| Labyrinths have existed for well over 4,000 years. |
| Labyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been found in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, |
| Ireland, Greece, and India |
| There are various designs of labyrinth |
| but what they all have in common is a winding spiral path which leads to a central area |
| There is one starting point at the entrance and the goal is to reach the central area. |
| Finding your way through a labyrinth involves many twists and turns, |
| but it's not possible to get lost as there is only one single path. |
| In modern times, the word labyrinth has taken on a different meaning |
| and is often used as a synonym for a maze. |
| A maze is quite different |
| as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths. |
| Mazes became fashionable in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, |
| and can still be found in the gardens of great houses and palaces. |
| The paths are usually surrounded by thick, high hedges so that it's not possible to see over them. |
| Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times |
| before using logic to work out the pattern and find your way to the centre and then out again. |
| There are lots of dead ends and paths which lead you back to where you started. |
| The word 'maze' is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion. |
| This is where the word 'amazing' comes from. |
| Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a very different function. |
| Although people now often refer to things they find complicated as labyrinths, |
| this is not how they were seen in the past. |
| The winding spiral of the labyrinth has been used for centuries as a metaphor for life's journey. |
| It served as a spiritual reminder that there is purpose and meaning to our lives |
| and helped to give people a sense of direction. |
| Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm |
| and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries. |
| The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone, |
| from Sardinia to Scandinavia, from Arizona to India to Africa. |
| In Europe, these spiral carvings date from the late Bronze Age. |
| The Native American Pima tribe wove baskets with a circular labyrinth design that depicted their own cosmology. |
| In Ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around 4000 years ago. |
| Labyrinths made of mosaics were commonly found in bathhouses, |
| villas and tombs throughout the Roman Empire. |
| In Northern Europe, there were actual physical labyrinths designed for walking on. |
| These were cut into the turf or grass, usually in a circular pattern. |
| The origin of these walking labyrinths remains unclear, |
| but they were probably used for fertility rites |
| which may date back thousands of years. |
| Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, |
| including the largest one at Saffron Walden, England, |
| which used to have a large tree in the middle of it. |
| More recently labyrinths have experienced something of a revival. |
| Some believe that walking a labyrinth promotes healing and mindfulness, |
| and there are those who believe in its emotional and physical benefits, |
| which include slower breathing |
| and a restored sense of balance and perspective. |
| This idea has become so popular that labyrinths have been laid into the floors of spas, wellness centres |
| and even prisons in recent years. |
| A pamphlet at Colorado Children's Hospital informs patients that |
| 'walking a labyrinth can often calm people in the midst of a crisis'. |
| And apparently, it's not only patients who benefit. |
| Many visitors find walking a labyrinth less stressful than sitting in a corridor or waiting room. |
| Some doctors even walk the labyrinth during their breaks. |
| In some hospitals, patients who can't walk |
| can have a paper 'finger labyrinth' brought to their bed. |
| The science behind the theory is a little sketchy, |
| but there are dozens of small-scale studies which support claims about the benefits of labyrinths. |
| For example, one study found that walking a labyrinth provided 'short-term calming, |
| relaxation, and relief from anxiety' for Alzheimer's patients. |
| So, what is it about labyrinths that makes their appeal so universal?... |