Self Sustainability

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

Self sustainability goes beyond energy and food at One Community. We desire a 100% self sufficient place to live and retire; this means education for our children and grand children, recreation and diverse entertainment options for all ages, and anything else that we might desire on a regular basis. We believe everything short of medical needs can be provided by our community and we desire to create this, chronicle the process, and share the prototype so others can do the same and we can visit and/or host exchange programs for further progress.

Self sustainability is a foundational part of One Community because it is both conscientious living and a foundation of fixed overhead (see Three Principles of Success). It makes sense to us to produce power through renewable and self sustaining means rather than invest in a system of fluctuating prices and unreliable supply. The same applies to food with the additional benefits of knowing we are growing the highest quality food with love and care instead of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. 

We are building the infrastructure for a more diverse form of self sustainability as well. Education and entertainment are two areas we see One Community providing for uniquely because we will only take on these areas as aspects of our community if we have people who are passionate and capable and desiring to share that passion as part of their community contribution. If the natural gifts and talent exist, these are the people we want sharing with us and teaching our children. 

We know that there is a better way and other motivated people who want to make this work too. I'm an honors student and a parent wishing I had the time to restudy all the things I've forgotten since school and looking forward to the day I can sit down with my two year old and teach and learn simultaneously. With home today's schooling programs and computer availability of information this is more feasible than any other time in history and opens an opportunity for other people's kids too. Imagine the teacher student ratio and the passion of our teachers!

One Community is starting with electricity and food but we are opening the space and setting our intention for education and a broad enough diversity of recreational activities to make us self sufficient in these areas as well. We see this as a reasonable 2-3 year goal for a community of 80-100 Community Members and part of our prototype for global change.

The Center of Peace Community Center

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

The Center of Peace is the first phase of development for One Community featuring a dining hall and main gathering room large enough for 100 people plus 8 deluxe rental rooms. The feel of this building is meant to be 'open luxury' with 25 foot high ceilings in the main room, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, sunrise and sunset meditation patios, individual patios for each of the deluxe rooms and a commercial sized laundry room, walk in freezer, canning room and kitchen with two grand dining tables for 20-30 ppl each and smaller dining tables around the perimeter offering private seating for an additional 30-40 people.

1/2 our size dome home.

Ten years of thinking about The Center of Peace and what it represents to the community has created this floor plan. The purpose of this building is to be the central dining hall and lodge for the community. Because all the other buildings on the property are designed as eco single and double family dwellings or hacienda style group living, the Center of Peace is meant to be the "luxury lodge" everyone gathers in to dine, hold meetings, listen to music and relax as a community. Eight luxury rooms are included as part of One Community's business model offering the "Hilton experience" for people preferring that to the pod/concept home option.

First Floor...

The first floor will be the primary indoor gathering space for the entire community. The goal is to offer group dining, classes, singing, dancing, story telling and just relaxing around the fireplace located in the center of the building. Walking into this space will offer lots of natural lighting and 25' high ceilings with a 'Grand Hall' feeling.

This floor has the grand table, the library/game room, the indoor/outdoor swimming pool, an artistic sculpture for each of the 5 elements including a living tree, the laundry facility, a back wall (through the kitchen) that opens up entirely for easy import of mass food items and natural airflow in the summer, a canning room, a giant walk in freezer, public restrooms, and 4 deluxe living suites with their own patios and bathrooms.

Walking in the front door the pool is on your right and the fireplace is directly in front of you with views all the way through the building and out the accordion sliders in the kitchen. Looking to your left you would see the doors to the ground floor deluxe rooms and the second floor railing, rooms, and open indoor patio/recreation/screening room area overhanging the kitchen.

First Floor

Inside View of a Dome Home

Example of the ambiance we are creating, but with more open space

Second Floor...

The second floor of the Center of Peace consists of the South facing second master bedroom with 20' of accordion windowed wall space, like the kitchen, leading to a 200 sq foot patio and hot tub + large walk-in closet, sitting room, natural lighting and open bathroom with jacuzzi tub and spacious loft space with a second bed and additional work space.

This floor also has 4 deluxe suites with lofts and private patios, laundry shoot to the first floor, and a screening room and mini kitchen for this level. All rooms will have dome ceilings with lots of natural light and windows.

There is also a West facing Sunset Meditation Patio accessible from the main room and designed for afternoon and evening meditation and yoga classes or just relaxing.

Second Floor

2nd floor idea of what the view would be like.

Floor 2.5...

The half floor between the 2nd and 3rd floor is for the bathroom for the master bedroom. This building was designed like this to allow 360 degree unobstructed views from the master bedroom while still providing windows with the capability for an open air shower whenever a person desires.

This floor also shows the floor plan for all of the 2nd floor lofts.

Half floor between 2nd and 3rd floors.

Third Floor...

The third floor is the Master Bedroom where we will be living and maintaining as frequently used community space. It offers 1600 square feet of open space and 360 degree unobstructed views of the property. Closets are build as 'half closet' floor closets and both the East and West wall are accordion style windows that open up to allow unobstructed air flow and views during sunrise and sunset as well as access to the 360 degree patio. The floor plan is one giant open room with the exception of the centrally located fireplace and staircase to the Birds Nest 4th floor.

Pull down viewing screen, ceiling mounted projector, patio jacuzzi, grill and kitchenette complete this crown jewel to the Center of Peace.

3rd Floor/Master

Fourth Floor...

The fourth floor or Birds Nest is a place to view the entire community and property. It is intended to be the highest point of the community and offers enough room for 3 or 4 people comfortably to move around. It is accessible via a minimalist spiral staircase from floor 3.

Fourth Floor Bird's Nest

Front View...

This image is the least detailed and roughest of all the images as it is meant to depict the front view of the building but does not include details such as the patios, windows, etc. that an architect will need to add in for it to look even remotely correct. Note that the basement and garage have been removed from the floor plan as floor one will be semi-subterranean for heat conservation reasons and because we are now designing a walk in community and parking garages serve no purpose.

-Jae-

The Efficiency Model

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

We live in a society of massive insufficiency that could be dramatically improved if we just create our community so it is conducive to working together. The vast majority of obligatory things that we do could be done for a large group of people simultaneously with only a fraction of increased time for the person doing them. One Community applies this principle as a foundation of community building and creating more free time.

Time is our most precious resource...

The Efficiency Model is One Community's model for creating more time. I like to use Ford and Disney as examples because they were both masters of efficiency in their own industries, creating new (at the time) and efficient methods to accomplish large tasks faster and of higher quality than the competition. Both Ford's assembly line and Disney's animation techniques were hugely successful and infinitely simple as they demonstrated that efficiency is as simple as repetition and compartmentalization coupled with teamwork.

One Community's community contribution hours are based on these same principles of repetition and teamwork compartmentalization. Treating the community like a family, domestic tasks are shared as a group and compartmentalized. Cooking, growing food, laundry, child care, education, and many recreational activities are performed for the group rather than the individual because the amount of time it takes one or two people to do these tasks for the group is significantly less than the accumulated time of all the individuals performing the same tasks for themselves. Furthermore, these are all tasks the individual would have to do anyway; so doubling or tripling the time a person spends doing these tasks one day out of the week, so they don't have to do them for themselves again until the following week, is pretty appealing.

The concept is very simple. Consider the amount of time two people would take to cook a complete meal and clean for 50 people. While it may take two people an hour of cooking and an hour of cleanup, this is a fraction of the time invested by 50 people each cooking for one or two. Furthermore, cooking for a groups like this means less food waste, less water waste for cooking and cleanup, more of a community atmosphere, and increased efficiency of the cooking process over time. Rotation of the cooking duties helps people share successes and working methodologies, keeps the process educational and interesting, and makes the process more fun.

One example of massive inefficiency in today's society is food production. Consider the resources and waste of delivering conventionally farmed food from all over the world to your grocery store. It is even more staggering when you consider food prices and that you could feed 36 people eating a 100% vegetarian diet on ONE acre of land designated for vegetable growth! Researching more and taking a conservative estimate, I determined that 4 people working that land an average of 5 hours a day would be more than sufficient to tend that acre of land... leaving the other 32 to do something else.

These statistics are staggering! Here is the link with more detailed information on growing food: Link

Another benefit to this approach to food and domestic responsibilities is diversity of brainpower performing the tasks. This means more minds thinking about ways to make the tasks easier and is foundational to our entrepreneurial approach as well: idea formulated, business plan drawn up, plan shared with group, group decides most efficient method to enact plan and work together to successfully implement it. Regular reports to the group allow everyone to participate in the evolution of each entrepreneurial endeavor and see the results of the communities combined efforts.

In all three examples (food preparation, food production and entrepreneurial endeavors) One Community as a community benefits the individual and the group in ways that neither could accomplish without the other with the end result producing significantly more free time and a more pleasant and cohesive living environment.

Community Income Streams

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

One Community has a diversity of business models and a specific plan and timeline for implementation. The success of One Community as a business is assured because the largest of the two business models (Center of Peace and Eco Construction Templates) don't require a community to implement and succeed. That said, the goal is for One Community to become an economy in and of itself with global reach and impact, to do this genuine community is a must.

Part of the inspiration for One Community has always been financial abundance. As a long time entrepreneur I know that EVERYTHING is marketable; it's just a matter of whether or not you have the skill and resources to bring it to market. Part of the excitement of developing One Community is creating a place almost everyone would like to be a part of so we bring the skills and resources to us rather than having to outsource. As our skill and resource pool grows, so too do our entrepreneurial options.

The businesses of One Community will be launched in stages with stages One and Two being my contributions to the community and the fruit of 10 years of planning. All the businesses after that will depend on the Community Members and Community Investors involved and the results of the community consensus process regarding their proposals.

"In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete. That, in essence, is the higher service to which we are all being called."

~ Buckminster Fuller ~

As the community grows our membership and our exposure will exponentially increase our entrepreneurial clout and appeal to investors and other interested parties and this is how we will become an economy in and of ourself and affect the global economic paradigm. One business at a time expanding our reach and supporting our market share by increasing exposure and linking to each other, building another business to further increase our reach and support other existing businesses and repeating this process over and over.

Stage One:

The first stage of business development is the Center of Peace. This building will represent the hub of the community and a beautiful place to stay for people interested in a bed and breakfast with the luxury of the Hilton and world class nature excursions right outside your back door. With Zion and Angel's Landing, Bryce Canyon, the South end of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powel, and The Wave all within an hour and a half drive and Coral Pink Sand Dunes and hikes to rival Zion Canyon within walking distance, One Community is a nature lover's dream come true.

Estimates to build Center of Peace have been as low as 250K so we are budgeting 400K with plans to break ground in the spring of 2011 and completion before winter.

Stage Two:

Stage two is the beginning of the 5 Pods that constitute the foundation of One Community as a community. Each of these buildings will be a very different style and construction and all of the steps to construct each building, building materials and costs, floor plans, etc. will become a marketable product. We will partner with local and national eco builders for assistance, discounts and referral fees and in return we will become a place where interested persons can come and not just see, but stay in, examples of the different options available for their own building and then speak with a knowledgeable source about them all.

Cost to build these eco buildings as been as low as $5,000 to $30,000 and we will begin building the first two pods in the summer of 2011 with completion estimated by winter 2012. This timeline will be significantly accelerated based on the growth of One Community as a community and the synergistic builder relations we create.

Stage Three:

Stage three is the most malleable stage of One Community's entrepreneurial reach because it depends on Community Investors and Community Members. What we have now is first rate website and website marketing expert ready to launch with any product line. The discussion thus far has revolved around duplicating this site for artists living in the community and linking all the sites together to create a sort of 'artistic hub' that draws people in and retains their business within the hub. This model can be duplicated indefinitely, uses one shopping cart, is easy to manage and update, and is ready to go now.

Other options that have been discussed are festivals, hosting retreats, there is an accounting business model already sketched out for Network Marketing Companies and our accountant investor, a good friend of mine is creating a holistic health documentary that would fit well with our model, another friend is already building eco homes and is looking for land to test new models on, organic farming products and farmer's market participation is a definite possibility, etc.  The list of ideas is long and increases every time we think of a person with new resources to bring to the table.

Bottom line is we are creative and entrepreneurial people so it's really just a matter of getting established and seeing what we have to work with. Stage One and Two are the foundations we will build on, and enough to make this venture a win for us and Property Investors over the next couple years; Stage Three is a limitless possibility we are excited to see develop as the right people are called to join us.

Intelligent Community Design

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

Intelligent Design refers to the use of sacred geometry in the structures and layout of One Community. My personal experience with sacred geometry, the golden mean, and phi point ratio is fairly limited but the logical nature of it and it's expression in every part of nature is sufficient to convince me of the benefits and value of enlisting the help of friends that are experts in this area. I include some basic details here for interested parties. 

Sacred Geometry and Architecture By Jackie Craven

Architecture begins with geometry. Since earliest times, architects have relied on mathematical principles. The ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius believed that builders should always use precise ratios when constructing temples. "For without symmetry and proportion no temple can have a regular plan," Vitruvius wrote in his famous treatise De Architectura, or Ten Books on Architecture.

The proportion Vitruvius recommended was modeled after the human body. He observed that all human beings are shaped according to a ratio that is astonishingly precise and uniform. For example, Vitruvius found that the human face equals one tenth of the total body height. The foot equals one sixth of the total body height. And so on.

Scientists and philosophers later discovered that the same ratio Vitruvius saw in the human body – 1 to PHI (1.618) – exists in every part of nature, from swimming fish to swirling planets. This divine ratio, or divine proportion, has been called the building block of all life.

Are our buildings shaped by sacred numbers and hidden codes?

Sacred geometry, or spiritual geometry, is the belief that numbers and patterns such as the divine ratio have sacred significance. Many mystical and spiritual practices, including astrology, numerology, tarot, and feng shui, begin with a fundamental belief in sacred geometry. Architects and designers may draw upon concepts of sacred geometry when they choose particular geometric forms to create pleasing, soul-satisfying spaces.

Absurd? Before you dismiss the idea of sacred geometry, take a few moments to reflect on the ways some numbers and patterns appear again and again in every part of your life.

Geometry in Your Body

When studied under the microscope, living cells reveal a highly ordered system of shapes and patterns. From the shape of your DNA to the cornea of your eye, every part of your body follows the same predictable patterns.

Geometry in Your Garden 

The jigsaw puzzle of life is made up of recurring shapes and numbers. Leaves, flowers, seeds, and other living things share the same spiral shapes. Honeybees and other insects live structured lives that mimic these patterns. When we create a floral arrangement or walk through a labyrinth, we celebrate nature’s innate forms.

Geometry in Stones 

Nature’s archetypes are reflected in the crystalline forms of gems and stones. Amazingly, the patterns found in your diamond engagement ring may resemble the formation of snowflakes and the shape of your own cells.

Geometry in the Sea

Similar shapes and numbers are found beneath the sea, from the swirl of a nautilus shell to the movement of the tides.

Geometry in the Heavens

Nature’s patterns are echoed in the movement of planets and stars and the cycles of the moon. Perhaps this is why astrology lies at the heart of so many spiritual beliefs.

Geometry in Music

The vibrations we call sound follow sacred, archetypal patterns. For this reason, you may find that certain sound sequences can stimulate the intellect, inspire creativity, and evoke a deep sense of joy.

Geometry and the Cosmic Grid 

Stonehenge, metalithic tombs, and other ancient sites stretch across the globe along underground electromagnetic tracks, or ley lines. The energy grid formed by these lines suggest sacred shapes and ratios.

Geometry and Theology 

In his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown used concepts of sacred geometry to weave a spell-binding tale about conspiracy and early Christianity. Brown's book is pure fiction and has been hotly criticized. But, even when we dismiss The Da Vinci Code as a tall tale, we can't dismiss the importance of numbers and symbols in religious faith. Concepts of sacred geometry are expressed in the beliefs of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and other formal religions.

Geometry and Architecture (Australian Link)

From the pyramids in Egypt to the new World Trade Center tower in New York, great architecture uses the same essential building blocks as your body and all living things. Moreover, the principles of geometry are not confined to great temples and monuments. Geometry shapes all buildings, no matter how humble. Believers say that when we recognize geometric principles and build upon them, we create dwellings that comfort and inspire.

Here is a great link on Sacred Places and Sacred Geometry...

Talent Diversity

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 


Talent diversity is an essential part of One Community. Our culture of growth, entrepreneurship and self sustainability is enriched with different skills, talents and views. We appreciate natural ability and actively invite people with different expertise to join our community and fully release their potential in the unique environment we provide.

The philosophy, mission, entrepreneurial model, and specific appreciation for natural talent that One Community embodies makes it a desirable community for artists, skilled laborers, healers, and anyone with a diversely marketable and applicable talent like website design, accounting, management, audio recording skills, video skills, etc. Employing people's specialized skills for maximum effect, and the gratitude of everyone in the community, is what makes One Community a prototype for world change because as our numbers increase the inclusion of more and more diverse skills make One Community even more of an enriching culture of growth and opportunity for everyone.

Each person joining One Community is invited to share their skills, hobbies and natural talents as part of the sponsorship process because part of community living is being able to express these gifts as community contribution; sharing what you love most as part of what you add to everyone's community experience just as the sharing of their gifts adds to yours. This sharing is what allows us to enjoy nightly live music, food made with love and skill, story telling, classes, and all the other contributions that make One Community unique.

Talent diversity also contributes to the financial viability of One Community. Working together to form entrepreneurial ventures is encouraged and rewarded because we want everyone to be financially independent and the Win-Win-Win-Win model of One Community revolves around the successful organization of Community Members. Community Members working together win because they co-create a personal income stream in an environment that makes that easier than anywhere else, One Community wins because new businesses provide community contribution opportunities and One Community receives 10% of gross revenue, Property Investors win because they receive 15% of gross revenue, and the world at large wins because it gets the product of passionate people sharing their gifts.

The model is both simple and radical at the same time but it works because talent diversity is just one piece of the three principles of success that make One Community successful. 

Consensus Decision Making Process

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

The governing process of One Community is by consensus. We see this as a foundation of our interpersonal community growth and a key aspect of what defines true community. Our consensus process consists of Voting Members and Participants; Participants contribute to the consensus process in all ways except voting and 100% Voting Member consensus is required for decision making. 

I didn't believe consensus governing would ever work until I met someone who'd been a part of a successful consensus governing of 60 people and read Scott Peck's book, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace, where he talks about the power of genuine community and the importance of the consensus decision making process. By treating everyone's vote equally and requiring 100% agreement of all major decisions you create an environment where clear and heart felt communication are essential and everyone must work together for things to move forward.

Consensus decision making is crucial if your goal is to empower people are to have a community of leaders. Consensus decision making is also crucial if you want genuine community. Only through a community of people empowered and comfortable sharing their thoughts in front of their peers, speaking out when they don't agree with something, and communicating, without emotional wounding, until compromise is achieved can true community be reached. Only by everyone understanding that their vote was equal and heard can community be maintained.

Viktor Frankl in his book Man's Search for Meaning said "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom." The choice of our response, and the growth and freedom within, is much different when you are both in power or subjugated because you are not dealing with an equal. Neither the commander nor the soldier need monitor their response because the outcome is a forgone conclusion when giving and taking orders. 

We look at governing by consensus as one of the most powerful stimuli we can imagine for creating community because it demands a response. The usually quiet and demure person is encouraged to stand up and be heard because their voice is equal in value to the strongest leader and it may be the only voice of reason. The usually powerful and authoritarian leader is encouraged to listen because they are not the sole decision maker in the group and will only cause others to dig their heels in more if tact and empathy are not employed. Growth and healing occur because both people must do their utmost to participate proactively in consensus because non resolution of issues, perceived unfairness, failed approaches, and poor decision making are equally shared responsibilities that everyone wishes to avoid.

Consensus requires 100% agreement by all Voting Members but is open to everyone. Voting Members are defined as anyone who lives in the community as a Community Member fulfilling his or her community contribution requirements; everyone else is considered a Participant. No one is required to participate in the consensus process but present Voting Members must vote with the exception of decisions of consequence (voting to remove the member from One Community, voting to remove labor allocation from that member's project, etc.) where the Voting Member in question would be excluded from the deciding consensus vote.

One Community Social Structure

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

The social structure of One Community is one of open communication, teamwork and organized group activities. We govern by consensus, work as groups to accomplish large or undesirable tasks faster, and maintain rituals of socialization like dining together, live music and classes.

"It is our task--our essential, central, crucial task--to transform ourselves from mere social creatures into community creatures. It is the only way that human evolution will be able to proceed."

 ~ Peck ~

The focus of our community is to always exist as a genuine community. In this endeavor we do our best to make every social activity a community activity. This means we participate as a community and communicate and share from our hearts as a community rather than a social group. 

The maintenance of One Community culture and atmosphere is maintained through government by consensus, group dining, morning and evening meditation and yoga classes, at least one class a day taught by someone sharing their gifts, and group entertainment at the Center of Peace (music, dancing, story telling, movie night, etc.). We also make sure that we organize as a group to complete large community tasks and work in teams on tasks that an individual may not enjoy, making completion faster and more fun.

Ritual activities like group entertainment and group dining are seen as crucial to maintaining genuine community because they are fun and unstructured vs. the structure of classes, work groups, and consensus government. Participation is always encouraged but never required because we are always comfortable to address the issue if we feel someone is isolating themselves or in any way feeling left out or unwelcome.

Class structures, meal schedules, entertainment, and work groups are all organized by consensus.

Labyrinths

This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for all the most current details on this project. 

Today I was looking for labyrinth images and ended up going into full research mode on their use as profound tools for healing, meditation, and spiritual growth. They are easy and cheap to build and at least one will be a part of our community. I'm posting the summary of my finding and several images here.

Definition: The labyrinth is a maze-like walking path, a sacred space, to think, gather your thoughts, ask for courage, etc. It is a place to look inward but to also survey progress and movement. It is a symbolic ritual that involves walking, which is an interesting twist. Due to this walking as part of the ritual, Dr. Artress calls this a "body prayer." The labyrinth is not a maze, as mazes usually have more than one path, and the labyrinth is one path, winding around. You cannot get "lost" in the labyrinth. It has one path, that leads to the center, and back out. The general idea is to quiet your mind, and use the walking inwards toward the middle to think about releasing and letting go of things that are in the way of your health, progress, success, etc. Then when you reach the center, you meditate and pray and stay as long as you want, absorbing energy and gathering strength and peace. Some labyrinths have benches in the center. Then you take the path out, becoming empowered to make changes, yet this is also the path you took in, which is symbolic. You start to have a sense of growth as you come to the labyrinth with different issues, different things you walk in and out with, over time.

From: http://healing.about.com/cs/spirituality/a/uc_labyrinth.htm

The labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint found in all religious traditions. It has only one path, so there are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives, it touches our sorrows and releases our joys, so we walk it with an open heart and open mind.

The Chartres Cathedral in France has a labyrinth inside the cathedral and many labyrinths in the United States are patterned after this one. Apparently it started out being a pagan ritual, and the churches decided to include it in their gardens to get the pagans to come to church. Unfortunately, what they discovered was the pagans came to the gardens and walked the labyrinth and didn't come into the churches. The next best thing to do was to actually make the labyrinth pattern on the floor inside the church, so in about the 1200's Chartres Cathedral did exactly that!

Three Stages to Walking the Labyrinth
There are 3 stages to our walk into the labyrinth. The first stage is Purgation, a releasing and letting go of the details of your life. The second stage is Illumination, when you reach the center, this is a place of meditation and prayer to receive whatever there is for you to receive. The last stage is Union, which is joining God, your Higher Power or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for.


A few experiences/testimonials I found...

Guidance...
As we lined up to go into the meditative walk, I knew I was supposed to be one of the first to go in. It just so happened that the lady in front of me pushed me forward and I went in first. I was trying to meditate but you also have to focus on the pattern and follow it, so I was breathing and focusing and doing really well. Then I came to the center and I literally got stuck there. My palms came out and I felt like I was holding light beams in my hands and I kept hearing the phrase "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first!" So I stayed in the center as the other 45 people came in and went out. Then I began to realize that some people were turning around and coming back for a 2nd and 3rd trip! Uh-oh, I told my guides, I didn't plan on staying in the middle forever and they'd better get done whatever needed to be done ASAP! About 15 minutes went by before I began to feel the light beams in my palms shut off, and about 2 more minutes went by before my feet got unstuck. I was then instructed to go to my room immediately and sleep for awhile after this. "No kidding" I said. I felt so blasted, yet so at peace. It was truly a wonderful experience.


The Joy of Laughter
It was many years ago. I was spending a week at my favorite retreat, The Golden Door. As I hesitatingly stepped onto the labrynth feeling a bit self conscious I was suddenly thrust forward into a gleeful dance and joyous laughter. The feeling stayed with me for the rest of my visit. I feel the need to do it again, soon.
—SYLVIARESNICK


Gentle Kiss
My husband and I came across a spiritual garden center in the outback of Maui. They had a shaded labyrinth which we start to walk. My husband made it to the center well before I did. He's usually not one for waiting. But he did wait and when I met him in the center he gently kissed me. Maybe that's what we both have been waiting for. We've been married 42 years.
—Guest Karen


Walking a Labyrinth
There is a labyrinth about 10 miles from my home, in a park, and I love to walk it. Depending on my frame of mind, sometimes I walk it when I am feeling content with my life and come out feeling more connected with the world, in total peace and harmony. Other times, especially if I am feeling very unconnected with the world, concentrating on only the journey, not the destination can sooth me. I wish I had one in my backyard so I could walk it whenever I needed to either reconnect with the world or gain some inner peace.
—Guest Elaine


Walking the Labyrinth
I have a local labyrinth close to me in an old carousel building that I walk often, especially if I need help during my books (and I've included a labyrinth as a walking meditations in my work). Usually any anxieties I have are calmed and I am grounded and centered by walking the labyrinth. I am very aware of the four directions when I walk and in the center of the labyrinth. When I return down the path, it's faster and when I am done, I'm ready to work again!
—Guest Robin D. Owens


Walking Up-Hill
I walked a labyrinth a couple of years ago. It was only a temporary design in a church hall on a weekday afternoon but I experienced such a feeling of walking up-hill towards "something." Then the return journey felt really like a descent back into the real world. Amazing sensation.
—Guest maureen


Life and interactions
I walked a traveling labyrinth that visited our medical center. What struck me most was my interaction with the other people walking the labyrinth and how that mirrored real life. We never know where other people are on their journey when we first meet them, or whether we will meet them again. The Chartes labyrinth brings you closer and further from others walking it, but it is very hard to tell where they have come from and where they are going. Also, having to follow somebody slower or feel pushed by somebody faster. We all have our own pace. It made me contemplate tolerance and acceptance.
—Guest Wendy B

Sticky Like Glue
I tend to live in my head a lot, I mean A LOT. I over analyze everything. I've also been told by a couple of healers that I tend to live outside of my body. When I stepped inside the labyrinth I became very aware of my body. My feet felt like they were glued to the path. I believe now that they were magnetized to the path as a constant reminder that I had feet. This helped get me out of my head. I was forced to consciously will my body to pick up my foot at every step. I was initially uncomfortable and I wanted to hurry and get the walk over with. The lesson I got out of it was the importance of not ignoring my body. Meditating on this experience helps bring me back to a more balanced spiritual/physical awareness.
—Guest Nate

My Own Experience...
As of this posting, I've only had one labyrinth experience but it was profound to say the least. Setting one's desire to enter a labyrinth and walk it with spiritual intent can be a VERY powerful experience. Each person will experience the labyrinth in a very different way as you can read from the various testimonials I've posted... my experience was equally unique and profound and one much better shared in person. Here is a picture of the first labyrinth I experienced, located just outside of Zion National Forest.



Our labyrinth will be a reflexology labyrinth with soft stones for the more adventurous interested in barefoot walking and stimulation of all the reflexology points on the feet...