Unity's outdoor labyrinth free and open to public
At 90 feet in diameter, Unity Spiritual Center’s outdoor labyrinth is believed to be one of the largest in Ohio.
The labyrinth is located behind Unity Hall on the Unity Spiritual Center campus at 23855 Detroit Rd., one block west of Clague Rd. Unity welcomes people of all faiths who want to do a walking meditation at their convenience.
The labyrinth is not a maze. There are no tricks to it and no dead ends. It has a single circuitous path that winds into the center. The person walking it uses the same path to return and the entrance then becomes the exit. The path is in full view, which allows a person to be quiet and focus internally. Dr. Lauren Artress describes it as "a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit and a mirror for the soul" in her book, “Walking a Sacred Path.”
Generally, there are three stages to the walk: releasing on the way in, receiving in the center, and returning – that is, taking back out to the world that which you have received.
The labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in many cultures around the world. Labyrinth designs were found on pottery, tablets and tiles date back as far as 4,000 years. Many patterns are based on spirals from nature. In Native American culture, it is called the Medicine Wheel and Man in the Maze.
The Celts described it as the Never Ending Circle. It is also called the Kabbalah in mystical Judaism. One feature they all share is that they have one path that winds in a circuitous way to the center.
Labyrinths are currently being used worldwide as a way to quiet the mind, find balance and encourage meditation, insight, and celebration. They are open to all people as a non-denominational, cross-cultural tool of well-being. They can be found in medical centers, parks, churches, schools, prisons, memorial parks and retreat centers, as well as people’s backyards.
Unity’s labyrinth is based on the design of the world famous labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.
As warmer days come to Northeast Ohio, walking Unity’s labyrinth can bring exercise to the mind and soul as well as the body.