The Spirit of Sedona

Java Loves Sedona

2012-02-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

Today I sampled my first café in the area. Sure there is a Starbuck's in town, which is always good, but I prefer to experience a bit of local flavor. Java Love Café fills that ticket perfectly. There is sort of a San Francisco/Haight-Ashbury vibe to this place, which makes this San Franciscan feel right at home. Tie-dyed t-shirts grace one wall, while various works of art for sale hang on the others. To complete the design, mismatched tables and chairs fill the space, giving it a fun and eclectic feel. Of course, it wouldn't be Sedona if the windows didn't overlook the glorious red rocks. On the day I was here, I had the great fortune of watching the clouds meander through the different rock formations, all getting to where they needed to go. It looked like a small slice of Heaven from my vantage point.

Now, before we go any further, I have to admit that I am not a coffee drinker. So, I can't actually give you any information on the taste of their beans. However, I can attest that their teas are so fresh that I watched the barista bag the herbs before placing them in my cup—no pre-packaged boxed tea here! And for you coffee lovers, don't despair. I may not drink coffee, but I did take a peak at what's going on in the bean department and I can tell you that the beans are roasted on the premises. So, freshness certainly is the name of the game here.

Furthermore, it's not just the brews that will rock your world, the menu tempts the tummy with its organic and primarily locally grown ingredients. Mmm-mmm, just the way I like it! Breakfast foods, salads, sandwiches and other light fare, not to mention the obligatory baked goods are available at certain times of the day. So, you can wet your whistle and satisfy your grumbling stomach all in one stop.

OK, so now that your taste buds are satisfied, you can also appease your mind. Bring a book and lounge on one of the comfy club chairs or if you have a hankering for a little internet surfing, then feel free to bring your laptop. WiFi is not only available, it is free.

...and speaking of internet surfing, you can find out more information about this spot at http://javalovesedona.com/ If you check out the bottom of each page, you will notice that the owner has a pretty good sense of humor, as well, since he claims that, "No Coffee Beans Were Harmed During the Brewing of this Website." Well said, dude!

They are open daily from 6 am - 7 pm. So, come join in the fun!

Thank you for visiting my Sedona page!

The Call from Courthouse Rock

2012-02-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

There is little doubt that Bell Rock seems to have more hype than the other formations that surround it. It's bell-like shape leads the locals and guests to venture to it. However, every time I journey up to the famous rock, I feel a pull from its adjacent eastern neighbor, Courthouse Rock. It's as though, I am being summonded by the Spirit of this gentle giant. Luckily, after only a few days of being in the neighborhood, I answered its call.

Being the observer of nature that I am, I made certain to open my senses to pay heed to all its wonderous sights, sounds, smells, textures as well as images that sprang up in my mind as I journeyed on my trek. I smelled the clean air. I heard the steady hum of bees as I reached their nest. I felt gratitude to them for continuing the cycle of life by their propagating powers of pollination—wow, try to say that as quickly as you can three times "propagating powers of pollination, propagating powers of pollination, propagating powers of pollination."

Being here only nine days, I am in the process of teaching myself not only the names of the rocks, but the names of the local vegetation, as well. I was in awe of not only the greenery that I witnessed, but the almost mystical color of many of the plants. Many of them offered hues of slate blue and shades of teal, which reminded me of the color of the ocean that once travelled over this rocky terrain. It also occured to me that the shape of many of the plants appeared to be like seaweed floating under water and wondered if these were the descendants of ancient water plants. Perhaps I was seeing evolution at work.

At one point, I felt so aligned with the ocean that once was here, I closed my eyes to see if an image of some ancient fish would show themselves in my mind's eye. I was nicely appeased by the Universe as I looked upon a terrifying predessessor to our contemporary fish that displayed its hideous fangs and spikes where a dorsal fin would be on a shark. It seemed to me that the Earth possibly once had a harsh environment and it was imperative for this creature that might have lived here to have its fierce appearance in order to survive.

As I moved back into the present space, I took note that not only the colors captured my attention, the shapes did, as well. Having a love for the power and beauty of an oak tree, I noticed the leaves of many of the bushes were similar to an oak. I learned that my instincts were right. Live shrub oak bushes are the plants that I was keenly aware of on this day and I was happy to see a sampling of a cousin to one of my favorite trees.

Since my feet play an important role in my ability to walk, I spent time grounding myself by consciously stepping over various rocks, feeling the individual shapes on the bottoms of my feet that were being cushioned by my tennis shoes. I also recognized the various footprints that stamped out many individual's steps. I wondered how many people had been there before me. Most noticeably was the imprint from one wearer's shoes which left the marking of perfectly shaped hearts. With each heart I saw, my own physical heart filled up with love and exuded the happiness I felt within.

All the tracks reminded me of the old Westerns my parents made me watch as a kid. It seemed as though there was always a Native American tracker who could look at his surroundings and know exactly where the bad guy was located. Even at a tender age, I knew that indiginous people had a keen sense of awareness with their surroundings and this was likely a true ability that some of them had. It saddened me that the Europeans did not learn the powerful gift of identifying our symbiotic relationship with nature.

Making my way through the man-made path, I reached a point where the rock took center stage and I found it difficult to take my eyes away from it. Its massive outreach spans such a lengthy territory and I was humbled by the sheer awesomeness of this Being. As it jutted upwards towards the heavens I paid heed to its masculine nature. This rock is surrounded by a circling of primarily green covered low-lying mountains which give the feeling of being comforted by Mother Earth's womb or the gentle embrace of a woman's body. Clearly this area boasts the unique quality of bringing balance between the masculine and feminine. Yin and Yang are in alignment here.

I began looking at the rock, not only as a complete unit with its milieu, but as various distinctly unique formations that created the essence of the whole. I made a game of pulling out individual images from the massive stone. I saw Steamboat Willie from Walt Disney fame. I saw a parrot. I saw a musical note. I paid attention to a cut out that looked like a "third eye" and it seemed to me that it represented the intuition in all of us. The legendary Three Muses from Greek mythology made themselves known to me and I felt inspired. Many figures aligned part of the area that looked like people and I felt a strong Native American presence in this cluster of seemingly carved shapes. As I reached the other end of the rock, I felt as though I was viewing a faded remnant of the Egyptian Sphynx. It was like a painting that was losing its color. It was still there, but I had to really pay attention to see the image.

As I turned back around to begin my journey home, I noticed how many trees and plants were all over the rock, including at the very top. It didn't matter that it had a hard surface, it still supported life here. I paid my respect to all the living Beings and all the carved out images that I gazed upon on my journey and I realized that everything I was picking up on was like a museum showing the history of the Earth and mankind. From the time when this place was under water, through the Ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations to the time when only the Native Americans roamed this land to the technology of animation—I was seeing it all. It seemed to me that Courthouse Rock was not a place of judging, but rather a place that held our memories. Perhaps a more appropriate name would be Records Hall Rock.

Thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

***For a wonderful resource for learning about the indiginous plant life, please visit http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/

Bell Rock

2012-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

As Westerners we are taught that nature is seperate from us—that we have ownership of the land and all its inhabitants. The truth is that we are a part of nature. Unfortunately, most of us are trying everything we can do to live apart from nature. We think that if we cut down one tree, we can simply plant another, but that one tree is connected to the community. Its roots interlink with its brethren of trees underneath the soil, while above ground, it hosts a plethora of life forms. It's not simply these creatures that live in the trees that are affected. We too, have a fundamental need for trees, for without them our species would perish. They breathe out the oxygen that humans need to breathe in and we breathe out the carbon dioxide that they need to breathe in. We need each other and we are all connected.

As a student of life, I pay attention to my surroundings and have learned that everything is our teacher: the clouds in the sky; the rocks on the ground; the leaves on a tree; the wind rushing through our hair; and each and every animal. While books are a wonderful way to learn, getting out into the thick of things is even more powerful. For you see, everything that we notice in our stream of consciousness is a mirror for us in some way. While it may seem as though we notice everything around us at any given time, that is actually an impossibility, for there are four hundred billion things happening in our perceptive range at any given moment, yet we can only consciously perceive about two thousand of them. With that in mind, it would stand to reason, that we are going to pick up on what we are focusing on in our unconscious.

For example, I teach a meditation/nature walk class where we pay attention to our physical senses. As we allow a conscious understanding of our first five senses, we open up to the wonders of our sixth sense and beyond. In one of my classes, during the hearing exercise, one woman distinctly heard laughter. It was so loud for her that she could not believe that the rest of us could not hear it. When I asked her if she needed a little more laughter in her life, the light bulb in her mind went off and she understood. The laughter is what she needed and that was where her perception was guided to take her. Indeed it was a message for her.

On another occasion a gentleman smelled poopy diapers during the smelling exercise and continously saw excrement left by dogs during the visual exercise. I asked him if he was experiencing a lot of so-called "crap" in his life and he concurred that he was going through a divorce and it was a rather difficult time for him. His attention was drawn to a metaphor for how he was feeling.

I don't just teach these practices, I live them myself and yesterday, being day 3 of my Sedona experience I ventured up to Bell Rock. I love to walk and spent the twenty minutes needed on foot to get to the starting point into the national forest. As I stepped onto the magnificently flourescent orange path, I felt connected to the orange color of my second chakra. This energetic wheel rushing below my navel is in charge of my creative force, my playfullness and my intimacy, among other things. I smiled as I recognized this part of my Being.

It is my habit and my joy to gently touch some of the leaves, tree trunks and flowers as I walk. It allows me to connect with that aspect of myself that is being mirrored for me. The flower connects me to my beauty, the tree connects me to my roots, the leaf connects me to my life force and so on. Being my first time in this location, I touched many of these lovely Beings along my path.

I also noticed how the cacti with their pointy thorns represents that archetype within me. I have certainly lived with a fair share of my own "pointy exterior" throughout my life, but it has been well worth the trip to get to my center where all the good stuff is located.

As I meandered through the path, I came across a fork in the road and was reminded of how Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz had so much indecision when deciding which way to go. I, on the other hand, didn't need to worry about indecision in this moment of now, as I allowed the Universe to guide me on my course. I felt compelled to turn left and so that is what I decided to do.

Turning left took me on course to Bell Rock. As I approached it, I felt connected with its bell-like shape. Not only that, but the surrounding rocks, which are truly mountains, are palatial in size and captivated my attention. I heard in my mind for the second time in Sedona, U2's song, In God's Country—and indeed it is. As the song played in my mind, I allowed my arms to open up parallel to the ground allowing the Universe to flow through my heart center.

As I reached the bottom layer of Bell Rock, I felt inclined to look down at this one rock. It fit nicely in the palm of my hand. The orange sandstone felt like sand at the beach and I was reminded once again, that this area was indeed under the ocean floor. As I looked up at the top of the rock, I was amazed that San Francisco, where I am from, is on the beach and close to our current sea level, yet way back several eons ago, the sea reached well over 4500 feet higher than where it is now. It truly astounded me and allowed me to see that time is about shifts. We are never meant to stay the same. Even our planet and the stars above and the Universe at large is contstantly changing.

I climbed all over the rock and in a couple of places I stood next to it, face front, touching it with my bare hands. I know that a small crystal can send energy my way and this large rock mountain certainly was sending me energy, as well. I was connecting with it as a comrade, sharing my energy with it—allowing the cycle of giving and receiving to flow.

Finally, before leaving this space, I re-acknowledged that spending time recognizing my True state of Being is where I choose to be in this lifetime. I am in love with the Universe and all of its offerings. I have been blessed with the wonderful gift of being in physical form and I accept the journey that I have created for myself.

What a Blessing!

Thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

Being Guided on My Path

2012-02-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

As I made the two and half hour drive to Sedona, I could literally feel the shift in energy as I approached the mystical land of this area. Never have I experienced the flow of energy in any location as I do here. Driving through the majestic red rocks that seemed to be calling to me, I allowed the power of the land to generate through my body...and I was happy.

On day two it was most important for me to start the networking process. I need a home starting on the 15th. I need to earn an income starting yesterday and I would like to start making friends here, as well. I am not certain how many crystal shops I went to yesterday, but each one seemed to lead me to something important.

On the first stop, I waited outside for a moment before having an impromptu interview with the owner. Her shop rested on Oak Creek and I felt compelled to place my hands on one of the trees aligning the water's path. The tingling sensation that rushed through my arms from the tree was certainly a gift. I was receiving an energetic massage and it was great!

While out on my excursion, I also found out about a non-denominational Spiritual group run by a Shamanic practitioner every Monday evening. Between it being non-denominational and run by a Shamanic Practitioner to boot, I am definitely game to try it out. I also found a reiki share group that meets every Wednesday evening and I must say the room where the share is held is the nicest space for this kind of group experience I have ever seen. It was certainly an easy decision to make plans to try out both in the next week. I figure the more I get out there and meet people, the better off I will be.

On the way back home, my friend wanted to take me to a shop where the locals go called Crystal Magic. While they don't have rooms available for me to share reiki and all the other goodies I have to offer, I was thrilled to see the quality of the stones at non-touristy prices.

As I walked through the space, I was guided to the pendulum area. I have been interested in pendulums since one of my students in Paris brought one to a Planetary Healing Circle I was hosting. A pendulum is a weight of some sort, often made from crystals or wood that a person dangles from a chain that is held between their fingers. One can then ask it a yes or no question and it will move accordingly in one direction for a postive answer and in a totally different direction for a negative response—apparently all on its own. However, for as many pendulums as I have tried over the last couple of years, none of them have worked for me. I wasn't sure if they actually worked at all or maybe this simply was something that I was not supposed to be using. All I know is that I have continued trying to find one.

On this day, I picked one up made from a lovely rose quartz. I showed it to my friend and asked her to help me test it out, but like the others before it, it didn't work for me either. However, out of the corner of my friend's eye, she saw a purple one bouncing on the rack all on its own. The funny thing is that purple is my favorite color. She handed it to me to test and I saw that it was an amethyst. Amethyst is one of my favorite stones and even on occasion it has called to me in my mind's eye telling me to come to a particular store, showing me exactly what it looks like before I even step into the shop. Needless to say, I loved the look of the pendulum that was now in my hand.

The first questions I asked were to find out which direction was yes and which was no—and low and behold it started moving on its own! I next asked it if this is the pendulum I am supposed to have and it responded with an enthusiastic YES! Emotion welled up in my eyes as I discovered that I cannot pick the pendulum. It has to pick me and this one clearly wanted to be with me. As we stood in the store, my friend grabbed it out of my hand and surprised me with it as a gift. It was meant to go home with me. Halina also surprised me with a beautiful celestite crystal. I was being spoiled on this day.

With both of my lovely gifts in hand, we left the shop and had a bite to eat at the delicious Thai restuaruant next door. Afterwards, we walked back to the car. However, I was being drawn to the clothing shop that was on the other side of Crystal Magic. The funny thing about this is that while I love clothes, I do not like to shop. Back in the day when I actually had a regular income, I used to have a friend who was a shopping goddess, pick out a lot of my clothes for me—and I was only too happy to allow her to do so. I could then simply swoop into the store, pay for the items and be on my merry way without having to look around myself. When I am the one actually doing the shopping, I must admit that I am Speedy Gonzales moving through the store looking for exactly what I need and getting out of there as soon as possible. I definitely have more of the masculine energy when it comes to shopping. So, it certainly surprised me that I wanted to go in considering that I now only had $5 to my my name and certainly couldn't buy anything.

My eyes were in heaven as I gazed at the clothes in this shop. Usually when I go to a store I find one or two things I like, but in this case so much of the store's inventory was exactly what my style has evolved into. I looked forward to having the funds so that I can return and fill up some shopping bags. As it turned out, this shop was connected to Crystal Magic and furthermore, the sales woman, Kathy, was one cool woman. The three of us had a grand time chatting away and in the midst of our conversation, my friend explained my need for housing. Kathy didn't know of anything, but as Halina said, the larger the cast area of the net, the more likely there is to find the perfect connection.

As the three of us continued talking, Halina handed her my website information and her contact number. She decided to act as my 'secretary' while I am in search mode and that was certainly fine with me. Halina told Kathy that she thought for sure she would be the connection I needed and as she said this, she got "Truth Bumps" all over her body. Truth bumps are goose bumps that some people feel after making a statement and for these people, the bumps are the Universe's way of saying, "Yes, that is a Universal Truth." Then Kathy responded that it was possible—then she too had Truth Bumps on her face, which led to Halina having even more Truth Bumps too. I was in the midst of a Truth Bump Party and I was the featured guest!

So, who knows where this road is taking me, but I do know that even in the mere twenty-four hours I have been here, the genuine Spiritual Nature of this area has been fun for me to experience. While I have no idea how long I will stay, I do know that in this moment of now, I am having a great time—and that is all anyone can ask for.

Thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

Sedona: Day 1

2012-02-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

One may think that I have been living in Sedona for quite some time since I already have some postings on this blog, but the truth is I have only visited here on two other occasions and my posts are based on those experiences. Today is the day that I am actually moving there. Whether this is a temporary move or a permanent one, only time will tell. With only a total of $7.00 in my posession, I don't have much control over my fate.

I know what you are thinking, she is moving with only $7.00, how can she possibly do that? I can honestly say that the ego within me says the same thing, but this is not the first time I have done something like this. I moved from San Francisco to Paris, France with only 70€ in my pocket and yet I ended up staying there for two years. How did I manage? I took a lesson from the Indiginous Peoples and traded my services for a roof over my head.

Now, don't get any funny ideas, the services I offered were all very respectable. As a Spirituality teacher I have a plethora of goodies in my trading toolkit to offer. I teach and offer reiki sessions. I am an intuitive development teacher and shamanic practitioner and can offer those services. A few years ago, I owned a home organization/staging/decorating company and can organize and stage with the best of them; not to mention the fact that I can babysit, teach English, clean house and run errands. Plus, I am great with animals and had plenty of opportunities to house and pet-sit while homeowners were away—and believe me when I say, I did all of these things while I was in France.

The reason for the financial situation is that I went from having everything: beautiful home, cocktail dresses, fabulous shoes, gorgeous furnishings (I was a decorator after all) to losing it all. Before feeling sorry for me, it was the greatest gift that I have ever received. The space was cleared for me to find myself and not live in the status quo. I learned to say YES to the Universal Wisdom that flows through me and not pay heed to what others think I should be doing.

While not having the luxury of a lot of money, I was afforded the opportunity to move more deeply into my Spiritual Awakening. Not only was this experience forcing me to learn to see the beauty that surrounds me at every turn, I also cleared space to face all the demons that were buried in my subconscious, bringing more clarity into my Being. Besides which, I have written two books based on my life's experience, fulfilling a lifelong dream of being a writer—and that my friends is a good thing!

So, while I do work, I don't want to say 'very hard' as it is all fun, but I do indeed work a lot, the fruits of my labor hasn't shown up yet. I know it's here, just waiting for me to tap into, but the fountain of abundance has not quite made itself known to me. Who knows, maybe Sedona will bring to me the perfect publisher for the books that I just finished this very week.

So, here I go again. I will try to get my feet wet in the mystical land of Sedona and I look forward to seeing where it takes me. I have a place to stay for two weeks and after that I am in the graceful hands of the Universe. I can only assume that I am being guided to the perfect place. Admittedly, before leaving for France I was overwrought with fear. This time around, I still have ego playing the fear card, but I do have a lot more confidence that going with the flow of life instead of fighting to go upstream is the right answer. I don't have faith, but rather knowledge, that no matter what, it is all going to work out in the end.

I suppose like you, I will just have to stay tuned for the next installment.

I thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

Facing My Fears with a Pink Jeep

2012-01-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

My friend decided to surprise me by purchasing two tickets on a couple of the Pink Jeep Tours in Sedona. The ubiquitous pink jeep is hard to miss in town. They are simply everywhere. Unfortunately, my friend did not know that I have scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, and had to wear a back brace for two years. Nor did he know that I have three slipped discs. The last time I tried riding a roller coaster, I was slouched over for two days and riding through the rugged terrain here was going to be a rougher ride than any roller coaster. Not to mention the fact, that this adventure company doesn't want you to be on their tours if you have back issues.

My friend also didn't know that I have certain phobias—i.e. fear of heights, fear of falling and fear of anything that scared me...and climbing rocks at seemingly 90 degree angles scared me. However, I looked into his eyes and saw that he was so excited for this gift that I didn't have the heart to tell him about all of my issues. So, I faced my fears and did it anyway.

My first concern was for my back. Since I have a daily meditation practice, I thought this might be the best option for me to survive the ride with my back still in tact. I didn't close my eyes, cross my legs and repeat the mantra Om. In fact, if I didn't tell you I was in a trance, you wouldn't have known. I was still talking, smiling, wrapping the blanket they provided around me to try to keep warm and observing the spectacular views. However, as we drove I was indeed in a light trance, focusing on the health of my back. I kept repeating in my mind that my back was in perfect condition—aligned in my body and aligned with the Divine. Knowing that empty words without the feeling behind them doesn't work, I had to force myself to believe it was all true. Over and over I repeated my mantra in my mind as I visualized my back in perfect health. Our minds are powerful creators and I was creating perfection in my body.

Low and behold, it worked! It was my first time attempting this light trance state and I was elated that I was able to keep my focus.

In the meantime, I still had the phobias to deal with. We initially drove up a tame road to get to where we were going. The driver then paused, warning us it was going to get a whole lot more bumpy. Needless to say, he was right...and bumpy did not clearly define what we were experiencing. Let's just put it this way, I am certain we would have flown out of the jeeps, if our seat belts weren't on as tightly as they were. With each rise and fall, I continued breathing into my fears, allowing all the energy from the Universe to keep me in check. It worked too.

Towards the end of the three-hour ride we drove up the steepest incline and I thought surely we might fall backwards. I would never have imagined walking this cliff side, let alone driving up to its top, but here I was nonetheless, doing just that. I definitely belted out a few screams along with a bunch of laughter on that one...as did everyone else on the trip—including the passengers in the jeep directly behind us. Amazingly, we all did it and survived the feat.

So, here I was doing all the things I "don't like" and I was actually liking it. I am not sure if I will ever do it again, but I am thrilled that I did it on this one occasion with my friend to share it with. I was not only able to face the fears I have had since childhood, I moved through them with grace. I also maintained my health simply by keeping my focus and the best part of it all was that we were able to see the most magnificent sites that I would not have been able to view had I not moved through this experience. It truly felt as though I was in God's country in these back areas of Sedona—and I wouldn't have been able to see it all without the aid of this pink jeep.

I must say, it was well worth the trip.

I thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

***Please note I am not a doctor and anything I write is not necessarily encouragement from me to try the same. I am simply writing what has worked for me personally.

The Call of Sedona

2012-01-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

What is it about Sedona that makes people flock to it? Is it the golf courses and spas? For some, perhaps. Is it the magnificent orange-red rock formations that patient ocean waters created several millenia ago? Most certainly. The views with its combination of green plant life mixed in with the surrounding desert, all contribute to the sense of awe and wonder in our minds. And of course, there is the art scene and the predominent New Age element contributing to the Sedona formula—but is that it?

I spoke to a man once who told me he came to Sedona for a vacation and never left. He didn't even go back to New York for the selling of his home and all his belongings. He had his friends and family take care of these necessary duties for him. This may seem like an extraordinary approach to the world, but it is not an uncommon story. Over and over again, I have heard similar tales from people of all ages and backgrounds. Needless to say, this overall reverence from those who did not grow up in Sedona fascinates this curious writer.

I know for myself, I felt as though Sedona had been calling to me for about six months before I first visited. At the time, I was a bonafide one-hundred percent city girl living in San Francisco and had frankly never heard of this town until one day I watched a documentary on various must-see places in the world and this was one of them. After that, it seemed like every time I turned on the TV, the same documentary would be talking about Sedona. I was feeling like the Universe was trying to tell me something. So, I finally did something about it. I went to Sedona.

I had been traveling with a friend and was compelled to take a day trip by myself to this mysterious location. I ordered up a van service to pick me up from Flagstaff and my driver gave me the first impression of what Sedona would be like. He was fun and charming and he certainly exuded a warmth in his personality that was appealing. On our journey, he showed me the gorgeous sites along the way and I was thrilled to have taken the long way to get there. The nature couldn't have been more beautiful if it had tried.

After being dropped off in town, I found a cab to take me to one of the parks where I went off on my own on a hike. I started out on the path that everyone else was on and chatted with a few other travelers while out on my sojourn. After awhile, though, I decided to follow the butterflies off path. They are the locals, after all, and know all the best spots to go. I was shown a beautiful stream gliding over the low laying rocks. I witnessed a plethora of trees with their own individual shapes. I noticed a furry yellow caterpillar and thought it might grow up to look like one of the same butterflies that was guiding me on my journey.

As I approached one of the mesas, I became enchanted by the color of the sandstone. The summertime afternoon sun was blazing upon it, illuminating it as though an inner fire was being locked behind the rock's shape. I truly felt as though I was in the presence of something much greater than myself. As I continued my gaze, something began to happen to me. I felt a powerful energy coming from above me that moved through the crown of my head, down the length of my body. Every inch of my corporeal Being was tingling from this vibration and every inch of my Spirit was delighted by this energetic shower. In that moment, I was connecting with the Divine in all things: the Earth, the Sky, all of Nature that is everywhere, my Spirit and of course the Divine within. Tears streamed down my face, not from pain, but from the intense rapture I was experiencing in that moment. I could feel the Love from all Beings everywhere and I was happy.

I had heard that Sedona had several vortices (or to use the local vernacular, vortexes), but I was frankly dubious of their existence—that is, until I experienced one for myself. The energy of this space is truly the most powerful I have experienced anywhere. It is no wonder there is such a strong Spiritual presence here. The land is literally calling us in to rejoice in our True Natures. We are Spirit Beings having a physical experience and this little pocket of the world, can help us remember that.

I thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

It's All in the Name

2012-01-05T19:58:00.001-08:00

Sedona. Even the name conjures up images of a mythical story to its beginning. Perhaps Sedona had some significance to the Native American or Mexican cultures. I know in my mind, I had created the idea that it must have had something to do with the mysteries of the red sandstone rocks or maybe the fact that the Divine had created such immense beauty in its natural setting. Alas, I was taken aback when I ventured out onto one of the ubiquitous pink jeep tours last year and discovered the mythos I created in my mind, was just that--a fantasy. However, the story still lends an interesting tale.

It was actually named after the wife of the first postmaster, simply because it appeased the Post Master General of the United States' notion that the new town needed a short name. Because of Mr. Post Master's apparent aversion to using his quill and ink, Sedona Arabelle Miller Schnebly, a well-liked hostess, became the inspiration behind the town's name.

While the name may imply that she was of Native American or Spanish descent, that isn't the case at all either. Born in 1877 in Missouri from Pennsylvania Dutch stock, Mrs. Schnebly, inadvertently became the key holder in instigating a reverential appeal in the town's name. Apparently, Sedona's mother claimed she invented her daughter's name, because she thought it sounded pretty. However, from this writer's perspective, destiny most assuredly played a role in its creation, as well. The name alone rolls of the tongue as if it is the most natural thing on Earth and is perfectly suited for its ethereal landscape. It seems to me that the seed was planted in Mrs. Schnebly's mind to venture to the new territory of Arizona, simply to create intrigue behind the history of the town's name.

...For that, we must thank her.

I thank you for spending time on my Sedona page!

Information on Sedona Schnebly is credited to the Sedona Historical Society's website. To find out more information, please visit http://www.sedonamuseum.org/sedona.html.