Wending toward wellness

Abstract: “Long ago labyrinths might be located on church grounds as a kind of walking meditation. Today’s labyrinths, however, are finding a home on health care campuses. (p. 2)” This quote reflects the theme of the article which describes the use of labyrinths in health care settings in several states. The article quotes health care practitioners from Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and other states regarding the increasing use of labyrinths for patients, families, and staff of hospitals and medical centers. Included in the article is information about two research studies that have been conducted in Florida and Oklahoma.

At South Seminole Hospital in Longwood, Florida, Jeanne Miller-Clark, “conducted a study with 75 patients. She found that walking the curved paths increased patient’s hope, decreased stress, and equalized their blood pressure. Patients with bipolar disorder showed the most improvement. (p.6)”

Chris Weigel conducted a study at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to the article, “The hospital has studied the effect walking the labyrinth has had on new nurses’ stress levels. It randomized 18 new graduates into two groups. Both learned about the labyrinth and the care model during orientation. Researchers asked the intervention group to walk the labyrinth at least twice per month. They measured stress levels at baseline and at 90 days.”

“After three months, nurses in the intervention group showed less stress, while nurses in the control group exhibited a marked increase in stress. The intervention group also reported higher job satisfaction. (p.8)”

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