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 April 2014 Newsletter
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 Healing Meditation in the Labyrinth

                                   

Meditation is widely recognized as an adjunct to therapies and other healing strategies in health settings.  There are examples of meditation that enhances relaxation in prolonged treatments.  Praise abounds for the clarity of mind that meditation induces for understanding and bearing chronic illnesses.  Meditative visualization allows healing to proceed more quickly and consistently because it encourages people to imagine a premeditated scenario of health.  Meditation connects people to their intuition and mobilizes their spirituality to help meet health challenges.

 

Illnesses and their treatment often result in people feeling lost.  They are cut-off from the spiritual purposes of their lives and the meaningfulness of their life's journey.  Opportunities to connect to God and to spiritual experiences become fewer and farther away from the events brought by illness and treatments.  People may recognize the need for changing their mindset and their circumstances but in some ways usual behaviors are no longer useful to accomplish those goals.  It takes every bit of energy simply to cope with the problems.  Another approach such as walking or using the labyrinth must be introduced.

 

Walking the labyrinth or using a finger labyrinth for meditation is remarkably effective in promoting healing.  It frees people to focus in a unique and different way.  It inspires new outlooks.  Positive feelings and hopes spring from quiet reflection in the labyrinth.  Expressing renewed commitment to personal wants and needs is easier during a contemplative time in the labyrinth.  Trusting as a result of being in the labyrinth ignites self-worth and creates an enhanced perception of one's value in the world.  The shortages of energy, money or companionship inherent in dealing with ill health and the healing process suddenly seem less consequential with the help of meditative walks in the labyrinth.

 

More and more labyrinths are being built on hospital grounds and in mental health facilities.  Healing gardens are appearing in communities all over the world.  People are bringing life to the labyrinth.  The labyrinth is a space that renews life, even rekindles the life of the spirit, with heartfelt use.

 

Margaret Rappaport

 

Tell us what you think.
Dear Members and Friends,

Retirement communities near college and university campuses are in demand among people at 6's and 7's. These increasingly popular residences now number about sixty locations in the United States.  For example, there are eclectic and engaging life-long learning environments for our age group at Stanford, Rochester Institute of Technology, Notre Dame and Oberlin College.  Besides the diversity of cultural life within easy reach, the surrounding community includes a wide age range especially young people.  All offer a continuum of health care options in addition to intellectually stimulating features such as free college level courses and classes in the arts, and unique offerings by residents.
In the book, "Retire Happy" Jan Cullinane suggests that staying active among others who share your interests is a key aspect of aging well. That advantage is magnified by free college courses, the freedom to attend lectures, sporting events and campus programs within a short distance from home.
Educational opportunities also have a range of choices.  For people who want to earn a degree or add to their expertise there are communities such as Lasell Village in Newton, Massachusetts that contract with residents to take 450 hours of classes every year.  Other communities afford more casual auditing of classes that include beginners to experts.

Here is a link to a recent article in New York Magazine.  The author, Mark Jacobson talks about aging well by making good personal choices whatever they might be.  Is a retirement community near a college campus a possibility for you?  
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Marcia Kaiser posts on The Grand Life, which focuses on the joy and meaningfulness of grand parenting.

Robert Campbell posts on food and food science.

Doug Sivco posts on finance for sixes and sevens.

Margaret Rappaport posts on Walking the Labyrinth.

We appreciate comments and encourage you to share your views.  All posts are archived for your convenience.

Sincerely,

Dr. Margaret Rappaport, Founder and Executive Director
At Sixes and Sevens Multimedia, Inc.