Did you know the university of Edingburgh had three labyrinths?
All over the world you can find ground labyrinths in universities and schools. At this moment there are 150 and 200 labyrinths, going from permanent labyrinths outside and inside, to temporary at the playground or in the school garden.
Using labyrinths in educational surroundings is very useful for several challenges that students face e.g. stress during exams, mental fatigue when learning, learning blockages, emotional transformations and so on.
Having a labyrinth at your school has many advantages:
- having a safe space to wonder about life
- supporting choices during transition phases
- developping professional identities and values
- having an area for well-being and silence-experiencing
- stimulating creativity
- deepening self-knowledge and self-acceptance a profound level
- and many more
Most of the time universities and schools have public spaces for students to go to. Finding the right spot for a labyrinth is an important step in the process. Creating a labyrinth is a community event.
The different effects of labyrinths have been researched for some time now, although they have been in use by humanity for more then 4000 years (see blog about the history of labyrinths). A lot of research on the effects of labyrinths has been done by the Labyrinth Society and different authors and experts and has been written down in several books on labyrinths.
In educational surroundings specifically all types of labyrinths (permanent, temporary and fingerlabyrinths) can be used for different schooling ages and different kind of institutes.
In elementary schools for example we can use it for just having fun and sensory development and in dealing with transition to go to secondary school
In secondary schools we can use labyrinths for personal development, emotional release and reflection on life and individuality
In high schools or universities we can put these labyrinths for preparation into the professional life, dealing with learning stress and cognitive performance.
To finish let me share a personal story about my visit to Edinburgh and her university in August 2023. In the spring of 2023 I was called to go to Edinburgh. A message was there for me to receive. Not knowing what it was, my best friend and I planned our trip. Walking around the mystical and magical city, my friend discovered there was a labyrinth at the University of Edinburgh. This beautifull labyrinth was sacredly hidden in the University park, at a place surrounded by high bushes. It is a very beautifull Chartres model labyrinth. We walked it several times. At the entrance there was a beautiful fingerlabyrinth to walk as well. Apparently the labyrinth project was in cooperation with a local Church community.
The third labyrinth was inside he University but was not to visit at that moment.
Returning home, I had a dream: "How would it be if also our universities and schools had labyrinths?" How would it be experienced by the teachers, professors and the students?" What would be the effects?
Do you have the same curiosity for your university or school? Let's get in touch.
