Bunbury Garden Labyrinth was created over a five-‐year period, inspired initially by intimate conversations on how we truly transform ourselves, each other & our communities from places of despair & loss, to places of wholeness and healing.
A small group of committed health professionals & community leaders began to invite & expand this into wider conversations with the City of Bunbury, local community groups, corporate sponsors, suppliers, trades people, media & interested individuals.
From the outset, these conversations were met with incredible interest & support; as we as a community struggle with the hunger for solutions to complex personal & societal issues. With the backdrop of the salubrious title of ‘ice capital’, a growing homelessness issue, declining CBD occupancy, complex health and education issues, there could be no denying that we, ‘the people of three waters’, were actively searching for solutions.
Although just one idea, & not a magic panacea, the Labyrinth Garden was deeply resonant for the potential to at least face the truth telling of where we were as a community. A labyrinth invites us to quiet contemplation. It is a path we can walk alone while being alongside others, an empowering symbol for the journey of life. As we walk the inevitable twists and turns, we are ultimately brought to the centre, to our own centre. Our breath slows, the relaxation response is elicited & we are able to be present in our surroundings. We are then much more able to authentically respond to what is going on in our lives, rather than simply react in stress.
It is therefore the hope for another way; it invites a way through the complexity. We are able to feel possibilities and gather our resources for the onward journey. We are able to walk/work and be alongside others harmoniously, even as we differ and disagree. There are many in our community and in our wider global community, who will come to this place & experience something tangible & healing for themselves and their lives.
To all those who have stood with us, & shared your unique expertise, your voice, your resources we thank you. This place is dedicated to you. Together we did it.
Committee of Management (January, 2020)
PROJECTS OF HEART & SOUL WA, INC