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Designed by Frankfort-based landscape design firm Inside Out Design, the 11-circuit Wellington Park labyrinth will be constructed out of stone pavers. Rendering furnished
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Lexington Parks & Recreation donated the use of a plot of land in Wellington Park for the project. While conveniently located near the park’s parking lot, the space is surrounded by an idyllic grove of trees. Rendering furnished
Guided by the notion that everyone could use some added peace and tranquility in their lives, two locals are working toward bringing the meditative and restorative benefits of an outdoor walking labyrinth to Lexington’s Wellington Park.
Counseling psychologist Sherry Rostosky and attorney Bennett Clark are longtime Lexington residents who share an appreciation for outdoor spaces and a connection to overall wellness. Rostosky has studied and personally benefited from walking labyrinths in Asheville, North Carolina; San Francisco; Toronto; and Santa Fe, New Mexico; for over a decade.
“I started walking them in San Francisco – the one at Grace Cathedral there – many years ago and loved it,” Rostosky said. “[I’d] always wished there was one accessible to Lexington citizens.”
About a year ago, she started working toward making that wish a reality.
Rostosky approached Victoria Meyer, chairwoman of the Lexington Women’s Garden project at Wellington Park, who in turn introduced her to Clark, who is an avid gardener and longtime benefactor of the park, in addition to being an attorney. The first phase – a retaining wall that encircles the actual labyrinth and provides seating for those visiting the space – has already been completed. The team is hoping to raise $85,000 to complete the project.
Lexington’s Parks & Recreation department approved the donation of the land for the labyrinth, and the Wellington Park Labyrinth team has commissioned certified professional local landscape designer Andrea Wilson Mueller, of Inside Out Design, to design the project. The labyrinth will be 42 feet in diameter and modeled after the Grace Cathedral labyrinth in San Francisco, with additional touches to make it a space the entire community can enjoy.
“[Andrea] has been very thoughtful and intentional about this to make it accessible to people of all different abilities, including this rosette part [in the center] which is going to have stones that give a tactile sensation for people with autism or for people who like a sensory experience,” Rostosky said. The labyrinth will also be wheelchair-accessible.
Making the labyrinth durable, permanent and low maintenance is the priority. While there are many different approaches to making labyrinths, the Wellington Park Labyrinth team is going for the “Cadillac version,” as Clark puts it. To ensure the labyrinth is long-lasting, it will be constructed out of stone pavers.
“We’ll use sand [underneath the pavers] rather than concrete, because it doesn’t break apart like it would if you did concrete,” Clark said. “We don’t want it to be a pain to deal with.”
The purported health benefits of labyrinths, which are increasingly being incorporated at hospitals and hospices, are numerous. Labyrinths are defined as being a single, defined path – as opposed to a maze, which features many different routes – so there is no puzzle solving required to figure out which way is correct. Walking a labyrinth quiets the mind and may be used as a tool for meditation, reflection, physical and mental relaxation and renewal. It can also be used as a spiritual tool.
“We’re learning more and more about the science of being present in nature, in a natural setting, and how calming and good that is for our health,” Rostosky said. “Not everybody can sit and meditate, but a lot of people can do a meditative motion or just walk a path like this. It’s been shown that being outdoors and meditative walking is restorative; it reduces stress [and] it increases well-being.”
Rostosky and Clark have established a fiscal sponsorship with Blue Grass Community Foundation, which is collecting and handling all of their donations. They are seeking the help of the community to make the labyrinth a reality. Donations above a certain level will be commemorated with a brass plaque on the retaining wall.
“This is a real community project,” Clark said. “It will be available to everybody, every day of every year.”
More information and a link to donate can be found at the organization’s website (www.wellingtonpark.com/wordpress.com). Those interested in keeping updated on the project can follow “Wellington Park Labyrinth” on Facebook.
Accessibiltiy for all, including those in wheelchairs, is at the forefront of design efforts. Rendering furnished