preparing the space

my morning reminder...

happy st. patrick's night

"May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door." - An Irish Toast

Happy Birthday to my baby brother, Dave....I love you! Rob

labyrinths in kentucky

My dear friend, Jen, just sent me this link this morning after reading the latest issue of THE SPIRIT OF VERIDITAS, VOICES FROM THE LABYRINTH. Thanks for supporting me so much, Jen. I love you!

This program aired on the Kentucky PBS affiliate station KET several years ago and will be on again locally on April 4th. It is called "Labyrinths in Kentucky."

What makes this 18 1/2 minute segment so sacred to me is the fact that the very first labyrinth I ever walked in my life back in the fall of 2001 is one of the featured labyrinths. The mowed grass labyrinth at The Church of the Epiphany in Anchorage, Kentucky no longer exists as a beautiful permanent paved labyrinth has since replaced it. (My husband walked it a few years ago while back in Louisville on business, but I have yet to see it).

Anyway, that incredible first moment on the Path came alive for me again in this beautiful video on this very morning. I was instantly returned to the beauty of the place where it all began for me. I was standing in the very spot where I first felt God's unmistakable prompting to my heart, "Robin, remove your shoes for you are on sacred ground."

I did. I was. And I have been ever since....

Enjoy the video for yourself:http://www.ket.org/kentuckylife/1000s/kylife1022.html

The television program also includes footage of Master Labyrinth Builder, Robert Ferre', who I was blessed to train with in October 2009. With a band of volunteers, we constructed the newest Louisville labyrinth at Historic Farmington. (Pics and video are available here in my October blog archives).

Peace for your path today and always.

Love,
Robin

"the blue moon issue"

THE SPIRIT OF VERIDITAS, VOICES FROM THE LABYRINTH Winter 2010 issue is now online!

http://www.veriditas.org/newsletters/archive/LJ-Winter2010%20-%20FINAL.pdf

silent walking meditation

Message from Robin Bradley Hansel:

A Walking Tour of the Japanese Meditation Garden at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead

Click on a video below to watch it:

	My Morning Zen Video Length 3:58 Click here to watch

To learn more about the Flip Video Camcorder, click here.

In the late Tuesday morning hours after the wonderful evening labyrinth walk at the Signature HealthCARE 2010 Learning Congress, it began to snow the most beautiful giant white flakes. The rain that morning had forced my 6am Spiritual Pilates Mediation Walk group indoors where we worked on learning the fundamentals of Pilates breath and neutral spinal alignment in the hallway off the elevator. Though these concepts were fun to teach, but I had really wanted our first session to take place out in the the hotel's delightful Zen garden as planned.

The wait for my own unexpected silent morning moment, however, was entirely worth it.....

I wrapped a scarf around my head, zipped up my not-so-winter-warm Florida jacket and ventured out just as soon as I finished getting the Labyrinth Mediation Room ready for the Signature HealthCARE attendees. This silent video is the result of my private sacred moments in the snow.

I hope you enjoy my walk! Peace for your Path....
Love,
Robin

rise up....

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. The fig tree put forth her green figs and the vine with the tender grapes gives a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away!

From the Song of Solomon 2: 10-13

colors delight

welcome to Artfest By The Sea!

a bicycle along the path

a pathway to art

calm seas

a green flag Sunday

pier path

next week is Third Thursdays on the Labyrinth

Join us for a special Lenten labyrinth walk. Visit www.goodsheponline.org for details.

Peace for your Path, Signature HealthCARE! Labyrinth Wellness, LLC thanks you for choosing our company for your corporate labyrinth experience. It was truly a wonderful week!

Signature HealthCARE, LLC

There are so many incredible people I have to thank....

My husband, Scott Hansel, who is the President of Renew Rx (a Signature HealthCARE company) is my obvious connection to this wonderful organization. Scott is my Light here on earth (and also the only individual who can correctly fold up my new labyrinth so that it fits perfectly back into its crate for travel!) Thank you, my love, for believing in me and for encouraging my ministry and my dreams.

E. Joseph Steier, III, who is the President and CEO of Signature HealthCARE, LLC, believed in me last year when he invited Labyrinth Wellness, LLC to the first annual Learning Congress 2009 (story pages 3-4) in Louisville, KY. Joe, his beautiful wife Sony and their wonderful kids have been treasured friends of ours for almost two decades now (wow, that makes me old!). As a leader, he inspires me daily with his passion and his commitment to his company and all its employees. Thank you, Joe, for your tremendous support and for your loving friendship!

Dr. Joseph Barimo, VP of Corporate Learning, has also been amazingly supportive of Labyrinth Wellness, LLC. We were so glad we could share in your birthday celebration this year, Joe! Your enthusiasm for education and growth is absolutely contagious.

Tiffany Blackwell, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, has been (as always) invaluable to me personally and to Labyrinth Wellness, LLC in countless ways. Always graceful under the most extreme pressure, Tiffany, is the go-to person for everything "Signature" and also someone I consider a dear friend. Thank you, Tiffany! You are a treasure....

Kim Engel, Director of Spiritual Initiatives, was absolutely amazing to work with as well. Kim came up with the idea for the Zen Mediation Garden Walk which tied in just perfectly with the labyrinth programming she and I planned together. Kim invited me to creatively add some extra events this year for Signature employees which incorporated my Pilates and Physical Therapy training. This was lots of fun for me. Kim's commitment to sharing Spirituality with Signature Stakeholders through her creation of the Dove Coalition and her other innovative ideas, continues to richly add to the personal growth of each person who embraces her gentle ideas.

Holli Jones, QOL Program Manager, was wonderfully supportive in securing ballroom space for the labyrinth walk on Monday night and for reserving the beautiful Labyrinth Meditation Room which was so well utilized the rest of the week. I loved getting to visit with you, Holli, in that quiet space....

Jason Kwart drove my labyrinth and my supply crate (along with a giant van of Signature HealthCARE supplies) all the way from South Florida to Atlanta and back again. Thank you, Jason, so much, for taking care of my treasured Path! Sean O'Malley helped Scott and I pack up labyrinth supplies Monday evening and our old friend, Mark McFerron, loaned us his sturdy cart to tote them around.

To these individuals and to the rest of the fabulous 2010 Learning Congress Committee: Jeanne Boshchert, Janet Bradley, Erica Staley and Brandon Ludwig, I thank each of you so very much!

And to all the Walkers and Seekers I met this past week: I am truly blessed to have spent such quality time with you.

Peace for you Path,
Robin

my favorite cozy corner of the Labyrinth Meditation Room at the Signature HealthCARE Learning Congress 2010

As I continue to reflect today on a fabulous week, I take comfort in these warm pictures from The Atlanta Room of the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. Although outside it was snowy and cold, inside the Labyrinth Mediation Room we were content within the comfortable container of a truly sacred space....

I enjoyed sharing information about labyrinths with each Signature HealthCARE Stakeholder who stopped by in between busy meeting sessions. Many of these individuals had never seen a finger labyrinth. I was able to share informational handouts with them and they could trace finger labyrinths of all shapes and sizes if they wished to do so: wooden, metal, glass, sand, and cloth. Instrumental music, vanilla candles and books and articles about labyrinths were available at all times.

Some attendees came in just to sit and pray for a few brief moments.

I was truly blessed to meet every individual who journeyed with me on this Path.
May you all find deep healing and Peace!

Love,
Robin

comfortable chairs provide sacred space to relax by the picture window

conference attendees could read books about labyrinths or "walk" finger labyrinths

soft lighting and candles helped to create a peaceful oasis

a view from the Atlanta Labyrinth Meditation room

the waterfall from within

The Japanese Zen Mediation Garden of the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead was spectacular! An unexpected snowy Tuesday morning provided a rare compliment to the natural beauty of this incredible space located right in the midst of a bustling, urban area.

The third floor Garden was exquisitely silent. I was spellbound for many long moments, and I couldn't stop taking pictures. I wanted to take the gentle silence with me forever....

My heart felt pure and full and as light as the feathery snow falling on my scarf-covered head. It was freezing, but I was deeply warmed beyond all understanding.

For me, this Path simply radiated Peace.

one last look at the path

winter tree

above the waterfall

the lovely zen garden at our hotel

Each morning at 6am, I had the exciting opportunity to lead a group of walkers on a Spiritual Pilates Walk through the lovely Japanese Zen Meditation Garden. The weather was COLD, and we had to modify our programming quite a bit to accommodate this.

Still, we managed to learn how to perform the proper Pilates breath, how to locate neutral spine and walk with this maintained, how to formulate a personal breath prayer and, finally, how to use that breath prayer in our meditative walking practice. I was blessed by this programming probably the most of anyone....especially as we gathered in a circle of silent unity, holding hands in the darkness.

My heart goes out to each of my special walking friends. Thanks for getting up so early with me, dear ladies! You are all lights on the Path for me. I will never, ever forget you.

Next year, it WILL be warmer (right??)

Peace and Love,
Robin

a welcoming path

I couldn't bear to walk across this snow-covered bridge, it was so perfectly lovely....So, I scrambled around it (very ungracefully!), yet the pictures were absolutely worth it.

snow bridge

snow-dusted bench

morning path

snow in Atlanta

ready for walkers

On Monday evening, my twenty-four foot Modified Medieval Seven-Circuit Labyrinth was available for attendees of the Signature HealthCARE Learning Congress 2010 to walk at their leisure. So many walkers kept coming, that we kept the labyrinth open for an extra hour. Meditative music, soft candlelight and beautiful individuals filled the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.

It was a truly memorable night for us all.....

my little labyrinth....

Walkers could relax at three tables filled with finger labyrinths and inspirational reading material. Candles surrounded the perimeter of the path and invited extra Light to the walker's individual experience in the center. It was a truly sacred evening....

a long journey to the Learning Congress

flying out tonight to Signature HealthCARE Learning Congress 2010 in Atlanta, GA

I am so thrilled to have been invited to attend this wonderful annual event again this year.

I will be facilitating an open labyrinth walk tomorrow evening for all the attendees. Early each morning I'll have the pleasure of leading interested participants in wellness walks through the hotel's beautiful Japanese garden.

During the afternoons, Labyrinth Wellness, LLC will have a meditation room available for any Signature HealthCARE stakeholder to drop in and relax between sessions. Finger labyrinths and other meditative tools will be set up in an quiet oasis of sacred space....

Check my blog all this week for updates and pictures of this exciting event! Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers for a wonderful week of learning and personal growth.

Peace for your Path

and speaking of friendships.....

....read this story about my labyrinth friend, Ellen, and her amazing friendship with Glennetta. It will make your day!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/happynews/chi-happy-friendship-100219-story,0,2991989.story

thinking of my special friend this morning....

"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our Hearts, and we are never ever the same." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Blog on, my sister!

Love you,
Robin

iPause

iPause

The new iPhone app called iPause is Fabulous!!!!! You can choose to walk six different beautiful labyrinths to the music of your choice. 

I love the Eleven Circuit Medieval or Chartres-style labyrinth. I really think this iPhone application is so great, and I commend the creators of it. It is yet another wonderful way for all of us to share the labyrinth with others.

Let me know your thoughts if you try it out. It is just 99 cents so that is super, too!

Available from the iTunes store. Here is the link again to the creator's website. Way to go Notebook Press. You guys are brilliant!
http://www.notebookpress.com/info_ipause.html

welcome to the labyrinth

I am packing up my labyrinth gear today in early preparation for heading to Signature HealthCARE's Learning Congress 2010 on March 1-4th in Atlanta! Labyrinth Wellness, LLC is looking forward to another exciting week facilitating labyrinth walks, meditative reflection exercises and wellness activities utilizing Pilates principles at this year's annual meeting.

The Signature HealthCARE March 2009 Learning Congress was great but this year's event is sure to be an even bigger and better. Enjoy reading about last year's conference in THE SPIRIT OF VERIDITAS, VOICES FROM THE LABYRINTH Fall 2009 issue "Incorporating Labyrinths: Facilitators Help Businesses Embrace the Path" pages 3-4.

in the silence we can hear the song.....listen.

I am hoping for more quiet time as this new Lenten season begins. Perhaps I should rephrase that.....I am hoping that I can try to become quiet and remain still each and every day for longer and longer amounts of time.

I have watched enough of the Star Wars movies to know the wise words of Yoda, "Do or do not. There is no try." So maybe "hope" is a bit of a cop-out word. Perhaps I need to get more "all in."

The Thursday after Ash Wednesday always feels like a fresh start to me. Yet, although I often set out on my Lenten journey with the very best intentions, in a few weeks, I usually disappoint myself. My past failures on this path have enabled me to choose to remain a bit tentative.

This is why my "Word of the Day" in The Motherhood circle is "Discipline". For me, it is not as much about giving something up for Lent (although our young son has challenged me to let go of my anxiety - but that is another blog for another day!) as it is about being faithful to add in the time required to be still and to be led by God EVERY SINGLE DAY without excuse.

I feel sure it is less about my journey and really all about following God's Path set for me. So, then, why is this so hard???

Our minister last night said that we each have the incredible opportunity to come back to the altar on Easter Sunday, much closer to God than we are right now. He said we each have been given the gift of six full weeks to make deepening our relationship with God our heart's most authentic desire. To pursue this desire as a goal may potentially change us forever.

Will we do that? Will I?

Here is today's quote from my favorite daily calendar. It reminds me that being silent and being attentive truly is the first step that I personally need to take this Lenten season. I hope you will discover your own "first step" and join me.

"Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the Deeper Vibration. Listen carefully. Spirit's playing your song." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

May we all soon meet on the Path....Peace to you.

ash wednesday...peace for your path on this first day of Lent

a reminder of hope by julian of norwich

"...but all will be well, and every kind of thing will be well." - Julian of Norwich

lovely....

love

happy valentine's day

"We are what we love. If we love God, in whose image we were created, we discover ourselves in him and we cannot help being happy: we have already achieved something of the fullness of being for which we were destined in our creation. If we love everything else but God, we contradict the image born in our very essence, and we cannot help being unhappy, because we are living a caricature of what we are meant to be." - Thomas Merton

enjoy Tidings every month

A special thank you to The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd for allowing me to write a monthly labyrinth reflection for their Journal.

Please enjoy my devotional on page 2 of the February 2010 issue of TIDINGS which is, of course, about Love.

http://goodsheponline.com/Tidings22010.pdf

Peace for your loving Path,
Robin

a wonderful video of the building of the labyrinth at Historic Farmington in Louisville, KY

I want to thank Dr. Renee Rust-Yarmuth who is the Chaplain and Wellness Director of Sullivan University for sharing this exciting link with me last night. THANKS!!!

Michael Reyes created this lovely introduction to a short documentary that he is producing for Sullivan University. Thank you, Michael for your artistry and for reminding me of the spectacular fall beauty of our construction days together.

Some of you who follow my blog regularly will remember that in October I was blessed to travel to my hometown of Louisville, KY to attend the SEEKING THE SYMMETRY OF THE SOUL: BIENNIAL LABYRINTH CONFERENCE that was hosted by the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It was an amazing week. Please check my October 2009 blog archives for lots and lots of pictures.....

The footage for Michael's documentary was shot on the last two days of our conference. The gift of the labyrinth to the city of Louisville was a joint effort of Sullivan University, Historic Farmington and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It was built by a group of about 15 volunteers under the leadership of Mr. Robert Ferre, a very well-known and highly respected labyrinth builder. Robert's company is Labyrinth Enterprises, LLC.

So, click on this link. You won't be sorry.....Enjoy and Peace for your Path!

http://vimeo.com/8860081

Be sure to check back soon for the rest of Sullivan University's documentary.

a meditation by Madeleine L'Engle

This author has been the source of much Light on the path for me ever since I first read A WRINKLE IN TIME as a young girl. I have read it countless times since then along with Madeleine L'Engle's many other beautiful spiritual memoirs.

Here is the August 9th devotional from GLIMPSES OF GRACE: DAILY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS edited by Mrs. L'Engle's dear friend, Carol F. Chase. I know it is not August, but I needed to remind myself of this Truth right now.....

FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT

And ultimately forgiveness is a gift of grace rather than an act of will. I have to be willing to forgive, but I cannot will myself to forgive. I can forgive with my mind, but forgiveness is finally a matter of the heart. And the forgiveness of the heart comes from God, not from me. My part in it is to be willing to accept it. One test which indicates whether or not forgiveness has really taken place is to look at whatever it is that needs to be forgiven and see if it still hurts. If it does, forgiveness has not yet happened. But I have also learned, and I have learned it through pain, that I must be patient with myself. Just as my body is going to need more time to complete its healing from the physical trauma of the accident, so my heart, my spirit, also need time, and I, ever impatient, must be patient with myself. - Madeleine L'Engle

Peace for your Path.

Love,
Robin

centering time

sunshine on the path

blue boca sky

sturdy tree

view from the center

appreciating where I started

beauty in the shadow places

a leaf to consider

quiet spot

listen

I know God is speaking to me when I stop listening to sounds from the world that feed my sense of pride and ambition. Instead, I fall quiet, tune in to God’s great world around me, and actively listen. Sometimes nature speaks, telling me of God’s majesty and glory. And sometimes the Spirit speaks, awakening my conscience, reminding me of failures, stirring my compassion and sense of justice, aligning me with God’s will. I cannot control the voice of God or how it comes. I can only control my “ears” – my readiness to listen and quickness to respond.

-Philip Yancey

the best part of the superbowl

Watching "Puppy Bowl VI" on Animal Planet!

the "blog with integrity pledge"

BLOG with INTEGRITY

By displaying the Blog with Integrity badge or signing the pledge, I assert that the trust of my readers and the blogging community is important to me.

I treat others respectfully, attacking ideas and not people. I also welcome respectful disagreement with my own ideas.

I believe in intellectual property rights, providing links, citing sources, and crediting inspiration where appropriate.

I disclose my material relationships, policies and business practices. My readers will know the difference between editorial, advertorial, and advertising, should I choose to have it. If I do sponsored or paid posts, they are clearly marked.

When collaborating with marketers and PR professionals, I handle myself professionally and abide by basic journalistic standards.

I always present my honest opinions to the best of my ability.

I own my words. Even if I occasionally have to eat them.


Click on the badge in my sidebar and sign the pledge today. Bloggers unite! Let's keep our Paths pure.....Love, Robin

blogging into the unknown

I was just blogging away at one of my favorite sites, The Motherhood, sharing with friends there how I am struggling to accept this new path I am feeling called to tread this year....A path where TRUST is the "Word of the Day" every single day....A path were I can't see the final destination no matter how hard I strain my eyes.

Trust God - Trust myself - Trust others (really hard sometimes!)

Anyway, one friend there quoted one of my all-time favorite quotes back to me. She had just seen it on a greeting card.

It is by Patrick Overton, and I share it below with all of you. It is always in the sacred corner I have set up in my kitchen, but TODAY it is right here at my computer as I work.

Thanks for the reminder, friend....Thanks for Loving me, God, through those you place in my Path always at Your appropriate time.

Peace, Love and Light (within and beyond even the darkest spaces of the Unknown),
Robin

again, today, with "the unknown".....

When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take that step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen: there will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will learn to fly. - Patrick Overton