uumia.org

Our campus is composed of five acres of Pineland Hammock, fruit trees,a meditation garden, a butterfly garden, a barbecue area, a labyrinth,a sanctuary, offices and an education wing which houses a MontessoriSchool, The Children’s House, during the week.  We endeavor tokeep plants native to South Florida and to weed out the “exotics” atwork parties on third Saturday mornings.  The property waspurchased by the congregation in 1962 when they were forced to move outof their previous home at the juncture of US 1 and the then new I – 95,by eminent domain.  The architects of the striking new sanctuary,a “hyperbolic parabola,” with shapes inspired by the surroundingpalmettos and the image of a cluster of tents, were Earl Starnes andJoseph Rentshcer.

The Labyrinth
Our Spiritual Reality Groupwalks our labyrinth every Sunday morning at 9:15 a.m., then meetsafterward for talk/gathering at 9:30 a.m.
We invite you to join us on our labyrinth walk and share your experience with us.

What Is a Labyrinth?
Labyrinths are a metaphor forlife's journey and a symbol that creates a sacred space and place. Longused as meditation and prayer tools, this ancient symbol relates towholeness and combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into ameandering but meaning-filled path. As you walk, experience your stepsas a journey to your own center then back again into the world.
A labyrinth is a right-brainexperience that inspires intuition, creativity, and imagery. You canaccess its archetypal qualities as a direct experience by simplywalking it. If you are already on your journey the labyrinth can giveyou insight. If you are a beginner, experience the unexpected gifts andrevelations!
Our labyrinth is modeled on the Cretan labyrinth, named after the islandof Crete. It is the oldest and most universal form of the labyrinth, dating at least 3,500 years.
Petroglyphs and drawings of labyrinths from the second millennium B.C. have been found in India, Greece, Syria, and Italy. Nearly sixty Roman labyrinths have been uncovered through the ancient Roman Empire, from Britain to Spain and from Slovenia to North Africa.
Many labyrinths appeared in thethousand years from A.D. 500 to 1500. Great stone labyrinths were builtalong the Scandinavian coastline from Iceland to Russia. Labyrinths were drawn and carved into cliffs,dwellings, and mesas in the American Southwest. Turf labyrinths werecut into the earth in Germany, Poland, and England. Stone and tile labyrinths were set into church floors in Africa, Italy, and France.
Labyrinths are found around the globe from China to Arizona and from Peru to Sweden.The O'odham People of southern Arizona made the Man in the Maze pattern. Turned upside down, it is aright handed, classical 7-circuit labyrinth with added turns towardsthe center. The Chartes Cathedral in France has a complicated labyrinth laid in the floor of thenave that divides the four quadrants with 7 sharp turns that isanalogous to four classic 7-circuit labyrinths woven together.
The labyrinth remains a universaltool used by humans to journey to the center to find answers andcomfort, learn lessons, and identify personal needs. We worked hard tocreate this spiral journey to share with you and ask that you respectour sacred space. Enjoy your walk!
Donations for the upkeep of the Labyrinth Project are gratefully accepted in the office.