A Few Days In Sedona, AZ
I’ve always heard positive stories about Sedona, but I had never taken the time to do my research until I had a trip planned there. I was going out to Arizona for a music festival and knew I had to see what the hype was about. To give you a little background, Sedona is known for being one of the most magical places on the planet, and I literally mean magical. To help you understand the rest of what I’m about to tell you, a vortex is a swirling center of energy that is used for meditation, healing, and enlightenment. There are believed to be several spiritual vortex’s that lie within the beautiful red rock transformations of Sedona. Within the serene landscape, lies specific locations where energy is magnified as it comes out of the earth. If you are a sensitive person, you will feel this intensity by just being in the presence of Sedona. Once you get to the actual site of the vortex’s, peacefulness takes over and you feel so connected with something higher. With this being said, people travel from all over the world to experience these powerful forces that emanate from the red rocks. It’s an extremely popular destination for retreats and alternative medicine. You’ll see people doing yoga and meditating, so be respectful of those around you!
As soon as you arrive in Sedona, you will feel the shift. Although there are specific destinations that are thought to have more power than others, the entire town of Sedona is considered a vortex. There are four specific locations that people visit to experience a more intense energy shift. These are at the Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon. I was lucky enough to visit two out of the four. All of them are hiking trails and have multiple options from easy to difficult. I planned my days around visiting the vortex’s and was happy to spend my entire day at the sites. I brought snacks for the hike and did some yoga while taking in the views. It’s one of those places you never want to leave because the energy you feel while there is so uplifting. Even if you’re not into the whole “universal whoo whoo”, you will love Sedona! The rock formations are absolutely stunning and will leave you not wanting to look away!
But if you are interested in all this energy talk then I have another awesome place for you to check out. Also located in Sedona is the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. This visit was hands down my favorite stop during my stay in Arizona.
To help you better understand what I’m about to tell you, let me first explain what a stupa is. They are most recognizable in Buddhist culture as temples, but each culture has their own type of “stupa”. A stupa is a mound that contains relics or religious objects and is used as a place for meditation. They are considered to be the living presence of the Buddha and represent enlightenment. Stupas have been built to bring benefit to all living beings, and the magical healing powers have been well documented.
The peace park is located at the base of Thunder Mountain and contains two stupas, along with walking trails and many other symbolic figures used for meditation. Spiritual seekers visit this prestige place for meditation and healing purposes. There are many traditions that go along with this specific location, so I advise you to do your research before visiting. For example, it is said that by walking around the stupa three times, in a clockwise rotation, and praying for the world, you are sending your prayers into the universe. This place is very sacred and you will see dozens of people sitting on the earth meditating.
You can visit the stupa for tourist purposes but be sure cherish the ground you’re walking on and recognize it as a sacred architecture on earth. This is the perfect place to go and pray for loved ones and the greater good of the universe. The sole purpose of these temples is to purify negativity, bring about awakening and compassion, and protect beings from suffering.
I can praise this experience enough. To walk on this sacred ground was a blessing. I can honestly say that my time at the Peace Park was refreshing and I left with new intentions, that I felt so excited about. Be sure to plan some time to stop here and pray for those you love. You never know what the good energy you send out could do for others!
Peace Park
Peace Park
Park Park
Peace Park
Jupiter Tree at Bell Rock Vortex
Bell Rock Vortex
Cathedral Rock Vortex
