Since 2009, enthusiasts around the globe have been invited to Walk as One at 1 by walking a labyrinth at 1:00 pm in local time zones on World Labyrinth Day, creating an unbroken wave of wellbeing flowing around the globe. World Labyrinth Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in May.
Unlike a maze, a labyrinth offers only one path, and requires no decision-making, allowing the walker to enter a state of meditation or reverie.
Two styles of labyrinths: Medieval (left) and Classical (right)
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Shirley MacLaine had a full size labyrinth installed on her property in New Mexico, and Jeff Bridge s creates pottery decorated with labyrinth designs.
Studies at Johns Hopkins have shown that walking a labyrinth can lower blood pressure and reduce incidents of chronic pain and insomnia. New studies show that walking a finger labyrinth with the non-dominant hand can create new neural pathways in the brain.
Today we are visiting with Cintia Cabib, the producer of the half-hour documentary Labyrinth Journeys .
Cintia filming the labyrinth walkers on the American Psychological Association building's green roof in Washington, DC.
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Cintia is an independent film producer, videographer and editor who lives in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Her documentaries have aired on public television stations nationwide and have been screened at numerous venues throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her films include Kindred Spirits, a portrait of two accomplished but unsung Black women artists and A Community of Gardeners, a tour of seven Washington, D.C. community gardens and the diverse group of individuals who tend their plots. Labyrinth Journeys is an exploration of an ancient symbol and structure and its significance to the people who use it as a tool for meditation and rehabilitation.
Meryl Ann Butler: Thanks for visiting with OpEdNews, Cintia! Just in time for World Labyrinth Day, on May 7! Can you share with our readers how you got interested in labyrinths, and what inspired you to create your documentary, "Labyrinth Journeys"?
Cintia Cabib: I am a member of Women in Film and Video, a membership organization in the Washington, D.C. area. Several years ago, on the organization's listserv, a member asked for advice on how to best get an aerial shot of a labyrinth in Wheaton, Maryland. That piqued my interest and I started researching labyrinths. I visited the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator to find labyrinths in the Washington, D.C. area. I found a few there: one on the green roof of the American Psychological Association office building and another one at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
And then I eventually found five more labyrinths I wanted to feature in my documentary.
I had recently completed my documentary A Community of Gardeners, which explores the vital role of seven Washington, D.C. community gardens. One of the themes in that film is how gardens can be healing spaces for people experiencing difficulties in their lives. Labyrinth Journeys reflects my interest in bringing to light spaces that provide individuals with healing, respite, renewal and a connection to nature.
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