Our Interfaith Labyrinth

The Community Interfaith Labyrinth, located on Northminster's north grounds, was dedicated in 2008 by the Troy Interfaith Group.  It is a symbol of the peace and harmony between various religious traditions in our community.  
​The Interfaith Labyrinth is open year-round for all to walk the path and meditate, pray, dream, find peace, or ponder.

Welcome

All are welcome to come and walk the labyrinth.

​The labyrinth is available any time. If you have a group, just call ahead to book a time to stay socially distant from others. 
No charge to walk the labyrinth, but donations for its upkeep are welcome.

A Labyrinth Is...

A pathway that may become a mirror for our own lives and metaphor for our spiritual journey.
 
A circle and a spiral, each a powerful and ancient symbol of unity, wholeness and transformation.
 
A tool of spiritual growth, healing and transformation of heart, body, mind and spirit. 

Listen to Your Body

Does it want to walk, dance, skip or run the labyrinth?  You may even want to sit quietly in a particular place for a time.
​

The Labyrinth Story

The labyrinth is one of the oldest tools for prayer and meditation known to humankind. Labyrinths are found in many spiritual traditions and cultures throughout the world. The ancients knew the circle to be a sacred symbol of harmony, wholeness, integrity and grace.
 
It has appeared in carvings and artwork of cultures separated by continents and millennia. The labyrinth has been used for over 5,000 years for prayer, ritual and personal spiritual growth. 
 
The Troy Interfaith Labyrinth is a Chartres pattern named after the labyrinth on the floor in the nave of Chartres Cathedral in France in the late 12th/early 13th century. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the practice of making a journey on foot to Jerusalem was no longer possible due to wars in the holy land. Labyrinths were built in cathedrals for the purpose of pilgrimage. Today labyrinths are being reclaimed world wide as a tool for growth and deepening on the spiritual journey.

For more information on labyrinths in spiritual practice, see also:
- Huffington Post - 9 Labyrinths for Restless Souls
- University of Edinburgh - Origins of Labyrinths

​One Suggested ​Way to Walk:

Going in—Releasing
Seek to quiet your mind, soul, heart and body.  This is a time of letting go, of releasing, of emptying, of cleansing. 
 
Arriving at the center—Receiving
Enter the center with an open heart and mind.  Come to this place of rest, prayer and reflection.  Sit, stand, lay down, stay a long while or a short while.  Seek illumination and inspiration at the center of the labyrinth, the center of ourselves, where we commune with God.
 
Going out—Returning
When you are ready, walk out the same path you walked in.  Carry your unique experience out into the world.  It may be a refreshed spirit, renewed vision, calm, peace, gratitude, understanding forgiveness…

This is the path that our brick-paved labyrinth follows.  

Unlike a maze that is designed to confuse you and is full of dead ends and obstacles to overcome, a labyrinth is designed for you to find your way with no wrong turns or dead ends. 

“Although the path remains unchanged,
no two experiences with a labyrinth
​are the same.”
- Jill Geoffrion 

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