Labyrinths & The Search for Inner Peace: Two Beautiful Styles in Pewter

Within you, there is a calm and peaceful place where everything is all right. There are many ways to get to that place -- some people use meditation, or sacred dance, or creating art -- but one way that shows up across many different cultures is the use of a labyrinth.

A labyrinth is a maze one walks through slowly, contemplating many things as you journey toward the center. Some labyrinths have many double-backs; progress can seem excruciatingly slow, but there's always a way through if you find it. Walking a labyrinth can be a meditative, mind-opening experience.

The Classic Labyrinth (shown above) is based on the ancient Minoan maze legend held was the home of the Minotaur. The inscription on the reverse blesses the wearer with the words 'May sacred beauty find you every day'.

The Medieval Labyrinth (shown below) is based on Chartes Cathedral in France. Generations of seekers have walked this stone pathway, slowly moving toward the iconic six petaled floral motif in the center. The inscription on the reverse reads "The place you are standing is holy" -- reminding you that wherever you are, you can find a place of stillness within yourself.

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This week, I'd like to share a message from my friend, the writer and caregiver Cindy Potts.

Are you highly anxious at the moment because of all of everything? Me too! Me too so much.

So let's talk about managing your body to reduce the experience of anxiety. This has nothing to do with feelings or improvement of what's wrong. This is about alleviating the physical discomfort of anxiety.

Anxiety causes pain in several different ways. You can have muscle aches. Gastrointestinal upset is really common when you're anxious. Also a big one: headaches.

Your key concept to address each of these: calm activity. Muscle aches improve with hydration, warmth and gentle activity. Easy workout, household chores, dancing -- whatever you want, but with the intention of letting your body do something that isn't processing your stress.

For the tummy, calm activity. You need to eat something, in general, so do that if you're not, and then select calm foods that do not upset your stomach. This will differ for everyone but toast and applesauce are the classic examples. You're already stressed, you don't need to eat foods that make additional demands on your system. Caffeine, grease, spice, carbonation can all agitate an already upset tummy.

Headaches -- also calm activity. Turn off the TV, the computer, the phone - even without the content part, the advertisements are designed to disrupt your attention and alter your behavior for someone else's benefit. You can take a break from that when your head hurts. If it's possible to rest, rest, and if it's not, perform the needful things that demand the least of your capacity.

Basically, treat yourself with kindness, and make lifestyle choices to assuage the physical symptoms of anxiety as if they were a phenomenon in and of themselves. When your body feels less pain due to anxiety, it makes being anxious easier to bear.


Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you're experiencing anxiety at this time, we hope the tips help. If you're not feeling anxious, perhaps this is information that will be helpful to someone who is. Each of us has our own path to walk, but when we look out for each other, the journey gets much easier.With gratitude and love,