Walking Kitsap's labyrinths one foot in front of the other

[icymist]

A maze is confusing by definition, with many paths from which to choose.

Rae Hight’s labyrinth, EmmaBella, has only one way out — the same as the path in.

“When somebody comes to a labyrinth, it’s a free market, no rules,” said Hight, a South Kitsap wellness coach. “It’s not about religion. So many people think it’s a religious thing. It’s meditation, period.”

Hight’s is one of several labyrinths in Kitsap — they are maze-looking ground designs curious to the uninformed eye, laid out often with stones, bark wood or greenery. For thousands of years, and in many different cultures, they have been used to meditate, to find focus or strength, or to pray. Found near hiking trails, on resort properties or church grounds, labyrinths have an intriguing presence. But their use — not pagan or cultish, simply spiritual — is truly up to the user.

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