Identifying a connection between a labyrinth and the modern workplace culture is no stretch. That many of us spend our productive years trying to find our way—professionally to say nothing of personally—is a matter of simple fact.
Less obvious are the benefits to be drawn from applying the labyrinthine model to an initiative of on-the-job betterment. Who knew this ancient, tangled pathway would have a role to play in unraveling our sense of corporate purpose?
Some of the more enlightened among us did, as it turns out.
A swell of consulting firms is increasingly employing the labyrinth in team- and spirit-building exercises for corporate clients who have lost sight of the path.
Labyrinths are primitive motifs found in cultures the world over. Offering a single way in, and a single way out, they’re designed through systematic geometry with circuits, or petals, that lead to their centres: the rose. In theory, the labyrinth is capable of setting the mind free by inviting its walkers to follow a certain path to the middle. Strolling among the twists and turns, one loses track of both direction and the outside world, and thus quiets his mind. Labyrinths are thought to enhance right brain activity.
For thousands of years, labyrinth enthusiasts have found spiritual enlightenment through the act of traveling the winding pathways that lead to the centre. Prehistoric labyrinths are said to have served as traps for malevolent spirits. In Greek mythology, Daedalus built a labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to hold the Minotaur so cleverly that he could barely escape himself. In medieval times, the labyrinth symbolized a wending path to God. Many churches had labyrinths built in their courtyards, and encouraged devotees to walk them as a pilgrimage or for repentance.
Once inside its belly, labyrinth walkers are encouraged to pause, to meditate, to reflect, before turning around and taking the same road out. A labyrinth, say some, is a metaphor for our own life’s journey. The walls keep you on the path; the arrival at the middle symbolizes an achievement of a goal.
More recently, labyrinths have enjoyed a renaissance and “certified labyrinth facilitators” have emerged as the latest professional expert.
Along with individual self-discovery workshops, the labyrinth shows up in corporate team-building applications to relieve job-related stress, rejuvenate a tired workforce, encourage decision-making skills, inspire much-needed creativity and provide a means for restorative meditation. Hosting companies hold labyrinth challenges—where groups compete in teams to see who can overcome a series of obstacles within a set time limit, labyrinth walks, workshops, seminars and retreats for corporate clients.
Employees engage in labyrinth walks individually and in groups. They walk at their own pace, and can take the time they need to finish the route. Many people believe that, by walking into the network of winding alleys with a question, you will fasten on an answer by the time you reach the middle.
Find your quickest route to the middle with the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator, at www.labyrinthlocator.com.