By walking a labyrinth, you are awakening your inner path. The left hand pathway stimulates the left side of the brain, and the right hand paths the opposite. On reaching the centre of the labyrinth, the balance of the two side of the brain is equal, allowing you to come from the point of your third eye. This calm, serene, all knowing place, that allows for the subconscious mind to blossom.
Lost in the mysteries of over 4000 years, people have walked the paths, for inner awareness. The seven circuit labyrinth, allows the walker to tune into the energy of the seven planets. It also stimulates the seven chakras of the body. The eleven circuit labyrinth(+inner circle) gives twelve points, as in the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Labyrinths come in all shapes and sizes, mostly three, seven and eleven circuits. The very early evidence of them stretches across Great Britain to India ,and to the south west of the U.S.A. In the Roman world paths were laid out using mosaic paving, in bath houses, but were more decorative than for walking. Then on a bigger scale is the labyrinth walk around the hill at Glastonbury. Up and down, back and forth, this is not an exercise for the weak of knees! They are to be found cut into the grass, or laid in place with stones, in Great Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
Apart from the deeper meaning of ‘walking the labyrinth’ is the very apparent effect one gains from the exercise. Some describe it as ‘ spiritual’, others as ‘serene’ then for others it is ‘pure joy’.
The most famous, which is still in use, is the Chartres Labyrinth. The path, set into the floor stones in the nave of the Cathedral, it has a diameter of over 40 feet. Once used as a pilgrimage, was used as a substitute journey to Jerusalem. Established in 1201, it is probably the most walked labyrinth of anywhere. It is this labyrinth the one in Auckland at the Church of St Columba is based on.