From Darkness to Light – Candlelit Labyrinth Walk and Sound Bath

TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT SOLD OUT ON EVENTBRITE On the eve of Winter Solstice come and join the Brighton & Hove Centre for Spirituality for a rich and special evening of candlelit labyrinth walk, meditation and sound bath, evoking in symbol, simple ritual, poetry, voice and music the movement from darkness to light.
Numbers are limited and tickets (£12 standard, £7.50 concessions) must be bought in advance through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-darkness-to-light-candlelit-labyrinth-walk-and-sound-bath-tickets-52148863655

Many spiritual traditions hold this period of the year as a time of waiting in the darkness and looking forward to the return of the light. In the Christian tradition, advent means “the coming” and the anticipation of the Christ light emerging in the world. The evening is an invitation to connect to our inner light, the Divine Spirit, within each of us, which guides us on our life’s journey, especially when the outer world can feel overwhelming and the darkness all too evident. Amidst the busyness of preparation for Christmas take a couple of hours to pause, be quiet and reflect, as it is in silence that we find the gateway to the soul, that deepest part of ourselves.

There will be opportunity during the evening to transition, as you wish, between labyrinth walking, sound bath and meditative reflection using art materials. Labyrinth are inclusive, archetypal symbols that have been found in different cultures for over 4000 years. We will walk a candlelit 7 circuit labyrinth. Labyrinths are circuitous spiral paths which lead us to a centre area; you walk the same path back out returning to the beginning. Cathy Rowland will accompany the labyrinth walk with voice and music. Either before or after your labyrinth walk you can focus just on the Sound Bath experience. This involves lying down fully clothed in a relaxed state while being bathed in meditative sounds from a range of instruments, including Tibetan/Crystal bowls and voice. The sounds are contemplative in nature, and are intended to have a gentle, healing effect. Please bring a mat and a blanket if you would like to experience the Sound Bath as part of the evening.

No prior experience of meditation, sounds baths or labyrinths is required. The café at St Augustine’s will be open at 9pm after the evening for the sale of hot drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Do stay if you can.

John Watters and Cathy Rowland will be hosting the evening. Cathy Rowland is a professional Music Therapist and Sound Therapist with many years’ experience working in varied healthcare and community settings. She has a special interest in the healing qualities of sound and has been providing meditative contemplative music for the popular Labyrinth Walks in Brighton & Hove for the last 8 years. John Watters is the co-founder of the Brighton & Hove Centre for Spirituality, has hosted labyrinth walks in church, community and organisational settings in the UK for 20 years. John is also in the Editorial Board for the Journal of the Study of Spirituality. John’s paid work is as a leadership consultant working cross-sectorally in UK as well as internationally, where he assists with creating the conditions that allow people to be fully human on a full-time basis.