Celebrate spring equinox with labyrinth walk

There are many things, I will call them circumstances, that keep us feeling, perhaps believing, that we are separate and very different from our fellow man. Some would point out the "generation gap," emphasizing age as a factor that makes us so different from other human beings.

For example, those that are so much younger than us, don't they just seem, well ... so darn young?! Then, there are those who would point out the color of skin, and isolate themselves away from those of a different race.

Would you talk to a homeless person, or judge their circumstances as too different from yours? At work, do you feel it is only worthwhile to converse with those who can help you get ahead? 

I can think of one word that will bring us all together in a common bond: spring! Even though it hasn't been our roughest winter, very few among us can say we are not looking forward to spring. Nature goes through an astounding growth process, only in spring, that mankind can take a lesson from. 

Come refresh and release, on Tuesday, March 20, 6:30-7 p.m., and celebrate this season outdoors with a Spring Equinox Labyrinth Walk at Unity Spiritual Center Westlake. This 90-foot in diameter labyrinth, the largest one in Ohio, is a replica of the world famous labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.

Labyrinths and their patterns can be found across many cultures, going as far back as 4,000 years. You can follow the three "R's" when walking the labyrinth: release on the way in, receive in the center, then return back into the world carrying close to your heart that which you have received. Adding a fourth "R," think rebirth.

There are many benefits to walking labyrinths, which are considered a walking meditation. Some benefits others have experienced walking a labyrinth – it allows you to clear your mind, enables you to tune into the rhythms of Mother Earth, boosts your creativity, helps build a stronger sense of self-identity, and builds an experience of greater peace. Not bad for a spin around a spiral. 

Unity hosts quarterly community labyrinth walks corresponding to the equinoxes and the solstices. All are welcome. Indoor and outdoor labyrinths are available. The outdoor labyrinth requires dressing right for the weather.

Unity of Westlake is located at 23855 Detroit Road; the outdoor labyrinth is behind the main building. For more information, call 440-835-0400. 

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” – Rainer Maria Rilke