(505) EMERGING TRENDS IN THE CHURCH TODAY: Labyrinths & Yoga

Labyrinths are popping up in some churches today. Typically, a labyrinth is in the form of a circle (sometimes a square) with a maze path that winds itself around into the interior center of the circle. You may recall the story in Greek mythology of the maze-like enclosure for the half-man, half-bull Minotaur.

Labyrinths are not distinctly Christian. The Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, President and Founder of Veriditas™, The Voice of the Labyrinth Movement, ‘Labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in many cultures around the world. Labyrinth designs were found on pottery, tablets and tiles that date as far back as 4000 years. Many patterns are based on spirals from nature. In Native American culture it is called the Medicine Wheel and Man in the Maze. The Celts described it as the Never Ending Circle. It is also called the Kabala in mystical Judaism. One feature they all share is that they have one path which winds in a circuitous way to the center.’ While the use and purpose of early labyrinths are sometimes not defined clearly, there is a sense that Christians started to use them during the 4th century. Uses of these shapes could include simply decorative or symbolic uses as well. Some traditions used mazes as a magical framework with a purpose. For examples, mazes based on Kabbalistic alchemists symbolized the work of alchemy and were associated with Solomon. “They symbolized death and resurrection through they secretive magical practices”. They were also used to symbolize pilgrimage to Jerusalem during the Crusades.

During the Crusades, labyrinths were constructed in and around many Catholic cathedrals as a substitute, allowing Christians to fulfill their obligations to travel to Jerusalem (some seemed to believe these pilgrimages were necessary for salvation) symbolically. One of the best known labyrinths was constructed in the early 13^th century of tile and inlaid in the floor of the Cartres Cathedral in France. During the 16th and 17th century, the Catholic Church moved away from mysticism and more into rationalism.

Other purposes of the labyrinth can be thought of the path to the center representing a mirror for where we are in out lives. It is said that it touches our sorrows and releases our joys. As someone walks through the path in the labyrinth, it provides a place of meditation and prayer. This is a time where you can quiet your heart and quiet the mind. As you quite your mind, you become aware of your breath. You can pace yourself as you travel into the labyrinth. This connects various Eastern religions (mysticism) and medieval Roman Catholicism.

One of the most well-known labyrinths in the world is the one at the Chartres Cathedral in France. Used during the Middle Ages, it was unused for quite a long time until the 1990s. That is probably no accident as the church has seen a revitalization of ancient practices and rituals which are popular today. But biblical support is NOT the reason used to justify participation in the Labyrinth unless you do somersaults in your Biblical interpretation.

Likewise, Yoga has become very popular in the United States as many engage in it for stretch and exercises. Medical News Today explains what yoga is –

• Yoga is a mind and body practice. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga is an ancient practice that may have originated in India. It involves movement, meditation, and breathing techniques to promote mental and physical well-being.
• There are several types of yoga and many disciplines within the practice.
• Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing.
• A regular yoga practice can promote endurance, strength, calmness, flexibility, and well-being. Yoga is now a popular form of exercise around the world. According to a 2017 national surveyTrusted Source, one in seven adults in the United States practiced yoga in the past 12 months.

Marcia Montenegro states –

• “The word yoga derives from a loose translation of a Sanskrit term meaning to yoke or to unite. To yoke with what? The purpose of all yoga is union with ultimate reality, usually seen as the remote Hindu godhead, or an impersonal God or divine force, through the realization of the divine/God-self (often called “Self-realization”). Hinduism, of which yoga is an integral part, teaches that our innate nature is God, and this knowledge can be realized through training and re-focusing the mind, which is seen as the cause of our bondage (Georg Feuerstein, Jeanine Miller, The Essence of Yoga, pp. 12-14). Various yogas designed to accomplish this include: bhakti yoga which teaches devotion to a guru or god; karma yoga which emphasizes right action; raja yoga which teaches discipline for focusing the awareness on one point without wavering, and others. Hatha yoga was based on “postures conducive to meditation and the control of breath to absorbed meditation,” (World Religions, Geoffrey Parrinder, p. 214). In fact, the belief is that one can overcome the lower self and be more divine than God (Feuerstein, p.12).

Both Labyrinths and Yoga are topics that could be explored in more detail and are contained in several postings on this blog. But the picture of this church hosting people who are practicing yoga on top of a labyrinth epitomizes how Christians today have lost their footing. What was once considered offensive to our faith with pagan origins is now proudly displayed within the walls of the church.