LANSING - As she walked the maze-like pattern in the cement, Connie Purdue said it brought her inner peace, despite hearing car horns, engines and other sounds of a busy day.
“As I get towards the end of the labyrinth I tend to slow down,” the East Lansing resident said. “I just keep thinking, ‘Oh no, I have to go back into the fast-paced world.’”
Purdue took part in the Center for Health, Humanities and Well-Being’s Day of Relaxation and Reflection in the Sparrow Hospital Professional Building, 1215 East Michigan Ave., in Lansing on Wednesday. The day offered an opportunity to visit the center and find out more information about the services it offers on spiritual healing.
Each hour was designated to a specific topic ranging from meditation to walking the 36-foot-wide circular labyrinth outside the center in the healing garden. The garden features a relaxing setting with plants, benches and sculptures where people can go to meditate or sit in concentration.
Purdue said she often makes time in her schedule as a home care medical professional to visit the center and walk the labyrinth.
“I think it has all-around benefits physically and emotionally,” she said. “When your spirits and emotions are in line it is also easy for your body to respond medically.”
MSU Associate Professor Gwen Wyatt was at the center to talk about the presence and effects of water in people’s lives. The center contains a large water fountain that visitors can sit and listen to as a relaxation technique.
“Water is involved in so many aspects of our lives,” Wyatt said. “There is so much more to water than we ever expected, including spiritual benefits.”
Wyatt also discussed the practice of guided imagery at Wednesday’s event. The technique centers around audio tapes that take listeners through relaxation and ask the person to imagine a place in their mind where they feel safe and welcome.
Wyatt said the practice is becoming more popular and is used with chemotherapy patients.
“Patients have been known to note improvements in anxiety levels, fatigue and depression,” she said. “Their overall quality of life changes for the better which makes their medical treatment easier to handle.”
Other topics during the event included the involvement of music and prayer in healing.
“We didn’t have huge groups but that’s OK,” said Denise Green, director of the center. “I know the people who did come really enjoyed themselves.”
