Travel Journal: Sedona

“Sedona, in the heart of Arizona, with you I will leave my fears. And I will let you lead me on the unmarked trails. Great Spirit, show me love.” -Playful Banter

In the hot, bright sun, our boots hit the smooth rocks, our hands grabbing warm stones as we hoisted ourselves up a steep rock scramble. More often though, I was flipping onto my rear-end and scooting/crab- walking up. We were on Cathedral Rock, one of the most difficult hikes I’ve ever done. But each time I looked up and wiped the sweat off my face, I saw amazing views, red mountains and peaks as far as the eye could see.

I had never been to the southwest before, though Peter, my boyfriend, had been several times, mostly for work but also with family. We chose Sedona, Arizona for our big spring vacation this year, with daytrips to the Grand Canyon, Jerome, and Cottonwood/the Verde Valley. I was most excited for all the hiking we had planned, and to experience a new environment that I heard held a lot of energy and spiritual power. I left Sedona feeling changed, like my eyes had been re-opened to a new, different way of seeing the world. A reminder of what I already knew, deep in my soul; we’re all part of this big, wide universe, and are connected to nature and the world in a special way. That connection is something to always cherish.

We began our trip with, as I said, a lot of hikes. Even from the moment we left the Phoenix airport, when we stopped at Hole-in-the-Rock for a short walk, admiring the most interesting shaped “rock” I’ve ever seen, which definitely earned its name! In the first half of the week, we hiked Fay Canyon, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock. At the end of the week, we also hiked part of Soldiers Pass. Each of these hikes offered endless, stunning views, and their own sacred experiences. At Fay Canyon, we scrambled up the mountain at the end of the trail and could see over the entire valley, with mountains and fluffy white clouds dotting the blue, blue sky. At Bell Rock, panoramic views of the Red Rocks, towering over sands with their desert plants and flowers. At the saddle of Cathedral Rock, catching our breath in between the two towering rock faces, we saw a valley of trees from high above, making every step of the difficult climb worth it.

During all of these hikes, we connected with other travelers and hikers. At Fay Canyon, we joined forces briefly with a retired couple looking for the Fay Arch off the trail. At Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock, hikers before us would give tips on the best views and the easiest scrambling path, and on the way down, we would do the same for those coming up after us. The feeling of camaraderie on the trails was strong and welcome.

They say that Sedona is a vortex, with several specific spots being special places with strong concentrations of the universe’s energy. Several places we hiked were vortexes, but Cathedral Rock especially took my breath away. When we reached the end of the trail, already looking out at an incredible view, a hiker passing by mentioned we should keep going to the left to see a pillar. So we did, and scrambled up some more rocks, until we reached a towering stone pillar at the top. Immediately, the energy shifted.

Hidden between two much-larger rock faces, this pillar stood directly underneath the sun. We later realized, while you could see it from one side of Cathedral Rock, you couldn’t really see it from the side we hiked up, making it truly hidden. As we climbed closer, the wind began whipping around, so strong I clutched the rocks to keep myself from falling. The wind knocked someone’s hat off their head, spiraling down into the valley below. Yet, in spite of the wild wind and blinding sun, a sense of peace washed over me. All this positive energy culminating in one strong, powerful moment. I was awe-struck and breathless. Nature is a powerful, uncontrollable force, I thought — but one that we were connected to, sharing this moment together.

That continued to be the theme for the rest of the trip as we saw more of Arizona’s landscape — in a Pink Jeep Tour ride, off-roading and climbing steep rocks on the Broken Arrow tour; on a magical train tour of the Verde Valley; at the Grand Canyon, where we hiked a little into the canyon and felt the cool shade of the canyon wall and overlooked endless chasms and cliffs. When we watched mini monsoons and bolts of lightning in the far distance, lighting up the deep, dark night sky over fields with only wildflowers and camper vans. When we swam at Slide Rock Park, a lush oasis with refreshing streams and tall sycamores, a magical reprieve from the desert heat. When driving up through the winding roads, twisting and turning on the edges of cliffs, each turn revealing a new, mystical mountain or an endless span of trees. When we looked up at the sea of stars, twinkling and glistening. In these moments, I felt like we were a part of something bigger. We are important parts of this larger universe, as magical and special as the stardust and the wind and the lizards and the agave plants. We’re all connected, too, by this unseen thread — unseen, but strongly felt, here in Sedona. Knowing we’re never truly alone, when we’re all a part of everything around us.

There’s so much more I could say about Sedona, about each individual adventure we had. But keeping some of that close to my heart makes it even more special, and really, no words could capture all of the beauty in those moments. I will leave one last story here, though. Our yoga adventure in the thunderstorm.

Those of you who have been following me for a while may remember my interview with Playful Banter, and my following article in The Black River Journal on the band. Kimberly, one of the members of the duo, now lives in Sedona and has her own yoga practice, Prana of Sedona. Peter and I thought we’d catch up with her for one of her private yoga hikes. We met up at a quieter trail off-the-beaten path and took a short, easy walk to a special spot. As we followed Kimberly through the desert brush, a huge clearing opened up in front of us, a giant flat and smooth rock that would serve as our outdoor yoga studio. Towering in the distance was the sacred Cathedral Rock — and from this angle, you could see the pillar.

From the moment we started our walk, a steady drizzle had been gracing our faces. Dark, ominous clouds surrounded us, but we hoped the streaks of rain we could see in the distance would stay there. As we unrolled our mats and took off our shoes, a loud CRACK of thunder boomed above us and the skies opened up in a monsoon! We sprinted to our cars, back past the cacti and flowers, laughing all the while at how unpredictable Mother Nature truly is. Our weather apps had said no rain for that day, yet Mother Nature once again reminded us she can’t be contained to our modern advancements.

Moving to our Airbnb, we dried ourselves off and wiped the mud off our feet. Opening the sliding door to hear the rain, Kim led us on a flow indoors, one that was grounding and soothing. As we connected with our breath, the rain pitter-pattering, the thunder rumbling in the distance, I felt at peace and one with the energy of the earth. When we wrapped up the flow, a bird serenaded us right outside the window, bringing us back to the moment. I truly believe everything about this experience was meant to happen this way. Though we were rained out, we got to experience getting soaked in Sedona’s powerful storms, smell the unique, earthy Sedona-rain-smell, and really feel at one with Sedona’s special energy. It reminded me of the quote, “life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

Before leaving for the airport on our last day, Peter and I stopped at the yoga trail, this time bathed in sunlight. We hiked to the large, open area, and took in the surroundings, one last view of Cathedral Rock, now sunny and bright. Everything coming together, the calm and clarity after the storm. I wish I had the proper words to sum all of this up, but I still can’t find them. I just know that, after the whole trip, I have a better appreciation for going with the flow, and a deeper trust in the universe and its bigger plans. I also have a new appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and living in harmony with it. Something shifted within me in Sedona, and that’s a beautiful thing.

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If you read this far, thank you. I enjoy sharing these stories, and I appreciate all who read them! Below are more photos from the trip. As always, I enjoy reading your comments and thoughts! Thank you for reading!