The Healing Power of the Sedona Vortex

A spiritual site tour

I fell in love with Sedona the first time I set eyes on its magnificent red rocks. The rocks against blankets of green are a treat for the eyes.

My first trip to Sedona was a few years ago. We went on a family vacation and hit all the well-known hikes, my favorite being Devil’s Bridge. This natural wonder is a sight to be seen. The trek up was treacherous but worth every blister.

When you experience places like Sedona, at least for me, it creates such wonder and awe of the world. I feel so blessed to see places that take my breath away.

When I heard people throughout the town speaking of certain vortexes, I was curious and eavesdropped. I’ll admit that I had to look up and find out what a vortex was and why people flock to Sedona to be in them.

The magical town of Sedona, Arizona possesses many vortexes, four to be exact. These energy vortexes seem to draw people in and once you see Sedona, you immediately know it’s special and you feel at peace.

Well damn, that is exactly how I felt when we drove in. I was even more intrigued now.

What is a vortex though?

A vortex is a center of spiraling energy that gives powerful healing benefits. Sedona is said to have the strongest energy in the world. People travel from all over to Sedona for healing and self-exploration.

Being into yoga and meditation, the draw to the red rock wonder was pulling me in. I knew I had to experience for myself what the buzz was all about.

After Devil’s Bridge and lunch in the town, I wanted to experience one of the vortexes and we decided to head to Cathedral Rock. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t really sure if I believed in the magical forces.

Being that I am not into organized religion, I often tend to gravitate to a more spiritual lifestyle all while I feel skeptical about certain things. I think growing up with a mom who claimed to be a Christian while doing everything against what would be deemed “Chrisitan-like” scarred me in ways.

We hiked a steep trail up to Cathedral Rock spires. The view at the top is stunning and worth the difficult trek, even if you aren’t into the spirituality of the vortex.

Once we arrived at the vortex area, I felt a strong pull to sit and ruminate. I was immediately happy and calm, which put me into a great meditative state. I was able to meditate longer than usual, with no monkey mind creeping in. It was the most incredible feeling and left me wanting more.

We were able to get back down the path in time to witness the most beautiful, red sunset, and instantly, I wanted to move there.

Even though it is a popular, crowded destination, the beauty of Sedona held me captive. I knew I wanted to visit again soon. And, next time would include more time at another vortex.

After a year of self-exploration in sobriety, I knew it was time to head back to Sedona to feel the energy of another vortex.

Being spiritually bankrupt for years, I needed healing in my life. Maybe it was just the calm, peaceful moment that I recalled from the vortex or something more, but I needed to find out.

The day we were going to visit Sedona, there was a snowstorm, which is unusual for this area. So, we decided to visit the next day, and when we arrived to find all the red rock dusted with snow, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The vibe was magnificent and a completely different experience from the last visit.

We headed to the Airport Mesa hike, which yes, is right by the Sedona airport. The snowy, and somewhat muddy hike in, was well worth it to get to the top of the vortex. The smooth red rock at the top of the vortex was such a nice place to sit and relax.

The pictures don’t do the view justice. When you arrive and take in all the majestic beauty, you can’t help but feel extremely happy and calm.

I decided to lay down on my back this time and take it all in. I felt so much love for myself at that moment. I am so lucky and grateful to be alive and I felt moved in a way I haven’t before.

I also didn’t know that these vortexes are considered to have gender-specific properties. Why are some vortexes masculine while others are feminine? This was a puzzling fact that I had a hard time grasping. The Cathedral Rock vortex is feminine and the Airport Mesa vortex is masculine. The way I felt was very different at each one. I wasn’t aware of this before I went and just read about it, which is why I am mystified.

I highly recommend going to Sedona, especially during the winter months. It isn’t as crowded and the wonder of the snow-capped red rocks is something you need to experience in person.

I’ll be back, Sedona. You’ve captured my heart.

This is in response to our December challenge at Globetrotters. Check out the challenge that Anne Bonfert explains here:

Warren Thurlow knows exactly what I mean about the spirituality of nature. He takes a trek to Patagonia, Chile which legends have said is a place that possesses healing powers. When he makes it to the final push of a hike to the top of a vista. After a mountain-top lunch, he says… “It was the best lunch I’ve ever had and for me, in those moments, I had found my place of worship.”

Matthew David does something that even thinking of makes me anxious. It’s hard to imagine being silent and still for 10 days because I am such a fidgety person. While reading his essay, I kept thinking that this is really something I should do. Even though it didn’t go exactly how he thought it would, he left with so much. “I had always been a skeptic around meditation and spirituality, but I can’t emphasize enough how shocking it was to experience these tangible, palpable sensations.”