A Labyrinth Walk
in the
NO, IT’S NOT A PUZZLE OR A MAZE BUT A TYPE OF MOVING MEDITATION. AND YOU CAN WALK IT IN WEST CHESTER’S EVERHART PARK.
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ETTING BORED OF WALKING YOU’RE USUAL neighborhood loop? Consider something new. Labyrinth walking has seen an uptick during the pandemic, as more folks search for ways to release stress—outdoors and socially distanced—using these pre-set, circular paths leading to a center space. There are several labyrinths in our area—painted on floors indoor and set in nature outdoors, including one at the Church of the Loving Shepherd built in 2001, shortly after September 11. We came across the newish labyrinth built during the summer of 2020 in Everhart Park and asked two volunteers who worked on the project to tell us more. Paulette Terrels-Clarke and Susan Frens had this to say. Why build a labyrinth in Everhart Park? Paulette: Everhart Park is a beautiful park that already invites people to come and enjoy it. Having a place to slow down a busy life, and even meditate, is wonderful. The flat space in the southwest corner of the park was perfect. It’s set a bit away from other activities, yet still a part of the action.
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County Lines | June 2021 | CountyLinesMagazine.com
And the labyrinth is an invitation to pause and reflect in an easy and direct way without creating stress. What are some benefits of walking a labyrinth? Paulette: Many people have discovered their life is too fast and that slowing it down would be beneficial, but they don’t know how and feel that sitting meditation is not for them. To walk quietly on a path already there can feel much more calming. And over time that brings them a sense of peace. Walking a labyrinth may feel odd at first, but at the end of the walk or by the second or third time, they begin to feel it’s been a very nice experience. How was the project funded? Susan: Friends of Vernon Brewer contributed to a fund that provided seed money for the project, then Friends of Everhart Park made up the remainder from fundraisers and membership dues—plus plenty of volunteer labor. Extra plantings around the labyrinth and a welcome stone were funded by addition donations from generous Friends of Everhart Park.
