How to Make a Finger Labyrinth

Finger labyrinths weave and turn around a page (or piece of wood or metal), allowing users to relax much like with a worry stone. After you construct your finger labyrinth, you guide your finger along the lines on the paper, starting at the outside and moving toward the center or vice versa. This action helps with relaxation and teaches patience and focus, according to the University of New Hampshire Office of Health Education and Promotion Health Services.

Things You'll Need

• Compass
• Paper
• Pencil
• Wood
• Wood burner
• Carving knife

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Instructions

• 1

  Draw a cross, about 4 inches by 4 inches, on your sheet of paper.

• 2

  Draw a large circle, starting from the bottom arm and moving counter-clockwise. End an inch or so before you complete the circle. Use your compass to create the circle if you do not feel comfortable with hand drawing.

• 3

  Turn the movement of the line 180 degrees, without lifting the pencil, and begin drawing a smaller concentric circle in a clockwise direction. The second circle should sit at least an inch inside of the first circle; the 180-degree turn should look like a semi-circle (rather than possessing sharp edges). Stop the circle about two inches from the edge of the cross.

• 4

  Draw a clockwise arc, beginning between the first two circles, about an inch inside the 180-degree semi-circle. Try to stay an equal distance from both circles as you move clockwise. When you reach the end of the previously drawn circle (the one closest to the center), wrap 180 degrees around the edge of the line and begin drawing a circle in a counter-clockwise movement, about an inch from the circle located closest to the center. Bring this arc around until it attaches at the left arm of the cross.

• 5

  Draw a counter-clockwise arc, from the right arm of the cross, staying about 3/4 inch inside the central circle, until you can no longer move in a circular direction. The circular motion stops an inch above the left arm of the cross. Curve the line up 180 degrees and move around the top arm of the cross, stopping two inches or so above the right arm.

• 6

  Draw a line from the top arm of the cross that moves around 180 degrees and back down toward the right arm of the cross, following the arc extending from the right arm of the cross until it can no longer move forward. Do not connect this line to the line in front of it.

• 7

  Carve or burn the pattern into a piece of wood, if you wish. This allows you to feel the three-dimensional pathway without having to look at the image.