Comments (0) Best Place to Walk in Circles - 2007

Grace Cathedral's labyrinths

Talk about the benefits of going nowhere! Labyrinths, those circular paths leading to a center, have been around for centuries and in Europe they were a common feature of medieval cathedrals. Aficionados have long recognized labyrinth-walking both as a kind of spiritual journey and as a way to clear the head and lift the mood. Which is exactly what the Rev. Lauren Artress, a canon at Grace Cathedral, had in mind when she pushed to have the landmark Episcopal house of worship on Nob Hill install not one, but two labyrinths in the mid-'90s. Artress, the nation's leading labyrinth advocate, is founder of Veriditas, an S.F.-based nonprofit that bills itself as "the voice of the labyrinth movement." The indoor wool tapestry labyrinth at Grace Cathedral is available for walking during regular cathedral hours. The terrazzo stone labyrinth in front of the church is accessible 24/7.