Chalk labyrinth at where I work!

It had rained last night and the cement was damp at the Behavioral Health playground. That did not stop Jeremy K. and me from creating the chalk labyrinth we had planned for 3 weeks. The goal of making the labyrinth was to provide a therapeutic tool for the clients to explore to see whether it would benefit them. Staff and co-workers weren’t forgotten- they can use the labyrinth as well, for relaxation/de-stressing.


What is the word, “labyrinth?” According to the dictionary, labyrinths are places constructed with intricate passageways. The obvious difference between labyrinths and mazes is that mazes have dead ends and confusing passages, while one enters the labyrinth in one entrance and leave in the very same doorway. By walking the maze, one might experience confusion, frustration and anxiety, trouble trusting the surroundings, and the ultimate goal is to “Get out of this environment.” With the labyrinth, it is a safe environment, awakening the right side of the brain which leads to self exploration, finding the quiet in the mind, problem-solving and at least but important, meditation and relaxation skills.

Labyrinths had been used for children with ADHD, grief/loss groups, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, corporate teams for brainstorming, college students before final exams, recovering addicts from substance abuse, families with someone in the hospice/nursing homes, and individuals struggling with terminal diseases.


Labyrinths can be created with anything. Ropes, painting, grass, wildflowers, bricks, stones and spotlights have been used. Labyrinths can be permanent (stones or grass), or can be temporary (spotlights and chalk). One can even have a mobile labyrinth by using a canvas and bring it to workshops, clients at other locations when it is not possible for the clients to come to a permanent location. With all this knowledge I have, I decided that we will create a labyrinth at work. Using chalk to create the labyrinth is decided due to reasons: a) temporary on the basketball court, b) can be washed away by rain and c) cheaper to do than using other kind of materials.

We started with measuring the starting points, then starting with a rope in making circles for the labyrinth with the chalk. Upon completion of lines, we filled in with thicker chalk marks, to make it easier for people to walk the path. Having the variety of chalk makes it more fun for us as well! The creation of the labyrinth was bigger than we expected. I first estimated it to take 3-4 hours to complete, but with Jeremy working with me, we completed it in an hour and half!


I introduced some clients to the labyrinth during the week. One client who was struggling with domestic violence walked the labyrinth, and held a rock saying “love”. She hoped for an answer to whether her husband can learn to love her. After the walk, she said, “when walking, I was thinking about the abuse; I got to the center (of the labyrinth), I realized something: I need to learn to love myself; without that, how can I learn to love healthily?” A client with impulsive/anger issues had thought walking the labyrinth “silly” when he saw it, but chose to walk it to “see how it’d work.” While he was walking, I observed he was walking fast toward the center, and then he started to slow down. When he started to walk back- he walked much slower, very much like an older man. He was not ready to talk about the walk. He agreed to think about what he had experienced and see me next week. I saw him yesterday; he displayed a clear-eyed calmness and he was ready to talk. He said he could not help but recalls obstacles he experienced through his hard life, and turning corners on the labyrinth reminded him of those. When thinking he was about to get close to the center, he found himself on the longer path instead. He then realized, “When I look for short-cuts, I fall into holes. I have to take the long way, to learn and help myself.”
I’m not saying that the labyrinths are a cure-all, or that it is good for everyone. It won’t work with people with severe psychosis or major depression. What is the purpose of a labyrinth, then? A meditative tool. A safe place to pray and to ‘slow down.’ A physical walk to slow the over-thinking and increase listening mindfully. A client-therapist connection; the therapist to be the guardian at the gate where the client walks in and explore herself. A path that leads you to where you subconsciously need to be at that time, peace within yourself and perhaps something that you are ready to hear or not.