By Amanda Mlekush
A group of faculty and staff were some of the first to see and experience a new outdoor labyrinth located in a green space in front of Levine Hall’s main entrance. The labyrinth is one of two permanent labyrinths located on Appalachian State University’s Boone campus (the other labyrinth is located near Sanford Mall).
The path to establishing it took about as many turns as the intricate design of the labyrinth.
Social Work faculty members Dr. Denise Levy and Dr. Heather Thorp, alongside other faculty and staff from the university, have advocated for more than a decade to establish the meditative spaces that now exist near Sanford Mall and Levine Hall.
About 10 years ago, Levy and Thorp facilitated a faculty/staff learning community–Expressive Arts and Social Justice–and purchased a canvas labyrinth for campus use. The cloth labyrinth made its way to spaces all over the university campus, surrounding community and even to travel to conferences. Levy said the success of the cloth labyrinth reinforced how useful a labyrinth would be for the community.
“Even though we had a portable cloth labyrinth, our group never forgot that we wanted to work to establish a permanent labyrinth on campus,” Levy, who is a professor in the Social Work department, said. “In our fast-paced world, It’s important to take time to slow down and reflect. A labyrinth can help you do that. Every time you walk the labyrinth is a different experience based on what’s going on in your life at that moment, and those moments can be incredibly powerful and helpful.”
(Photo shows different colors of paver stones that outline the path inside the labyrinth).
For the new labyrinths on campus, everything came together at the right moment, Levy said.
Jordan Perry, the Director of App State’s Wellness and Prevention Services, secured a grant from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to help fund the construction of the Sanford labyrinth, which honors students, faculty and staff in recovery. Dean Marie Huff from the Beaver College of Health Sciences allocated funding toward establishing the Levine labyrinth. Both labyrinths are part of the university’s Outdoor Wellness Locations (OWLs) Initiative, which is designed to carve out space for well-being in campus locations.
Construction on the labyrinths started during the summer of 2024, with installation completed before the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year. App State’s Facilities Operations took the lead on grading and carefully measuring the labyrinth spaces with the Labyrinth Company installing the pavers of a unique, 8-circuit labyrinth design.
The labyrinths are now available for use by classes, groups and individuals. Labyrinth reservations for groups and classes are available through the university’s 25Live reservation system. Levy and Thorp are offering workshops, including Labyrinth Facilitator Training and a Guided Labyrinth Walk (Upcoming walk dates are Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Sanford Mall/Anne Belk Hall and Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Levine Hall).
Some labyrinth tips and facts:
A labyrinth is not a maze and not designed to amplify confusion.
When walking a labyrinth, take a single path leading to the center, pause in the center, and then turn to walk back out the same single path.
Each labyrinth experience is different, and labyrinth walks can be metaphors for life. For instance, one might walk in memory of a loved one, as a personal meditation, or to focus on releasing (walking in), receiving (center), and returning (walking out).
Walking can be done individually or in a group.
Learn more about the history of labyrinths on the university’s campus, and how to utilize the space.