by Silver Bludnicki   

 

We’ve all seen the stone labyrinth around the UConn Campus and may have even walked through it before. The question on many people’s minds is why is a labyrinth on campus? Or who made this? For what purpose does this serve?  

UConn Department of Sociology Professor-in-Residence Phoebe Godfrey is the co-creator of this project, along with community members, students both graduate and undergraduate, the Institute for Sustainability that funded the rocks, as well as Sean Vassington Executive Director University Planning, Design & Construction and Wesley Ayers III Manager of UConn Public Works.  

Professor Godfrey is an advocator for permanent labyrinths on campus; her mission aims to serve the campus community with grounding and potential healing power for those who walk through it.  

“The simple act of walking a labyrinth with intention can be a powerful experience that both helps the walker find healing and a great connection to self and the Earth,” said Godfrey 

Labyrinths are ancient archetypes dating back 4,000 years or more. They consist of having a meandering design with a singular path with no dead ends or choices that leads to an intricate arrangement of passages to the center. Unlike a maze where one can lose their way, a labyrinth can make one find their way.  

Isabella Vancho, a third semester animation and illustration major, said the labyrinth brought her peace.  

“I felt at peace because I wasn’t rushing through or anything. I was just walking and being in the moment. I don’t think it would’ve been the same experience if I cut straight to the middle.”  

Labyrinths are useful for personal, psychological, and spiritual transformation and greatly enhance right-brain activity. They serve as a symbol of personal journey, triumphs, and struggles, making it a place where one can release stress, feel connected to their sense of self, and feel spiritually connected to the Earth.  

These benefits all align with the mission and values of the Nature Rx class. The class itself promotes opportunities for spending time in nature for better health and well-being, raising awareness of scientific evidence for nature’s many benefits and creating synergism and community among the University. It’s a class where I personally found myself feeling more spiritually connected to nature and felt that I was able to relieve stress and share my struggles and triumphs with those involved in the class.