Events Calendar
Starts at the High Park and Bloor entrance. We will walk to the labyrinth and join labyrinth walkers around the world at 1:00 pm for World Labyrinth Day.
Summer solstice marks the time when the sun ‘stands still’, offering us, in the north, our longest daylight and our shortest night. We walk the labyrinth in celebration of the great circle of life, the sun, the giver of life and energy through all living things. As we enter into the summer season, it is a time to contemplate what we give light to, what sustains us, and where we put our energy. As the sun holds us every day, without fail and asking nothing of us, it is a time to think about how we can reflect this great gift within our lives and out into the world. Facilitated by Rev. Irma Haggith
PRESS RELEASE: Thousands Walk in Moving Meditation for Peace on World Labyrinth Day in May
What do you call the journey of a thousand footsteps that winds up exactly where it began? The answer lies in the labyrinth: an ancient archetype recently rediscovered as a path of prayer and walking meditation.
This spring The Labyrinth Society (TLS) invites the world to cross mental borders in a shared symbolic walk for peace in celebration of the 7th Annual World Labyrinth Day (WLD). Held on the first Saturday in May (May 2, 2015), individuals or groups can participate by holding private walks or public events on the labyrinth.
“As mindfulness and meditation have gone mainstream, people around the world have been turning to labyrinths as a spiritual exercise or for stress relief,” says coordinator Lars Howlett. “Based on an informal event survey in 2014, over 5,000 people participated in WLD from more than 44 states and 23 countries.” TLS encourages participants to be counted by taking a WLD Participation Survey.
Existing for more than 4,000 years, labyrinths are mythological designs having a variety of uses. In a hyperactive world of constant connectivity, labyrinths are in resurgence as more people seek out sacred spaces that promote insight and inner wisdom.
“While many use labyrinths for personal reflection, WLD is an opportunity to ‘Walk as One at 1’ in the afternoon (local time) in solidarity with others around the world to promote peace. It’s heartwarming to think of hundreds of people walking in Australia, Poland, Scotland, and Colombia, among other countries where participants organized local events last year,” notes Howlett. “The first person to sign up this year is from Zambia!” Participants can share their photos and stories in The Labyrinth Society’s Events Facebook Group and locally in the High Park Labyrinth Facebook Group
Labyrinths are also found in diverse environments, from schools, parks, and prisons to corporate campuses in Silicon Valley. Google offers two for employees in Mountain View and a golden snail greets visitors at the center of the walking path at Electronic Arts in Redwood City. Churches are building labyrinths as an alternative way to engage their communities and facilitate spiritual practice.
Celebrations of World Labyrinth Day can be posted and found via the TLS Events Calendar. The World Wide Labyrinth Locator is another resource for finding labyrinths in your local community or while traveling throughout the world.
“We have an ambitious goal this year for participation in all 50 United States as well as 50 countries. As governments and armies seem to further polarize world peoples, the labyrinth has been a bridge between cultures throughout history,” notes Howlett. “World Labyrinth Day is for everyone and, like the labyrinth itself, is an opportunity to develop tolerance and compassion for others from different walks of life.”
Here are some easy ways to let us (and others) know that you are walking:
- Be counted (anonymous ok) as a participating location by filling out the WLD Participation Survey
- Post your event on the TLS Events Calendar
- Share your photos and stories in High Park Labyrinth Facebook Group and The Labyrinth Society Facebook Group (you will need to join the group – it’s free – and log in)
Organized by Branch Yoga and Wellness.
Open to drop-ins.
The Labyrinth is open for public use. During these celestially auspicious occasions people like to gather and walk together to mark the cycle of the seasons in the circles that mark time, the labyrinth, much like the circles marking the age of the trees. These markings surround us in nature and we just continue to work with them in life. There are many groups that use the High Park Labyrinth on these auspicious days. If you happen across a group and would like to join them, please ask, most groups would gladly welcome newcomers. If you are part of a group and would like to post the time for your walk, please contact us at info@highpark.org and we will post it on the calendar.
Organized by West Mimico United Church.
Open to drop-ins.
Colborne Lodge - Explore Colborne Lodge and enjoy historic treats and hands-on activities for the whole family! Grandparents are FREE! From noon to 4:30 pm.
Fire Engine will be at Jamie Bell Playground from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm
High Park Labyrinth – Enjoy a special labyrinth walk connecting the generations walking grandparents with grandchildren. Facilitated walk starts at 2:30 pm, with harpist Frances Roberts-Reilly. See www.facebook.com/events/1460044494300922/ for more info.
High Park Nature Centre at the Zoo – 11:30 am -2.00 pm – Learn about the different creatures that make High Park their home and explore our animal “Touch Table” with High Park Nature Centre staff.
High Park Stewards – Volunteer to restore and protect natural areas. Meet in front of Grenadier Restaurant at 10.30 am
High Park Zoo – open dawn to dusk. Llama Pen activities from 11.30 to 2.00 pm – pet the rabbits, llamas and baby reindeer.
Explore the Park – Walk the Nature Trails – Stroll through Hillside Gardens, Sunken Gardens, Maple Leaf Garden and the Children’s Garden – Walk your dog in the Off-Leash Areas – Take the Trackless Train, a delightful way to see the Park without effort.
Bring the whole family and join us for GRANDPARENTS’ DAY TEA from 3-5pm at the beautiful Sunnyside Pavilion Cafe at the beach! Wear a hat, win a prize! For more info and to purchase your tickets, CLICK HERE