Unschooling America with Dayna Martin

Home

About Dayna

Speaking

Videos

Articles

Comments

Contact

Blog

The Labyrinth of Unschooling

By, Dayna Martin
Originally published in “Life Learning Magazine” 2006

We have been Unschooling our children since birth. It has been an enlightening, healing and amazing journey to get to where we are at today as Radical or Whole Life Unschoolers. It has taken us many years to fully understand the philosophy of non-coercive, respectful, peaceful parenting. Just when I think we have reached our destination in how we wish to parent, I learn that we have a long way to go before total enlightenment, peace and ease with how we live our unique life.

I wanted to take my children somewhere special for a walk. I am forever searching for new experiences and adventures for our family, so I had the perfect place for us to visit. We went to a Labyrinth. I had never walked a Labyrinth before and I was awestruck at how sacred a place it seemed to be. We walked up over a grassy hill to see this amazing creation where someone had carefully laid down hundreds of stones to create an incredible walking path. The stones had been there for a really long time because moss had grown up all around them. It was just breathtaking. I knew were somewhere very special.

A labyrinth is similar to a maze, but there is only one way through it. When you get to the center, you have reached the destination. Devin, Dakota, Ivy and I started following the stone-edged path leading in a circle. I had explained to them that I was going to contemplate while walking around it, as a note at the entrance had suggested. I never told them any certain way they had to 'be' while walking it themselves, but as I went on; they followed closely behind me in total silence. I wonder now what they were contemplating. I tried to be totally present so I could really feel what emotions or feelings came up during this walk.

I really had such clarity in thought. I had known in theory what a Labyrinth was used for, but I did not understand on a metaphysical level until I actually walked one. Just as I would think I was reaching the center of the Labyrinth, it swept me around again even further away from the center than I thought I was. It was not frustrating to me; I was actually pleasantly surprised every time I thought I was coming to the center only to be swept around again. I enjoyed being together so much on this journey with my children.

During our last loop around, I could see the center was near. I felt a warm wave flow through my body as a realization bubbled to the surface of my thoughts. With fresh clarity, I understood our Unschooling journey in a whole new way. Our journey has been much like this Labyrinth! Just as I think I am coming to a greater understanding and getting to the destination, the place I strive to be, I am pleasantly swept further around as I come to even a deeper level of understanding of this incredible life with my children. Every time around I learn to let go of a little bit more, or I understand my children’s’ perspective a bit more, or I heal from my difficult childhood a bit more. Every time around I feel closer to my destination.

But does this Labyrinth ever end? Does one ever really get to the center, the destination, of their own personal journey when it comes to Unschooling? Or is it more about that long peaceful walk, the journey, and not the destination at all? I may never know, but I find great comfort in trusting that as I navigate toward my own center of understanding, it will be peaceful and joyous because we will be walking hand in hand through our own, unique Unschooling Labyrinth together.