Healing Energy: The Sedona Vortex
By Dr. Rita Louise
A few scattered clouds dotted the clear blue sky. The sun, shining its golden rays, played hide and seek with me as it streamed through the dense green foliage that lined the windy two lane road. The temperature was rising steadily as I made my way down the mountain from Flagstaff to Sedona, AZ, on State Route 89A. By 9 am, the thermometer was already reading 83 degrees and I wondered what it would it be like when the heat of the day reached its peak. I was relieved to know that God created air conditioning and that I was fortunate enough to have this wonderful creation in my car. I thought, with a smile on my face, that I could always go to my private mobile domicile, to escape from the sweltering heat of the day.
Continuing my way down the mountain, the lushness of the trees gave way to a rough desert panorama. The mountains, fashioned of gold, tan and red layered rocks, had been worn away into awe inspiring peaks and valleys by time and the elements. From the deep green foliage of the living forest I had just driven through, I was now in the midst of a hot, barren desert environment which was sparsely dotted by small trees and brush.
I could feel the excitement rising within as I realized I was getting closer to my destination…one of the famed vortexes of Sedona. With each turn, I held my breath in hopes of seeing a sign that indicated the location of one these sacred sites. I knew that I would immediately turn off the main road and follow some unknown trail, to make my way to one of the holiest of holies where I planned to spend time in deep thought and quiet contemplation.
The signs of civilization started to reappear as I continued my decent, first passing a sign that welcomed me to Sedona, and then arriving in the what I assumed was the downtown area. Many of the small shops that adorned the sleepy street were just opening, and only a few people could be seen as they strolled from establishment to establishment. I giggled as I drove through town thinking that this must be a very well guarded secret, known only to New Agers who came here on a pilgrimage to bask in the magical energies of the area. I smiled even brighter as I realized that coming here was like going to Lourdes in France where millions pilgrimage each year to sit in its healing waters.
Parking in the deserted parking lot on the edge of town, I started my trek through Sedona. As I wandered from store to store I was astonished to find a multitude of places hosting Vortex Tours. I guess it wasn’t much of a secret after all. I stopped into one of the tour stores and covertly spoke with the woman at the counter about the different vortexes and her impression of the energies there. Looking at the map of the vortex locations I had acquired earlier in the day, she proceeded to give me assurances that the vortexes were easy to find. She then whispered to me that if I had come to pilgrimage in one of the vortexes, that I would be unhappy with the tour. She informed me that the tours only stopped briefly at each site, leaving no room to drink up it’s energy or even for a short meditation.
Going back to my car, I headed further down the same road that had brought me to this place from Flagstaff. Looking at the map, the closest vortex to the downtown area was called Airport Vortex. Why you might ask? Well, because it is right next to the Sedona Airport. Missing the turn onto Airport Road, I assumed “spirit” was guiding me to the most appropriate location. I laughed to myself thinking, “Who put a vortex right next to an airport anyway?”.
Not far from Airport Road, off to my right, I spotted Dry Creek Road, where I turned off the highway and headed down a desolate 2 lane road. I was heading towards Boynton Canyon, the location of one of the other vortexes. Driving along this road, I quickly checked the gauges of my car for the proper temperature level and a generous supply of gas, uncertain of how long my trek down this road was, or how far from civilization I would end up. Going around a gentle bend in the road, the threads of fear I was experiencing were quickly diminished as I saw a white limo, with its dark tinted windows drive by. As I watched it pass, I wondered who occupied it’s large back seat, and if they had just come from the vortex.
Turning off of Dry Creek Road I made a left onto Boyton Pass Road and then a right into the large turn-out that the gentlewoman at the tour shop had told me of. There were a few other cars parked in the stifling heat of this make- shift parking lot, but other than the cars, there was no indication of . . . well, anything. Trusting that this *was* the place, I got out of my car, filling my backpack with my camera and a large bottle of water.
I headed down a bush lined trail, following the red dirt path that lay ahead of me. As I moved up and then around the side of the canyon, I looked for any indication of the holiest of holies – a hot-dog stand, a vendor selling vortex souvenirs, or even one of those brown and white scenic signs that says “Vortex – 300 Feet” with an arrow pointing in its direction. While this was my hope, I would have settled for seeing a group of trees, a ring of stones or even a well worn path off of the main trail that would lead me into its inner sanctums.
I hiked in about a mile from where I parked my car, following the well worn trail as it meandered around the edge of the canyon. Seeing a side trail, that was somewhat overgrown with brush, I followed it up the steep mountainside rising another 50 yards in elevation. It was there that I finally sat down and took in the environment.
Resting the weight of my body on my elbow, drinking up the penetrating rays of the hot sun on my white but tanning flesh, I looked around and was awe inspired. From my vantage point, perched upon the ledge of a beautiful rock outcropping, I scanned the vista. I was sitting on one side of an immense valley. The walls of this sandstone canyon were red and dry and carried about them a feeling of firmness and strength blended perfectly with a softness and flowing as only nature can provide. Trees lined the valley and to my surprise, other than the helicopters that flew by periodically through this sacred space, there was a resort or retreat center nuzzled between the ridges. The Center was designed to resemble Pueblo construction which did blended nicely with its surroundings, but it bothered me to think that if this was a sacred site, than how short sighted the founders were to take this away from the world for their personal gain. I had come here to get away from civilization, to be at peace with myself, to be one with nature and the energies of nature; not to gaze at man’s need for greed and profit.
Consciously shielding myself from the energy and potential effects of the Center, I started to check in with my body. The first thing I noticed was that my hands were swollen and throbbing. I tried to think of a reason as to why this site had caused such a strong reaction in me, but as I thought for a moment or two, I realized that I had eaten a bag of Cheetos on my way to the vortex. So much for supernatural explanations.
Scanning the rest of my body, I noticed a queasiness in my stomach and a feeling of lightheadedness. I decided to give myself a healing, hoping this would bring me more into present time and also relieve me of some of the queasiness I was experiencing. I began by grounding my body to a place deep within the planet and brought my aura in and around my body.
As I worked on myself, I again experienced a squeamishness in my stomach. It couldn’t have been due to hunger, I had just eaten that bag of Cheetos as was evidenced by my still swollen fingers, but what was it? I searched my mind for any indication of what it could be. It was then that my mind went back to a conversation that I had had a few days before at the Health and Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa.
I recalled discussing the vortexes in depth with a gentleman at the show. He himself was a psychic although he was not participating in the fair as a reader. He had been to Sedona on a pilgrimage similar to the one I was about to begin. He told me that the vortexes turn your chakras over. At the time, I giggled quietly to myself, thinking about one woo-woo person speaking to another. I just listened and smiled and assumed that I would make a decision when I got there.
Skeptic that I am, as I sat there, my stomach in my mouth, my body ungrounded with all kinds of energy floating through my head, I found myself agreeing with that man. But with my wit being stronger at times than my will, I shifted my perspective on the situation, allowing my body to release down a grounding cord that I extended out of my 7th chakra, reaching it up and into the sky. I then started bringing in information into my body through my 1st chakra. This actually felt good and I could feel the stagnant energy starting to drain out of my body and into the earth? The sky?
When I opened my eyes, the panorama was even more spectacular than before. I sat listening to the birds singing in the distance and the other sounds of nature that were fully within my awareness now. Taking a deep breath, filling my lungs with the hot clean purifying air, I allowed my mind, my body and my spirit to merge and blend with the world around me.
I stayed in this serene setting for a couple of hours. I felt like a piggy bank in a child’s hand as they try to shake out the money through the little slot on top. I felt as if I were standing on my head, with the vortex giving me permission to dump out whatever was stuck within me. It was a wonderful experience.
Going back to my car and driving back to town, I could feel the energy shifting in my body again. To this day, I do not know if I was actually sitting in a vortex, or how you can tell you are in a vortex, but I do know and remember what my body and soul experienced in that place. It is truly a place of healing.
If you want to read more articles on empowerment and fear you may enjoy other inspirational stories by this author visit her website at SoulHealer.com.
