labyrinths and other special places

I was reading my friend Andrea's blog, and she was talking about a pretty spiritual experience that she'd recently had walking a labyrinth. Normally, I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but reading her experience, I remembered that my friend Elspeth often walks a labyrinth back home in Trinidad. So I became curious, and decided to do some research online: what's the deal with labyrinths?

A quick Google search turned up tons of information, and I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about labyrinths. I'd always thought that they were just decorative mazes, sort of tricky little puzzles that were placed in ostentatious gardens. But now, I realize that they're actually a tool for meditation: unlike mazes, there's only one way to the centre, and one way back out; you're supposed to walk the path in contemplation.

Since today was such a beautiful day (and recently, I have begun daily meditation again), I decided to visit one of the labyrinths here in Houston. I went out to the amazingly beautiful Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas, and spent about 30 minutes walking the labyrinth. Like Andrea, I too felt like something important happened once I arrived at the centre -- I'm not in a place where I feel comfortable talking about it, because I'm still processing what I felt and thought and experienced, but I'm definitely going to return.

After walking the labyrinth, I decided to venture over to The Menil Collection, a beautiful museum in the middle of the Montrose neighbourhood -- one of my favourite neighbourhoods. It was beautiful, and quiet, and wonderful.