Wintergreen celebrates spring equinox with Labyrinth walk

Craig Bakay | Mar 28, 2018

They welcomed spring and the changing of the seasons at Wintergreen Studios last Friday night with a Labyrinth walk.

For those unfamiliar with the Labyrinth, the original term comes from Greek mythology, where it was an underground maze of sorts that housed the half-man, half-bull Minotaur. During the Renaissance, similar structures became popular in English gardens and remains so today.

But, the Wintergreen Labyrinth is not a maze, as director Rena Upitis explained.

“In a maze, you get lost,” she said. “In a labyrinth, you find yourself.”

“It’s walking meditation,” said program director Monica Capovilla. “You walk the perimeter to get your bearings and then you enter and walk at your own pace.

“It’s not prescribed, you see how your body will react.

“And you meet people.”

This is the third Labyrinth walk Wintergreen has hosted. They correspond to the solstices and equinoxes.

“It was built last July,” Capovilla said. “We walked in our bare feet in the fall and by candlelight in the winter.

“It’s always a different experience.”

(Technically, the equinox was on the previous Tuesday but “that didn’t really work with out schedule,” Capovilla joked.)

The Labyrinth itself is a circular pattern (Minoan C pattern for this one) delineated by rocks. Appropriately for the spring season, one half was snow-covered while the other was not.

It took 16 minutes for the first person to complete and 20 minutes for the last person to emerge.

“It’s such a blend of people,” said Upitis. “Everyone here knew at least one person and everyone met at least one new person.”

And everyone seemed to get something different out the experience. Nobody said a word while they were in the Labyrinth but just about everybody had something to say afterward.

“It took me 90 per cent of it to let go,” said Marta Straznicky.

“I’m amazed at how much walking you can do in such a short space,” said another lady. “I want one in my back yard.”

Another lady put some soil from Ireland in the centre.

“I found I was breathing differently on the longer stretches,” she said.