Last week's trip to the Labyrinth at the Unitarian church was a bit short but I think it was worth the trip. I felt however, and it seemed that most agreed, that the experience of the labyrinth itself would have been better if we had visited by ourselves. Perhaps its the context of the church but it seemed that the path that was created really wasn't meant to confuse or act as a puzzle. (You could get that from the fact that the labyrinth was just a pattern of rocks laid out on the ground) The purpose of traversing the path of the labyrinth was meditative or spiritual - it was more about the act of walking towards a singular spot than trying to figure out where you were in the puzzle. I can imagine that as one walked through the space, one's mind would begin to wander and ruminate on anything from religion or existentialism to day-to-day errands.
I agree that going to the Labyrinth on one's own is a different experience--more gratifying maybe. I went back the day after our whole class had gone. The first time I felt that it was better to just remain an observer rather than a participant. I could not focus with everyone anxiously trying to get to the center. On my own however, it was rather calming to know that I was walking in a pre-determined path, which I only knew the beginning and the end of.
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