Two years ago, I ventured to the Sedona desert with my sisters. Each of us were at an emotional crossroads in our own lives, though for very different reasons. Feeling stretched thin, the geological wonderland of Sedona became a place of healing for us.
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Late one afternoon, we hiked the Boynton Canyon Trail, said to be one of the most powerful βvortexβ sites in Sedonaβan area especially alive with energy emanating from the earth. So powerful in fact, that some of the juniper trees lining the trail are thought to grow magnificently twisted due to these intensified, swirling forces. This vortex in particular is claimed to be a site of balanced magnetic (yin) and electric (yang) energyβideal for reflection, self-awareness and a higher vision for your life.
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From the canyon trailhead, we stood in awe of a commanding red-rock spire known as the Kachina Woman, long recognized as sacred by many Native American tribes. According to Hopi legend, the Kachina woman watched over humans and protected the beauty of earth. If she ever crumbles or falls, humanity is lost and we would be banished to a dark underworld. I couldnβt imagine such a fate, as a pure blue sky stretched out above us, and crisp, fresh air filled our lungs. Crimson cliffs and vibrant rock walls rose above ponderosa pines ahead. With the warmth of the sun on my face, I felt like we could walk on forever.
Am I feeling the vortex?, I wondered. Humbled by the ages that had carefully carved themselves into stone, this place awakened at the very least, an immense feeling of just, being. And that is something I took with me, off of the mountain, into the mess of everyday life, in every act of love.
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