A baby giraffe’s life begins with a six-foot drop

— a head-over-heels tumble to the earth —

where she’s caught by tall grass, tended by her mother, and

soon begins the intrepid act of standing and walking on her brand-new, wobbly legs.

I am happily home from my Paris/Chartres trip for my Labyrinth Facilitator training, and I have to say it was a wonderful experience. Being back at Chartres Cathedral felt more like home this time. It was as if I never left! There is a beautiful timelessness there that I find very comforting. 

And yet once again, I was struck by my body’s response to the space and to the labyrinth. 

As I walked the labyrinth the first time, I couldn’t believe how shaky my legs were. Yes, it had been a journey to get there and I’m sure I was tired, but this level of shakiness was something else. From my sacrum down I felt jittery, weak, and wobbly. I knew I wasn’t going to fall – I was safe – but there was a tremble within me that spoke of new life.

Yogaś Chitta Vrtti Nirodha

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. 

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.2

Earlier this month I went to walk the labyrinth at The First Presbyterian Church of Austin. I remember my mind was incredibly busy that day. My thoughts were just spinning around and jumping from topic to topic with zero direction. As I stepped into the labyrinth and began my journey towards the center, I patiently waited for my mind to settle. And I waited. And waited. And less patiently waited. Eventually I realized that the dull roar in my mind was just going to stay there. I couldn’t force it to quiet down. So I let it go. I paid attention to my steps and let the mental noise continue. As I got closer to the center, two questions and answers cut through like a fog horn:

What is the purpose of yoga?

 To address the needs of the body.

What is the purpose of walking the labyrinth?

 To address the needs of the soul.

This little Socratic method moment was super ...

I am getting so excited about my return to the Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France next week! If you’ve been following my adventures these last couple of years, [blog post: Life is Messy] you know I’ve become an outspoken labyrinth enthusiast. I find this ancient spiritual practice so deeply effective, enjoyable, and revelatory, I’m telling anyone who’ll listen and everyone I meet. (Okay–maybe I’m not THAT overboard, but it’s not far off.)

I have so much enthusiasm about labyrinth practice, I just want to know more, do more, and lead. That’s why this trip is for me to do my Labyrinth Facilitator Training with Veriditas in the most well-known and well-walked labyrinth in the world; the blueprint for thousands of other labyrinths: Chartres Cathedral. 

Since you’re going to hear a lot more in this space about labyrinths and meetups and pilgrimages and events, I thought I’d answer the first main question that comes up:

What’s a labyrinth? And is it like a maze?

A labyrinth ...

I'm home now from a 10-day Pilgrimage/adventure/getaway with Nick to Chartres and Paris, France. (Gratitude and shout out to Natalie for her beautiful blog last week, Embrace Your Journey to Inner Light.) This trip had everything! It was a culmination of a year of planning and preparing, so I was a bit surprised when I arrived and wondered, "What am I doing here?"

My vision for this trip was to arrive at Chartres Cathedral where one of the world's largest, oldest, and most renowned labyrinths lies, be completely inspired and filled with joy, and knowing EXACTLY why I was there. But guess what...

I was a mess.

I was so tired. It was cold and rainy and there was construction and I couldn't walk around the space and I didn't know how to get in or where to get in and the door was weird and I don't speak French and it just looked like every other cathedral I've been in and WHAT AM I DOING HERE?

I almost felt panicked! My heart and my throat burned like they were breaking open and I just...

This week you are in for a treat!  My friend and Walking with Divine Feminine partner, Nancy Herlin, has written a beautiful personal piece about what the practice of labyrinth walking is and and what it means to her.  Please enjoy, and join us April 9.

When people find out that I have a labyrinth and walk it regularly as one of my spiritual practices, I find most don’t know what to say. Many confuse it with a maze, but unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path in and out, and isn’t designed to get you lost. Some excitedly recount their own stories of time spent in a labyrinth. Others are curious about how a walking meditation tool can help them access their own inner knowing and enhance their relationship with God.

What is a labyrinth? It is an ancient symbol and usually outdoor space used as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. There are many uses for a labyrinth. Some use a labyrinth as a walking meditation tool to pause and slow themselves down. Others use it to connec...

"To walk with me is to walk as me.” 

These are the words author, speaker, and Harvard-trained scholar of the divine feminine, Meggan Watterson, heard in her meditation when she was contemplating the life and teachings of Mary Magdalene. She describes this in her book, Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet. 

This was the inspiration I needed to bring you something very special.

A few years ago I became interested in understanding the Divine Feminine.  I have always felt a deep connection to God, but that image is steeped in masculinity.  I love the men in my life and the masculine side of myself, but I knew I was only getting half the picture.  There’s a yin energy to Source as well.  There’s a feminine side I wanted to know.  So I asked, I learned, I met her, and now I, along with my dear friend Nancy Herlin, want to share that with you in yoga and labyrinth experiences.

Our first one is March 5, 20...