A Path to Inner Peace

By Marilynn Jennings

 

Imagine yourself under the shade of a grand oak tree, listening to the soothing sound of Chico Creek, quietly and slowly walking a spiral path. With each step, a calmness settles within your body and clarity comes to your mind. You may have found a solution to a problem, restored your positive outlook on life, or thought of a wish for someone, the community, or the world.

This serene and beneficial place of healing is a vision the Chico Community Labyrinth Project has for our community. The Labyrinth Project has received approval from the City of Chico to build a 42-foot permanent public labyrinth at Children’s Park, near downtown. Our intention is to create a place of beauty, peace, and renewal in the midst of our daily lives by providing this contemplative space that will be open and available to all members of our community.

 

The labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness and combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a purposeful path. References to the labyrinth can be found in Mayan, Celtic, Greek, and American cultures. Some of the earliest forms date back as far as 3,500 years. Unlike a maze, labyrinths have a single path leading to the center and out again. This purposeful path is a metaphor of life’s journey, with its many turns reflecting change in direction and transitions.

 

Walking a labyrinth creates a focused walk that quiets the mind and opens the heart. Some of the many benefits of walking a labyrinth include stress reduction, grief support, team building, conflict resolution, and inner peace. Its use for healing, guidance, and renewal has led to its appearing in many communities as a focal point for celebrating events and tributes. In the Audubon Park in New Orleans, the town came together to dedicate a labyrinth after Hurricane Katrina devastated the community. Within the memorial garden at Boston University, a labyrinth was constructed in honor of the victims of September 11, 2001.

 

Hospices, medical facilities, and retreat centers often integrate a labyrinth into their programs as a way to support healing. Studies conducted at Harvard Medical School have shown that walking a labyrinth can lower blood pressure and reduce stress, chronic pain, and insomnia. Individuals often walk the labyrinth for guidance and visualizing positive healing outcomes. It also provides a sacred place for grieving and honoring loved ones.

 

In parks and playgrounds, the labyrinth offers an experiential activity for children and young adults. Teachers who have worked with labyrinths in elementary, middle, and high schools have reported a wide variety of positive emotional benefits, such as calming and reducing stress. It has also been found to promote cooperation and stimulate creativity.

 

The labyrinth at Children’s Park will be situated at the gateway to Chico, near the newly constructed Natural History Museum and the historic Bidwell Mansion, creating a corridor to downtown businesses. The labyrinth will become a community landmark and will be placed on the worldwide labyrinth locator, creating a tourist attraction. It will also serve as a platform for cultural events and offer a place for our community to come together for common causes and celebrations.

 

The labyrinth is scheduled to be built in the spring of 2010 in tandem with other improvements within Children’s Park. It will be constructed of high-quality concrete paving stones and installed by a professional labyrinth artist, ensuring generations of use. The estimated cost of $75,000 to build the labyrinth is being funded through collaborative community involvement. Many individuals, businesses, and organizations have stepped forward in support of the project with generous donations. One way to support the Labyrinth Project is by making a gift of a “donor recognition brick.” Groups or individuals can become a partner, visionary, or community donor by choosing a brick to be engraved with an inscription that will become a part of the labyrinth.

We hope you will share our vision and embrace this project by becoming involved in the creation of this valuable community landmark. Please hold a positive vision for our community to walk together in peace.

 

The Labyrinth Project is working under the auspices of the North Valley Community Foundation as a nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible. To find out more information about the project and local fund-raising events, visit online at http//:chicolabyrinth09.blogspot.com or call Marilynn Jennings at (530) 345-6087.