What could one mean by walking the labyrinth with animals? Good question. I had not even heard about it until I started reading “The Way of Labyrinth: A Powerful Meditation for Everyday Life” by Helen Curry. This statement caught my attention,
“Horses have been observed walking a labyrinth on their own when one is left in the field.”
That intrigued me. Could labyrinths be used by animals? I know that there is not much differences between us and animals, and that I feel what may be of good to us may be beneficial for the animals. I did more search for labyrinths and animals, and I found this newsletter printed by ‘The Spirit of Veriditas: Voices from the Labyrinth’, Spring 2009, focusing on animals and labyrinths.
The Founder of Veriditas, Lauren Artress reported being told by a women group in New Jersey of an experience with a deer. What happened is that they had a priest telling a myth of Diana (Roman Goddess of the hunt and wildlife) When they were preparing to create a labyrinth, they heard unusual noise in another area of the church. They went investigating and lo! They found a scared deer, that had wandered into the church and then walked across the wet painting of the labyrinth, leaving behind hooves printed upon the labyrinth. The women encouraged the deer to leave, and they decided to leave the footprints alone, to remind themselves, “things come to what we focus upon.”
There are articles about dogs and cats using the labyrinth, as well as photos of dogs, horses and birds walking the labyrinths.
Jonathan Rudinger, founder of Permassage training for canine bodywork, located in Ohio, observed as he encouraged owners to walk the labyrinths with their dogs,
“This labyrinth is very different. It celebrates two entities and two parts of our personality just like the two drops of water merging. Walking this pattern is about working together as one partnership.”
I wanted to experience that firsthand. Lola, the almost 1 years old Peke-pom mix was my first choice, since she is hyper. I figured it would be good for her to learn how to slow down with me. I took her to the labyrinth at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary today. She was very restless at the start of the labyrinth, that I picked her up and carried her all through the labyrinth- she was tense at the beginning. I observed that I felt she was heavy, and I realized- I’m learning a lesson myself…I had seen her as a burden, to clean up after and to discipline. I had lost the sight of what Lola was meant to be, a puppy, and that she is young; that it is not her ‘job’ to mess up my life. I chose to see it that way, and I acknowledged my wrong. As I carried her, I smelled her fur, hugged her and observed what she observed in my arms, the squirrel looking for nuts, a robin under the bushes and the swaying daffodils nearby. At the center, she was relaxed and I felt more lightened in spirit.
I chose to see her as a dog to be loved and eager to learn, not a human being in fur to scold or teach properly. She is a ripple in my life and that is what we need of each other; to love and accept.
She was ready to walk the labyrinth with me, and after a few encouragements and pets, she walked the labyrinth for the first time- she walked close and slowed down. At every corner to be turned, I’d bend down and scratch her head, “good girl!” It was cool to see Lola explore the labyrinth, the new spring flowers, the moss growing over the bricks; and to see the grace of us both walking the labyrinth.
Lola walked the path and I look forward to walk the labyrinth often with her!
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