For most of his adult life, 53-year-old accountant Bill Garrow was a lapsed Catholic. Yoga, meditation and transpersonal psychology, rather than his religion, nurtured his spiritual side.

So when an old high school friend introduced him to the labyrinth walk, it seemed a logical extension of his spiritual journey. He could not have fathomed that a simple, circular pathway would lead him back to the church of his youth.

The renewed interest in the labyrinth, a cultural icon thousands of years old, is due in part to the Reverend Lauren Artress, canon at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and author of Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool.

Artress' book reintroduces the labyrinth as a tool to be used in times of joy or sorrow as well as on a regular basis by those seeking spiritual growth or healing. "Walking the labyrinth is a great, quick and easy way to quiet the mind," says Artress.

In contrast to a maze (a puzzle of choices and dead ends), a labyrinth is a circular, spiraling walkway with a singular path — you reach the center and return on the same path.

Modern labyrinth walkers speak enthusiastically of heightened senses, renewed spirit, and awakened self-awareness. The labyrinth is a "right brain" activity: To walk it, you shut off reasoning and welcome contemplation.

There are three basic phases to a labyrinth walk. The first, moving toward the center, is a journey inward. The second, standing in the middle, is for reflection. And finally, emerging from the labyrinth is about letting go.

For Garrow, it's a haven of calm. "Walking the labyrinth quiets my mind in a way similar to doing yoga and meditation. Often, if I walk with a question or concern, I have greater clarity about an answer or a resolution during and after the walk."

It's ironic, notes Garrow, that his journey outside of organized religion is responsible for the deepening spirituality that has brought him back to his church.