KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 4, 2023 — Do you ever just sit back and think to yourself, “I wish there were a spot on campus to relax, let go of some of my stress, and meditate.” 

Now the entire Kingston Campus community is in luck because on Friday, URI officially celebrated Labyrinth Dedication Day to open the Anna Fascitelli Labyrinth Patio and Gardens.

Unfortunately, rain forced the event inside the nearby Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center. Still, participants were happy to recognize the hard work that went into the project. 

It took about five years to complete because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused several supply chain issues. 

“The idea for the project rose out of a conversation with a student, as we sat on the retaining wall on a beautiful afternoon back in 2018, enjoying the sounds and scenery around us,” said Denise Robbin, coordinator of fitness, health, and well-being for Campus Recreation. “We realized we had the perfect location for an outdoor gathering space.” 

URI’s Office of Small Projects worked on the original design and installation, while URI Grounds designed and planted the gardens. The labyrinth patio is designed to support students’ physical, mental, and emotional health. Labyrinths are typically about individual journeys, and they’re meant to be calming. The site will host labyrinth walks, meditations, yoga, full moon events, hula hooping, and journaling. Students can sign up to participate in these events with imleagues.

“The labyrinth is meant to be completed as a release on the way in, a reflection in the middle, and a returning mindset on the way out, ” said Leetal Young, a resident of Wyckoff, New Jersey, and a human development family science and psychology double major. “The beauty is that you can go at your own pace, open yourself up to accepting whatever comes up, and just follow through on the thoughts just as naturally as you follow the pattern.” 

Some students at the event were there because they take mental health and meditation very seriously. “I treat my mental health very seriously. Mental health to me means that I take care of my emotional well-being and make sure I am in the right state of mind,” said Zach Cohen, a resident of Dix Hills, New York, and a kinesiology major. 

“The labyrinth is a good meditation spot on campus because it’s a good place for students to debrief, and it’s a good environment with all of the nature surrounding it,” said Andrew Okun, a resident of Merrick, New York, and an accounting major. “Meditation is a time for people to relax and be stress free with themselves.”

“I am so proud of the hard work, patience, and dedication of so many to make this dream a reality, and I am so excited to see all of the wonderful programs, activities, and events sure to take place here in the future,” Robbin said.

Benjamin Smith, a senior sports media and public relations major at the University of Rhode Island and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this press release.