Sedona, Arizona: Go West.
So What's in Sedona?
When I heard that Sedona was something like the capital for all things esoteric, I got more excited for my trip West. I thought it was just going to be more about various hikes ending in beautiful views - woe is me, right? But Sedona has more to offer, as if there needed to be more than bathing your senses in the beauty of nature.
Sedona was named after the wife of a settler; however, it is clear that the culture of the people that lived there before is what really settled on Sedona.
You will find, architectural digest-like, adobe homes painted to blend in with the desert panorama. When admiring a view, if you aren't focusing, you could miss an entire house nestled between the bush and rock. And isn't that how it should be? Because when you live amongst nature you are a temporary visitor joining a masterpiece that was in production long before your mortgage closing.
That symbiotic respect for nature isn't just a courtesy but an ordinance by the locals. And they want you to pledge your allegiance too. "The rocks are red and the silence is golden. I vow to respect the natural quiet of Sedona's open spaces and neighborhoods." This vow is one of 9 that you are asked to take when visiting the Sedona area. It's called the "Sedona Cares Pledge" and it also includes being ready for "random episodes of magic."
In the supermarket, a man dressed as a Wizard stood at the counter ordering cheese from the deli. And so it goes, in a place like Sedona. Pop into the Center for the New Age and book yourself a chat with one of their many psychics on call that day. Or get a photo of your aura taken. Or attend a sound bath session. Or maybe just seek out the vibes...
"Did you feel it?!", a middle-aged woman yelled out to another climber coming down from a plateau, of Bell Rock, not far from where I sat. She was referring to the energy some people feel when in certain areas scattered around Sedona called "Vortexes". People have described feeling tingling sensations, or feeling exhilarated, introspective, reflective and/or refreshed.
I wanted to feel it. But mostly, I was too busy stifling bubbles of fear from my self-diagnosed vertigo or getting" rimrocked" as my friend calls it. The first time this happened, was while climbing Lion's Head in South Africa, 7 years ago now. I get to a point in climbing where I become paralyzed, afraid to move then feel uncontrollably shaky. Usually, just a casual glance at the sheer edge of the rock I'm climbing, the height down or the difficulty of a next hand or foothold will set it off. Meanwhile, a guy in two strap Birkenstocks and socks was skipping down the flat rock face past me and in that moment, I was fully aware that my fear is of my own manifestation. I once read that if you imagine all the things that could go wrong in a situation and how to resolve each issue, you will feel more prepared and confident. DO go and see these magnificent structures and climb them at your comfort level. The views from the various levels are expansive and breathtaking.
To see Sedona in action, check out the EURHere.com insta post, Sedona: Go West
