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How to Make an Upright, Standing Labyrinth

Labyrinths are an ancient meditation tool made for a calming, walking meditation. A labyrinth, as opposed to a maze, is unicursal; that is, it has one single path to the center, whereas mazes present puzzles, giving a choice on which way to turn and include dead ends as well as one successful path. People and cultures worldwide created labyrinths for the purposes of healing, meditation and personal transformation. Making an upright or standing labyrinth calls for garden hedges or walls and pathways lined with rocks or upright stones.

Things You'll Need

Pencil and paper
60-yard masking tape
Measuring rope that is 3 to 4 feet longer than the radius of the labyrinth
Yardstick
Box hedges or upright stones

Instructions

- 1
  Find a labyrinth design you admire. Because building a hedge or rock labyrinth is a complex endeavor, choosing one of the simpler designs would be a good idea.
- 2
  Figure out the size of your labyrinth. Make it a bit smaller than the space you are planning on building it in. You will need to gather enough hedges/rocks before beginning to build the labyrinth.
- 3
  Draw the labyrinth design on paper so you can visualize it clearly. Measure out the space you'll need for the hedges, rocks and pathways.
- 4
  Make the measuring rope. The rope will need to be attached to a pole or broom in the center of the labyrinth. Once you know the path width and the diameter of the center, you will mark the rope using magic marker to measure pathways and hedges or rocks.
- 5
  Using the measuring rope, mark spaces for the center of the labyrinth, pathways and hedges or rocks. Mark the center, pathways and hedges or rocks with masking tape.
- 6
  Prepare the soil for the box hedges if you'll be planting your labyrinth, or begin to place the rocks on the spaces marked by the masking tape.
- 7
  Plant the box hedges or set-up the rocks for the labyrinth.

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