Spiritual awakening in Sedona

Learning, growing, and challenging myself has become a pivotal reason why I started this blog. My recent trip to Sedona, Arizona, was an embodiment of this mission.

After a close friend of mine passed away at a young age a few years ago, I’ve felt a mix of loss, anger, and confusion along with my grief. My enchantment with the world and its potential had fallen flat. That this unjust tragedy had happened, without any meaning or reason, ripped me apart. I had once believed if you could visualize something you wanted becoming reality, it would, in fact, happen. All you had to do was visualize it hard enough. Day after day, I had dreamed my friend would beat cancer, but sadly it didn’t turn out that way.

The challenge for my Sedona trip was to confront my emotions and begin to be at peace with the internal war inside my mind. I sought healing, reawakening, and a renewal of faith.

Sedona is famously considered to be a vortex, a swirling center of energy that is conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration. There are only a few places on the Earth considered to be vortexes, including Mt. Shasta in California,  Kailash in Tibet, and Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, to name a few. In other words, these locations are “Earth Chakras.”

The local culture in Sedona is filled with all things related to yoga, meditation, energy healing, crystals, and a deep appreciation for the earth. This city is like no other I have ever visited before, because every place and person we encountered seemed touched by a bit of grace.

My fellow traveler and lifelong friend, Kirstin, had the idea that we should try energy healing. Admittedly, I was pretty unfamiliar with the term prior to our session. Energy healing is a type of alternative medicine based on the belief that healers can channel healing energy into a patient to help facilitate the body’s natural healing mechanisms. I was hesitant to try it out, not completely sure of what I believed anymore, but I’ve always strived to stay as open to new experiences as possible (within reason, of course).

We made appointments at Inner Journeys, a beautiful home-based healing and spiritual day retreat center created by Kurt and Mariposa. Since we were only in Sedona for one day, we decided to do the “a la carte” healing services instead of a full retreat. I think the appropriate term for our service was integrative energy healing using angel medicine, which is described to be great for those wishing to become more self-aware, emotionally free, and spiritually aligned.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by Mariposa, who led us into her home to a comfortable downstairs area beautifully decorated with spiritual figurines, buddhas, angels, tarot cards, woven tapestries from Peru and a wooden ladder. Kirstin and I had our sessions individually – hers was first at 9:30am, mine came next at 10:45am. Mariposa made us feel welcome and right at home, and immediately put hot water on for tea.

While Kirstin was in her session, I relaxed on the sofas and had two cups of tea. Trying to detach from scanning Instagram and other social media feeds on my phone, I read a couple pages of a book called Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? By reading just a few pages of this book, I learned of the belief that walking barefoot on the earth on soil, sand, rock, etc. can be a solution for chronic inflammation. The book says that our physical disconnect with the Earth contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress, and poor sleep.

The idea is that the surface of the Earth contains limitless healing energy – aka, free-flowing electrons. As described by the book, the ground “contains a subtle electric signal that maintains health and governs the intricate mechanisms that make our bodies work-just like plugging a lamp into a power socket makes it light up. Modern lifestyle, including the widespread use of insulative rubber or plastic-soled shoes, has disconnected us from this energy and, of course, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past.”

In all honesty, I am not totally sure yet if I believe this philosophy, but a secret part of me really wants to. And why not be open to new ideas like these? Since my return home, I am suddenly very conscious of the fact that my feet never, ever touch the ground. When I think of my childhood, I’d always be running around in bare feet, and it’s definitely something that I can feel my body craving. There’s no harm in trying it out — I’ll let you know when I do!

Before I knew it, it was my turn for the energy healing. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but my goal was to stay as open and receptive as possible. Mariposa led me into a private room with a large massage table surrounded by two altars with spiritual figurines and objects.

First, she asked about what I would like to work on in our session, and we discussed for a few minutes. She guided me to sit on the massage table, where I closed my eyes while she ran a magnetic roller down my spine. This was really cool and felt like the most… I guess, “psychic” parts of our session, where she read my energy and gave me insight into issues in my past that are affecting me today.

Then, the longest part of the session consisted of lying on my back while Mariposa applied light pressure with her hands to my head, neck, shoulders, abdomen, legs and ankles. She spoke calm, reassuring words in between moments of silence, when I listened to the peaceful sound of the bubbling water fountain in the room.

For me, I felt a similar sense of relaxation after coming out of a massage, but this experience was more meditative than physical, and also, if anyone’s wondering, you stay clothed the entire time! There is something surprisingly calming about having a healer just gently press her hands to your body in an intentional sequence, and, if you believe she really is channeling energy and removing blockages, I feel like the benefits of this therapy are countless and unique for each individual. Even if you still remain skeptical after the experience, you’ll nonetheless walk away with a deep sense of calm and relaxation for the rest of the day. I feel like a mix between believing and uncertainty, but I can honestly say I loved the experience and definitely gained something ~ I felt like I learned a little bit more about my inner self.

Immediately afterwards, Kirstin and I were both really hungry, so we went to Local Juicery just two minutes away. Before we knew it, we had loaded up on about 3 different chocolate-flavored foods: the PB, Cacao + Honey organic gluten-free waffles, the Cacao Mylk made locally by Local Juicery, and the Honey Mama’s Mayan Spice Cacao-Nectar bar. We also ordered the classic açaí bowl. So much chocolate and sweetness! SO. GOOD. If you love health foods, if you’re vegan or if you love to support local farmers, this spot is a must-visit!

After our quick pit stop for food, it was time to hit the trails! We decided to hike one of Sedona’s most popular trails, Devil’s Bridge, a 4.2 mile out-and-back trail. Although this trail doesn’t take you to one of the vortex centers Sedona is famous for, it was perfect for us since we just had a couple hours in the afternoon. If you’re interested in a vortex hike, check out any of these trails: Airport Mesa, Boynton Canyon, Bell Rock, Spaceship Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Munds Trail (Schnebly Hill Road).

Since we were traveling in early April, the weather was just perfect – not too hot or too cold. I’d imagine if we were there in the middle of summer, the trek would have been much more exhausting. I thought this trail was pretty moderate, but sometimes there are a lot of steps to climb up and down which could be difficult for some. The views were truly unbeatable and well-worth the climb!

My continual back-and-forth question is whether to wear regular tennis shoes or my big, hulky hiking boots on a trail. I get nervous going downhill and I’m particularily anxious about pebbly surfaces, so I was glad I chose my sturdy hiking boots for this trail because they grip really well! We actually saw a couple people walking barefoot, which was incredible to see after learning just hours before about earthing.

After stopping to take in some beautiful views, we made it to the highlight of the walk: Devil’s Bridge. It’s the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area! A lot of people stood in a short line to walk up to the narrow bridge while others stood on the opposite side, taking photos for their friends (that’s what I did)!

Kirstin was the brave soul who made it to the middle for the most epic photo ever! Her advice: “Don’t look down, and you’ll be fine!”

After we made it back down to our car in one piece, it was dinnertime! I’d definitely recommend stopping at Tamaliza Cafe for authentic Mexican food. The chicken mole with rice and beans was incredible! Organic, gluten free, and made without GMOs, artificial flavors or anything processed, Tamaliza is a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant that you might easily miss from the road. A great place to stop before heading to downtown Sedona, and with beautiful decor to boot.

By then, we were truly exhausted since we had started the day early. We made a quick drive through town and stopped in briefly at a store called Earthbound, which has a couple locations in the US, although I’d never seen one before. I walked in and instantly had goo-goo eyes for everything. After searching the whole store, I picked up a Himalayan salt lamp, which are believed to be natural ionizers, meaning that they change the electrical charge of the air by emitting negative ions.

Negative ions give the air an invigorating freshness, similar to the feeling you’d have by the ocean, at a waterfall or after a thunderstorm. It’s said that by providing fresh and clean air, you can get relief from headaches, allergies, asthma and many more health problems. People also say that it’s great to have a Himalayan salt lamp wherever your electronics (iPhone, computer, TV, etc.) are kept because these devices emit excessive amounts of positive ions into the air, resulting in physical exhaustion. I purchased the kind that actually uses a tea light candle instead of a lightbulb inside, and I’m so happy I did. The natural glow and flicker of a tiny flame is so comforting!

Last but not least, it was time for dessert! Our last stop before we hit the road was at the ChocolaTree, a restaurant that is so much more than just a restaurant – it’s a sanctuary! Although we did not eat a full meal here, the menu looked incredible – everything is 100% organic, gluten-free and homemade. I browsed the market, which includes an assortment of food and items like essential oils, healthy snacks, honey, vegan cheese, almond butter and so much more. There was even live music happening while we stopped in!

The chocolate shop at the ChocolaTree has got to be the most unique chocolate shop I have ever seen. These handmade, artisan-crafted raw chocolates do cost a pretty penny, but it’s so worth it for organic, stone-ground, fair-trade ingredients. Isn’t that how ALL food should be made, after all? Try out two, three or even four chocolates, and I have no doubt you will feel a little bit more enlightened after!

Wow, I simply didn’t realize how much I had to say about my one-day trip to Sedona until I finished writing this post! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it, and hopefully it’s given you a few ideas if you’re planning a trip to Sedona, or perhaps it may have brought back good memories of your own visit there.

I was really blown away by how friendly the people are in Sedona, and how in-touch each person seems to be with spirituality. The sense of “oneness” with the Earth in Sedona feels like an invisible current of energy uniting all the locals and visitors alike. I imagine it like a great big hug that continues to envelope anyone who chooses to be open to it.

While my journey to find peace after the loss of my friend may be an ongoing and perpetual one, I do feel lighter after returning from Sedona. I am more encouraged to believe that I am on a pathway designed by some sort of greater power, instead of lost in a desert alone. I am reminded of this feeling every time I light the candle in my Himalayan salt lamp and look at the pink glow.

Are you interested in learning more about energy healing, or curious to know more about Sedona? Please leave me your thoughts and questions in the comments!