5 minute read
SEDONA FOR THE SOUL
“Here, the earth is alive and vibrant, and your intentions and thoughts are amplified.”
“You don’t seek Sedona, Sedona seeks you and your presence here is an end result of that attraction,” my hiking guide Carina Written by Ottocina Ryan explains. As we hike through Boynton Canyon, considered the most magic and sacred canyon by Native Americans, her seemingly presumptuous statement makes complete sense. The surrounding copper sandstone rocks have been shaped by many natural phenomena over the past 270 million years and emanate electromagnetic energy. Here, the earth is alive and vibrant, and your intentions and thoughts are amplified.
We weave through ponderosa pines and juniper trees, dwarfed by the canyon walls. The scenery is breathtaking on its own, yet Carina enables me to hike with intention, understanding, and gratitude. She explains the history of the land and Sedona’s four vortexes (where ley lines—streams of natural energy that connect monumental sites around the world—intersect and are conducive to spiritual experiences). These points are known to be places of physical and emotional healing.
Carina shows me quartz crystals embedded in the sandstone, which occurs naturally over 5,000 feet, and Native American dwellings carved into the walls of the canyon. “See that crevice? That was a three room apartment,” she points out. On the return hike we stop to meditate. It’s serenely quiet. Carina burns sage and guides me through an uplifting meditation. I return to my home for the week, Enchantment Resort, located in the center of Boynton Canyon, feeling lighter.
We make plans to meet at Cathedral Rock tomorrow for a sunrise hike, then part ways at the Trail House, Enchantment’s hub for all things adventure. It’s stocked with over 60 mountain bikes, a sporty retail shop, and all of the information you could ever want on the canyon, its trails, and wildlife.
I retreat to my spacious casita and sit on the balcony, trying to make out more dwellings in the red rocks, a welcome pass time considering everywhere you look are mesmerizing views. With the full afternoon ahead of me I drive up to the pool. The super friendly bellhops wave from their golf carts, remembering my car from yesterday’s arrival. The BMW Alpina B7 is certainly a head-turner. It goes zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds and the ivory leather seats are plusher than a couch. The drive from Santa Barbara felt like I was in a bubble of comfort propelling through the desert landscape. The built-in tablet periodically recommending I take breaks and offering to find me a coffee shop was a brilliant touch.
2020 BMW Alpina B7
The pool crowd is fun and youthful—honeymooners, families, couples, girls’ trips, all interacting with other parties and comparing drink orders. The piña colada is a favorite. Amidst what seems like the coolest family reunion ever, I soak in the desert sun and panoramic views until evening.
Eying the swirling clouds, I ask the valet about the best vantage point to watch the sunset. He enthusiastically recommends the restaurant patios; dinner at Che Ah Chi it is. The unique bread basket accompanied by a sweet pink prickly pear butter sprinkled with black salt sets the tone for a meal of elevated southwestern cuisine. The highlight is the Steelhead Trout, a delicious salmon-esque fish topped with olive oil caviar, served over local garbanzo purée. The sunset is so pink and fluffy it could pass for dessert.
At 5:30 a.m. Carina and I hike to Cathedral Rock. We catch our breath at the base of the formation while the sun paints the valley with swaths of gold. Carina indicates the landmarks, “There’s Thunder Mountain, Bear Mountain, Gibraltar, Nicholas Cage’s house…before he lost it to the IRS [a sure sign a place has supernatural secrets], Lee Mountain, Bell Rock, and the most famous and deemed the most magical, Cathedral Rock.” We enjoy the view then hike along Oak Creek, Carina spewing knowledge of the geology and land’s history the whole way.
Mii amo Cafe
“I depart the magical canyon feeling more in tune with the energy I’d like to give to the world and attract.”
Upon returning to Boynton Canyon I walk to Enchantment’s sister hotel Mii amo, a 16-guest room destination spa on the same property. A green protein smoothie and ginger shot from the cafe fuel my second hike of the morning—the one-mile walk to Kachina Woman, a unique rock spire where the Boynton Canyon vortex energy is most intense. Enchantment and Mii amo’s proximity to the sites that give Sedona its mystic reputation is par none and the resorts seamlessly integrate spiritual aspects.
My final morning, I meet with Kim, from the property's mindfulness team, for “Canyon Bathing.” She greets me with a juniper bead necklace made by Navajo Native Americans and leads me to a lawn. She guides me through a meditation where I reconnect with my inner child. I notice more details than ever before in the surrounding nature, nuanced landscape, and myself. I depart the magical canyon feeling more in tune with the energy I’d like to give to the world and attract.
Awakening me from my meditative mindset, a couple hours into the drive, I get pulled over going 45 in a 30 mph zone. Not bad considering the BMW Alpina B7 has a top speed of 205 mph and a V-8 engine with 600 horsepower. I'm relying on my sports bra to get out of the ticket, but when the cop comes over he is only interested in the vehicle. “Well you win the coolest car award,” he muses, admiring the intricate rims and dual sunroofs. He lets me go without a ticket. Maybe there was something to my intention of attracting luck and forgiveness into my life, or maybe the Alpina B7 is that amazing of a car. Probably both. *
Enchantment Resort pool
