I am standing at the entrance with my hands resting lovingly on my full, pregnant belly.

I set the intention to be present as I walk with my unborn baby and the spirit of my late mother.

As I begin, I touch thumbs to fingers in a steady rhythm, silently repeating, “Sa, Ta, Na, Ma,” which translates to, “Birth, Life, Death, Rebirth.”

This is the cycle I am celebrating today.

As I walk, I observe the gravelly sand beneath my delicate feet, the cacti surrounding my path and the fuchsia colored plants spotting the ground. I hear the Pacific Ocean waves crashing over the dunes, the rooster crowing, the horses neighing, the cow bells rattling in the distance.

I stay on the path, but if I let my mind linger for too long on any of my observances, focus is lost. I quickly regain the chant and the gentle tapping of fingers to thumb, one hand working for my mother, one hand for my baby.

At times, the path seems longer than I expected. Half-way through, I find that I am so close to the beginning, it’s tempting to skip over a few stones and head to the beach instead of completing the journey. There are times when I think I’ve taken a wrong turn. I must trust that the path is not leading me astray, but taking me exactly where I am meant to go.

At the center, a large heart is carved in the sand. I circle it three times in honor of the three generations I hold in my own heart.

I look up from the center and am suddenly surprised by three large, majestic, wild horses standing just a few feet away from the labyrinth. They stop in their tracks and stare at me. I feel as though I intrinsically know the souls inside of these animals and we are one. After some time, they casually move along.

And as I walk back to the place from whence I came, I remember that these days, I am never alone. At this moment, I am connecting with the two beings that are truly always with me: the wondrous baby growing inside my womb and the loving memory of my amazing mother. We are living and traveling as a herd, just as the wild horses do.

This labyrinth is life. It represents hardship and good fortune, resistance and ease, pleasure and pain.

As I exit, I can’t believe it only took 12 minutes to complete the entire path. Just like life, it flew by.

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Author: Megan Ridge Morris 

Editor: Travis May

Photo: courtesy of author