway, resolving to leave behind my interpretive thoughts or any judgments about the experience I was about to set foot on…or so I thought.
I stepped into the mysterious path to unfamiliar territory with an open mind, and marveled at the beauty of the cascading plantings that adorned carefully placed stones aligning the pathway, delighting in this experience. But then my gaze strayed further ahead down the path, which wound around and about in a confusing maze. As I did, the thought occurred to me, “I feel a bit trapped in this lovely maze.” I couldn’t help but wonder what was ahead and how long it would take me to wind through this matrix. No wonder. A labyrinth’s very design triggers that wonderment, taking you to and fro, so you walk long ways without seeming to get any closer to the goal. Just to walk one creates a journey that, like life itself, takes you here and there on your way to awakening.
My thoughts wandered back to the plaque at the entrance with its reminder to leave your thoughts behind and be open to this experience. My likes and dislikes settled into the dust beneath my feet as I found myself being mindfully present while walking – without hurrying to some desitination – and relaxed into the bare sense of gliding through the maze, appreciating it just as it was. Thoughts and feelings came and went, and the labyrinth gently unfolded before me.
The late afternoon sun played on the massive oaks surrounding the ancient pathway, as the soft light of dusk softly illumines the space between the branches, dappling the stone walkway, softening the edges of my attitudes, inviting me into the present. With nowhere to go, no one to be, untangled from the mazes of mind that construct labyrinths within, I felt freed.
Our thoughts can be a mere passing show in the mind, or become the core beliefs that solidify into our negative habits, claustrophobic inner spaces that hold us tight simply because we fail to see any way out. As Bob Marley sings in his song Redemption, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/ none but ourselves can free our mind.”
Come join us as we explore the mental habits that so often construct our inner labyrinths, on our own path to greater emotional freedom, and a more genuine connection within ourselves and in relationships of all kinds.
Click below to register:
Author William Green speaks with Tony Robbins, the world’s leading life and business strategist. A legendary expert on peak performance, Tony has coached billionaire investors like Paul Tudor Jones, famous entrepreneurs like Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, and athletes like Serena Williams.
