The ancient practice of pacing through a labyrinth can be a mindful way to soothe modern-day problems

The act of stepping into a labyrinth can be likened to a mini pilgrimage or moving meditation. These elaborate, often square or circular patterns follow a single pathway to a central point, meaning you have to retrace your steps to get out. This idea of entering with the purpose of pacing a preordained route, then following the same path to leave, has been used as a spiritual practice for thousands of years and is just as simple and accessible today. You can find labyrinths on the floors of churches and cathedrals, but using one doesn’t have to be a religious ritual. It can be an act of meditation as simple as tracing a finger over a pattern on a piece of paper or drawing one in the sand on a beach, then watching as it’s slowly washed away by the tide. Whatever your beliefs, labyrinths could form a part of your mindfulness practice.

Ancient art

They’re often linked with Greek mythology, and legend has it that an elaborate labyrinth was built for King Minos of Crete to hold the monster Minotaur, while tiny labyrinths have been found on Cretan coins from as far back as 430BCE. It’s thought humans were drawing and walking labyrinths even earlier than that, with examples found in rock carvings, paintings and inscriptions from southern Europe and North Africa, Asia and the Americas from around 2000BCE. Labyrinths also feature in Roman mosaics and medieval drawings and buildings.