Ep 207. Labyrinths Provide Paths of Healing

Mary Stone shares her journey to find a labyrinth at the Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center, which recently hosted Comfort Zone Camp, a grief camp for young adults for whom she volunteers. She describes the labyrinth's location and design and the serene experience of walking through it, including up-righting a rustic cross that had toppled.

Mary explains the historical and spiritual significance of labyrinths and their therapeutic benefits. And ways to build a labyrinth and plant ideas to adorn them.

Thanks for tuning in. 

Related Podcasts and Blog Posts you'll enjoy:

Ep 179. A Butterfly Garden of Growth

A Butterfly Garden of Growth - Blog Post

Ep 101. Woodcock Dance-Making a Meadow

Woodcock Dance-Making a Meadow - Blog Post 

8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.
Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,
Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer
                                        AskMaryStone.com

More about the Podcast and Column:

Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.

It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.

Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
Direct Link to Podcast Page

Transcript

Ep 207 Labyrinths Provide Paths of Healing

Sat, May 31, 2025 7:24AM • 11:12

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Garden dilemmas, nature inspirations, comfort zone camp, grief camp, labyrinths, healing circle, butterfly garden, meditation, spiritual journey, anxiety relief, labyrinth design, low-growing plants, finger labyrinths, grief recovery, nature respite.

SPEAKERS

Speaker 1, Mary Stone

Speaker 1  00:00

Mary Stone, Hello, fellow lovers of all things green; I'm Mary Stone, and welcome to garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries. It's not only about gardens. It's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learn from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in. In the spirit of learning from each other, we have lots to talk about. 

Mary Stone  00:26

Hello there. Welcome to a drizzly screen porch, although I think we have a bit of a break in the rainfall. We sure have had plenty of rain in the month of May, close to eight inches here, which is, I think, more than twice the norm, much more than we need, making the planting season a tad challenging. Perhaps Mother Nature is making up for the Fall drought. It's true, I've been planting excessively these weeks, and let me tell you something, we dig holes, and there's water that fills in, and that's not ideal for planting, so we've been having to do supplements to keep things draining properly. 

Mary Stone  01:04

I attended Comfort Zone Camp the weekend before last, which is always a glorious time. It is tiring too, sharing a cabin with chatty teenagers, making connections, many of which carry on well after camp. And it's always emotionally heart-tugging, too, hearing the stories of these brave young folks who endured such a loss so early in life. As you may hear from my froggy voice, I caught a cold there, hence why I missed visiting with you last week, but I'm grateful I have a voice now, because I virtually had no voice last week. It was really it was really humbling. It's ironic, as the name of our healing circle was the frogs. So there you go. 

Mary Stone  01:46

Today, we're going to chat about labyrinths and a special one I finally found. But before that, I want to thank you for reaching back after our last chat about When to Sow Vegetable Seeds Outdoors. After recording the episode, I returned to the garden, and now most of the peas have sprouted, so the soil temperatures warmed up nicely. Now it's time to sow many other seeds and get some starter plants in the ground if I can find time to shop for them. Anyway, on to this week's story, and it starts like this. 

Mary Stone  02:18

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I participated in comfort zone camp, a grief camp for kids and young adults the weekend before last. It's the 10th year of a special camp in partnership with the Little Hope Foundation to support those who lost a loved one to suicide over the years. As a volunteer, the experience always brings a pause as I marvel over the bravery and resilience of our youth as they share their stories and connect with others, helping them feel not all alone in their grief. Some campers from years past have become volunteers, serving as big buddies to the littles now attending camp. It's heartwarming to see their growth.  And I have to say, my little buddy was the same one I had last year. And boy it was such a delight to see her changes in a positive way, and she was excited to be amongst her friends that she met the year before. It really is a magnificent organization. I'm so honored to serve I get much more than I give. Really.

Mary Stone  03:23

We've spoken before about a Butterfly Garden of Growth in Episode 179, which is at the center of the Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center here in New Jersey, which hosted the camp. It is so lovely. There's an eight-foot fence adorned with clematis and dramatic flame orange honeysuckle. It reaches the sky and two large gates with narrow wooden posts tied to strings that allow visitors to jockey a few aside to slip into the sanctuary. I presume that's a deer deterrent, although I have to say, I heard there was a deer that got in there. And you can sit for a bed and marvel at the magical dance of the butterflies in the comfort of Adirondack chairs atop a rustic stone patio. It really is so lovely. 

Mary Stone  04:05

There's also a labyrinth that I've never been able to find despite the handy dandy map they provide. Last year, I was driven to see it but reached a dead end and thought the labyrinth might have been buried in the brush. This time, I made a mission to find it. After all the participants left, I once again followed the map through the thick canopy of trees, not a human to be seen or heard, a stark shift from the boisterous sounds of close to 150 campers and volunteers. I smiled at the adventure, reminiscent of my childhood days when I ditched my bike to explore the forest, each time going a bit farther. A wooden sign for the labyrinth pointed the way, crooked and worn, adding to the eeriness of a heavily shaded route, though I adore walking amongst the trees. Then came a crossroads, not on the map, I felt drawn to veer to the left. Shrubs tickled my ankles as I made my way about 50 more feet. To my delight, the charming labyrinth of rocks on the forest floor appeared with moss and ferns naturalizing the edges. 

Mary Stone  05:13

A rustic cross next to the tree centered amongst the circles of stones had fallen. Slowly, I walked the pathways, taking in the serenity of the world around me, and when I reached the end, I leaned the cross upright against the tree. It felt sacred.

Mary Stone  05:32

 Labyrinths are a continuous meandering path leading to the center of the design and back. They date back 4000 years, representing a spiritual journey and the reflection of the interconnectedness of all things, not to be confused with mazes that lead to nowhere, causing stress and confusion, although they're fun to do as puzzles on paper to challenge the mind. You can make a labyrinth with stones edging a woodland path, as they have at the Johnsonburg camp, or they can be mowed into a lawn, allowing the areas around them to grow longer. Or better yet, create the path in a meadow. We spoke about making a meadow in Episode 101, which also features the antics of the Woodcock dance, those little shy birds with big beaks.

Mary Stone  06:19

 Bricks or pavers set low in a lawn as a labyrinth allow you to maintain the grass easily by mowing over it, or use gravel or a lawn alternative, such as white clover, for the walking paths. Other folks plant climbing vines to create height as the edges install structures for the vines to climb on. Or you can edge the paths of the labyrinth in shadier spots with low-growing plants such as Carex, Brunnera, coral bells, Lenten Rose, Tiarella, or woodland phlox, all my favorites. And some folks use, you know, hedge-type plants such as lavender or some of the low-growing boxwoods. But I enjoy those low-growing lovelies we just spoke about. 

Mary Stone  07:02

There are nifty plans you can find online and kits for sale that map out the configuration on weed barrier fabric, which costs $450 to $1,250 depending on the design, size, and complexity. Yikes. However, the investment simplifies laying out your labyrinth on site compared to using strings and stakes. But the challenge is part of the fun, isn't it? 

Mary Stone  07:25

The idea is to enjoy the labyrinth visually and use it as a walking meditation. The path into the center of the labyrinth represents moving to the center of your being, a journey of self-discovery and reflection. When you reach the center, turn around and return to the entrance, then pause and reflect on the experience and go back to the world with clarity and a sense of connectedness to oneself and to others. Or why not just have fun dancing through the labyrinth, celebrating the beauty of the world and the gift of the loved ones we are blessed to have in this garden of life? Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com.

Mary Stone  08:06

You know it's true. Have you ever seen labyrinths in public places? Kids always run through it, you know, playing tag and having such fun, but the meditative parts of it are all-encompassing. So, while chatting with my writer friends in the writer's group, that's an offshoot of the Hay House writers community, of which I'm a member. And I hope to have my book published soon; I am putting it out there. Anyway, the gal that hosts the writer's group I'm part of said, Wait a minute, I have a gift I want to show you that was given to me, but I lost my husband. So she left the room and came back with this beautiful piece of artwork made of wood, a labyrinth that's meant to be used with your finger to go through the grooves as you contemplate your life and your experience of loss, that can be used for Grief Recovery, but it's also just a general contemplation of our lives, a space for you to reflect on things going on in your life, giving you a sense of calmness as you contemplate the journey that has a way in and a way out. 

Mary Stone  09:14

I just thought of that, actually -- when you think about the pattern of them and how you maneuver in, and then you turn around and make your way out in a more peaceful state, a beautiful thing. Oh, and there are also finger labyrinths you can find online and do the same thing. So it's kind of neat. I now have a new fascination with a labyrinth. I've designed several of them over the years, and I've never had one here. I think I need to build one. What do you think? They are proven to help those with anxiety or a sense of overwhelm and the feelings that can come with it. So, there you go. 

Mary Stone  09:49

Well, I want to thank you for visiting with me. I hope my froggy voice wasn't too difficult to hear. I'm again, so happy that I'm feeling better, and I hope all of you are doing well. In all the things going on in the world, finding that respite amongst nature helps so much, as does our time together each week. And I can't thank you enough for that privilege. I appreciate all of you that write in and comment and ask questions. I invite more of you to do the same and AskMaryStone@gmail.com, and if you would, I would greatly appreciate it if you could subscribe to the podcast if you haven't done so already so it magically appears in your feed. It would be so helpful because I want more of us to get together and enjoy and learn and grow in this garden of life. It means so much. See you next time.

Mary Stone  10:42

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at Garden Dilemmas.com and on Instagram at the hashtag Mary Elaine Stone. Garden Dilemmas Delights and Discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by.

I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch. Always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.