Hospice to Provide Walking Meditation Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool for Rest and Reflection

Hospice & Palliative CareCenter invites the public to experience its 6th annual walking meditation labyrinth, which will be set up in the agency’s Williams Education & Counseling Center (Building 121), located at 101 Hospice Lane in Winston-Salem from January 18-21 and on January 23.

The portable canvas labyrinth – designed in the style of the labyrinth found on the floor of Chartres Cathedral, a 13th century gothic cathedral in France – was created by the Winston-Salem Labyrinth Project.
“Dating back thousands of years, labyrinths have long been used as a place for rest and reflection,” explains Katie Cyre, manager of Hospice’s Complementary Therapies (CT) Program.

The CT Program offers Music and Art Therapies, as well Gentle Touch Therapies as part of patient and family care, grief counseling, and staff support.  These therapies enrich the total care of the patient, family member, and bereaved person, building upon the holistic philosophy of hospice care with therapeutic interventions that honor the mind, body, and spirit of each person.
“The journey in and out of the labyrinth is often viewed as a metaphor for life and provides opportunities for release, renewal, and insight,” Cyre says.
A new offering for 2011 is “Comfort for the Journey,” a workshop for those who are grieving the death of a loved one.  Sessions will be held on January 18, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, and on January 20, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm.  Workshops include a brief introduction to the labyrinth and a guided labyrinth walk.  There is no fee for the workshops; however, advance registration is requested.  To register, call 331-1348.
The labyrinth will be open to the public on the following dates.  No registration is required to walk the labyrinth.
•    Wednesday, January 19, 12:00 – 5:00 pm
•    Thursday, January 20, 1:00 – 7:00 pm
•    Friday, January 21, 12:00 – 7:00 pm
•    Sunday, January 23, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

“Our hospice campus serves as a place of respite and support for those seeking to gain comfort and understanding in their life journeys,” Cyre adds. “We offer the labyrinth each year with the hope that it will prove to be meaningful in the lives of those who visit.”

For more information about the labyrinth offerings, contact Katie Cyre at (336) 331-1331.

Since 1979, Hospice & Palliative CareCenter has been committed to providing quality medical, emotional, spiritual, and social support to patients and families who face a serious illness – regardless of diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment.  Today, Hospice & Palliative CareCenter provides these services in a 13-country area.  Hospice’s Grief Counseling Center offers bereavement services to families of Hospice patients as well as grief counseling to the community at large. Hospice’s Carousel Center offers pediatric palliative care to infants, children and their families.

For more information about Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, contact Ann Gauthreaux, public relations director, at 336-768-3972, or see Hospice’s website at http://www.hospicecarecenter.org!

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