Victoria Community Labyrinth Society

Sharing a Path

Our Mission is “to provide a community labyrinth that celebrates a message of hope and possibility for all”.

What is a Labyrinth?

A labyrinth is not a maze. Mazes conjure up images of high hedges, hiding a pathway that has all sorts of choices leading a person into endless tangles or dead-ends. We expect to get lost in a maze. Labyrinths are the complete opposite. The pathway begins at the outside and meanders back and forth in a seemingly random pattern and leads you to the centre. There are no choices, so the traveler can let go of concern about where the path leads and simply enjoy the journey to the centre and then back out again. This process seems to encourage heightened intuition, balance, and a sense of well-being.

Medical research has shown that walking or tracing a labyrinth balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and people have experienced improved mental clarity and memory, calmness in dealing with grief and trauma, a release of pain, and a deeper connection with their own inner resources. Children say they just feel better after walking a labyrinth and use it when they are sad.

Labyrinths have been built out of a variety of materials and have been found in almost all cultures in the world for thousands of years. We may still access labyrinths that were built in the 14^th century. In the past 25 years there has been a world-wide renewed interest in them that is attributed to the desire for a personal spiritual practice as well as a tool for self-awareness and growth. Today, labyrinths are found in hospitals, schools, churches, prisons, at retreat centres, and in back yards. There are several labyrinths in the Victoria area and it is time for a labyrinth that is more accessible to people with varying abilities.

By providing a unique labyrinth for the enjoyment of residents and visitors to Victoria, we aim to spread the message of accommodating the needs of all people when developing community activities, projects and facilities. A project such as this highlights the creative talents and diverse life experiences of the participants, and enhances awareness in present and future generations.

We will build and maintain a labyrinth that is open to all using the following seven Principles of Universal Design.

www.centerforuniversaldesign.org http://design.ncsu.edu:8120/cud/

1. Equitable Use – design for everyone and every ability to avoid stigmatizing

users.

2. Flexibility in Use – flexible design and choices accommodating a wide range

of abilities and individual preferences.

3. Simple and Intuitive Use – design that’s simple and easy to use regardless of

the person’s experience, knowledge, language skills or current concentration

level.

4. Perceptible Information – design that naturally makes sense, communicating

necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions

or the person’s sensory abilities.

5. Tolerance for Error – design that protects users to minimize hazards and the

adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

6. Low Physical Effort – design that requires minimal exertion to ensure that it

can be used efficiently, comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

7. Size and Space for Approach and Use – design that works for all shapes and

sizes providing appropriate size and spacing for approach, manipulation and

method of use.

Why build the Victoria Community Labyrinth?

- to provide a public space to contemplate, meditate, celebrate, dance, sing and conduct workshops

- to develop a place that is a cooperative effort amongst community, business and government sectors

- to give a message of hope and possibility

- and especially, to create a beautiful free space that is open to everyone.

Why should you get involved?

Because you share:

- our message of making all public facilities accessible to all people

- our vision of community and celebration of life

- our awareness of the creative potential, talents and power of all people

The Victoria Community Labyrinth is a project of

Tactile Colour Communication Society

Registered Charity Number: 86882 0242 RR0001.

For more information:

Call: (250) 380-2838

Email: Labyrinthinfo@shaw.ca

Or visit us on the web at: (in development)

Vision is the art of seeing

What is invisible to others.

Jonathan Swift