You know that feeling you get when you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, and you don’t know whether to fall down or run away?? When something you planned out so carefully crashes into the brick walls of REALITY so hard it’s astonishing—and not in a good way?? It can feel like you’re trapped in a maze—with nothing but dead ends and false turns.
Now you know exactly what that is:
it’s a Mental Maze.
And you know exactly how to vaporize it and walk right out, using your breath and your attention.
Doesn’t that feel sooooo good???
OH YEAH.
Now that you’re breathing and you have your brain back…
What’s Next?
Odds are high that you got caught in a Mental Maze in the first place because you wanted something—and then you got stuck. Now that you’re outta there, you still want something.
When that happens to Cindy or me, we’ve found that getting clarity about what we want and what we want to do about it is #1 for us. That’s where our game-changing strategy of using a Labyrinth comes in.
Here’s what’s so gorgeous about a Labyrinth: You can “walk it” in real time—or you can instantly IMAGINE walking it, anytime, anywhere. Cindy & I do this in three steps (more about that in a minute).
The 411
Before I share our three steps with you, it’s important to distinguish a labyrinth from a maze, because we found out that a lot of people have never experienced a labyrinth before.
Every kind of Maze = Set up to TRAP YOU
Either form of Labyrinth = Set up to NOURISH YOU
AND
The outcome of a Maze = Confusion and Fear
The outcome of a Labyrinth = Clarity and Peace
It’s also true that seeing a labyrinth in “real life” will give you a deeper experience of it than any thousands of words I could write. To make that easier for you this instant, here’s the video clip we found—Cindy created a link for you: Youtube video
Here’s what you’ll see in that video:
There are three parts to any labyrinth walk—either virtual or in person: first, you walk slowly and purposefully forward as you WIND IN around the curves and swirls to the center—then you spend some time in the CENTER—then you WIND BACK OUT through those curves and swirls to the world outside (typically with a new clarity and a deeper sense of purpose).
- As you slowly WIND IN, your mission along the way is to purposefully let go of or put down all the things that no longer serve you (these can be as simple as habits or as deep as beliefs—because there’s no one right way for everyone). What’s important here is that you simply pay attention to yourself—THAT’S where the magic happens.
- Then when you get to the CENTER, your mission is to simply BE with yourself—listen to that “still, small voice inside you” because that’s where all your answers live.
- Once you’re ready to WIND BACK OUT, you’ll likely find that you’re no longer the same person who came in—you’ve put down all those things that are no longer YOU and replaced them with a newfound clarity about who you are and what you want. As you step out of the labyrinth and back into your world, you have everything you need to integrate what you’ve discovered and get into action to get exactly what you want.
Meanwhile, here are the Top 3 things that make a Labyrinth so powerful for getting the clarity you need:
- Every step you take in a Labyrinth is PURPOSEFUL—because you’re alone with yourself.
- You are ALWAYS headed to your destination—that CLARITY you find at the CENTER—no matter how many turns you take to get there.
- There are NO DEAD ENDS—even if you want to stop along the way, you will always pick up exactly where you left off.
RU Ready? Here We Go!
For walking your virtual labyrinth, it’s best to take yourself to a quiet nourishing space where you won’t be disturbed—and if you can get outside in nature, that’s even better. No matter where you go, it’s most important that it’s quiet, that you feel safe, and that you’re confident you won’t be disturbed.
Now settle into your seat and inhale slowly and deeply—then exhale for twice as long. Do this for several rounds, until you can feel the peacefulness that this practice of focused breathing spreads throughout your body. Now imagine your labyrinth until you can visualize it in your mind and you’re ready to trace it with your (pointer)finger.
Whenever you’re ready, concentrate only on yourself as you take each of these three steps, one-by-one:
Whenever you’re ready, concentrate only on yourself as you take each of these three steps, one-by-one:
- Use your finger to trace the path to WIND IN. (Some of us could feel our feet on the path as we used our fingers—others of us couldn’t. However you experience it is perfect for YOU.) As you move your attention along the path, allow yourself to let go of whatever comes up for you—this is where you’ll get feelings, or impressions of what’s ready to be left behind as you move to your CENTER. See what happens if you simply take everything that happens at face value—because this is YOU talking to YOU right now—and you are always invited to listen. (We did this part in our class in 90 seconds—although you can take as long as you like—you can even set a timer for yourself. The more you do it, the more creative you’ll get!)
- The CENTER is where you’re headed—and it’s important to note here that you don’t actually have to get to the center for this to work. Wherever you’re ready to stop becomes your personal CENTER—and your only mission here is to stop here and BE with yourself. Allow yourself to feel what it’s like to STOP—and imagine that there’s something important waiting for you that will emerge as soon as you do. Expect it. (In our class, the kinds of experiences that emerged ranged from someone having a conversation with their Wise Guide—to someone else simply feeling so peaceful here they were surprised.) There is no one right way—this is simply YOU meeting YOURSELF. In the 90 seconds we spent here in class, everyone experienced something that both astonished and nourished them.
- Once you’re finished in the CENTERr—which we proved can take less than 2 minutes—you’re ready to WIND BACK OUT, simply by retracing your steps with your finger. As you leave, take with you whatever you experienced. In our class, I encouraged everyone to imagine they could gather up this experience in their arms like a treasure and place it in their heart—where it will always live, as long as you need it. As you imagine completing this winding out back into your world, count out your last three steps to bring yourself fully back to your everyday reality: “Three…Two…One…”
Before You Go…
Before you get back into whatever’s waiting for you in your life, take a few moments to consciously integrate your Labyrinth Experience by asking yourself
Cindy’s 2 Focused Questions:
- Where are you now?
- What’s possible for you now?
Capture the Clarity you found at the Center of your Personal Labyrinth by writing it down.
Then there’s only one thing left to ask yourself before you get into action to get whatever you want:
“What’s the next smallest step I can take to get moving?”
(Because now you know what you want and what it takes to get it!)
If you feel like it would be more useful—or even fun—to try this out with me, you’re always invited to Schedule A Free, No-Strings-Attached Discovery Session. Head over to my homepage at www.maiabeatty,com whenever you like.
Until our next conversation—
Spend some Quality Time with YOU!