My 3 Day Retreat to Sedona
For someone who has lived in Arizona their entire life, I haven’t seen a whole lot of it. I’ve been to many places but never the places you always hear everyone talking about going to. I mean Jerome, Payson, and, of course, Sedona. I am lucky enough to work with great people who thought we needed a bit of a break and a chance to recharge. And that meant going somewhere I’ve never been but live 2 hours from… Sedona.
I really didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I really relished in how quiet it was and how, most of the time, I couldn’t even use my phone. Well, except for pictures and the like. Sedona is honestly beautiful whether you’re taking in the sunset from the Vortex by the airport or just climbing up the mountains. Hey, if you love hiking, you do you. There were a lot of daring people climbing those rocks all over the place. Me…not so much. My climb to a few landmark sites was just enough for me. I really loved that it’s a center for wellness.
Sunset from the Airport Lookout Vortex
Since I really had no idea what to expect, I let everyone I was with take the lead and I promised myself to try whatever it was they had planned. Most importantly, I was going to give those things a chance without judgment (goal achieved). Of course, we did things like a wine tasting and enjoyed delicious meals but even that sometimes meant getting out of my box.
Here are three really cool things I loved on my trip to Sedona (that you should definitely try!)
Reflexology Map
Reflexology
This was one I was pretty apprehensive about especially because I’ve never had a regular massage before in my life let alone one all about my feet. This particular place gave you an hour of treatment including a scalp and full (clothed) body massage. Reflexology focuses on pressure points within your feet that correspond to certain organs and systems of the body. By pressing on them, it affects the function of those areas. While it felt a bit weird to have a stranger pressing on my feet for 45 minutes, I think it actually did help. It helped me relax (I couldn’t even touch my phone and I had nothing else to focus on), and it also helped me with the aches I had been getting.
And, if you think it was easy for me to relax, you have no idea how many times the guy doing the massage had to tell me to chill out.
Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park
The Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park
The Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park is a gem of a place to visit. It’s a little trek to get to, but worth every minute and small rock covered pathway. It is an area created for prayer, meditation, healing, and peace in a sacred place. There are spaces to enjoy the scenery and tranquility throughout the hills around the Stupa. I enjoyed just sitting still and taking in the mountains, trees, and watching the people below complete their clockwise circles of prayer around the Stupa.
If you don’t know, a Stupa is considered “to be the living presence of Buddha and as such represents the Mind of Enlightenment. Stupas have been built to avert war, end famine, and promote prosperity and well-being. Their sole purpose is to bring benefit for all living beings, and the mystical accounts of the healing powers of stupas are well documented” Via NatGeo
Meditation + Healing
Enjoying some quiet time
The main reason to visit Sedona was to recharge. There is a wellness spirit in Sedona and you’ll find a crystal shop on just about every corner. I don’t know much about crystals, but when we saw Aura photos we knew we had to get one. I was honestly surprised how accurate it was and their full packet of information based on just one photo was thoroughly interesting to me (and maybe mumbo jumbo to many). What I do know is, when all of your chakras are out of line, you have to get them recentered. Rather than visit a salt room (I really want to do this!!) I woke up early the next morning and went outside to watch the sun come up over the mountains. During this time I did a chakra meditation while listening to singing bowls off in the distance. I haven’t meditated in a while, but this one is a moment of time I will truly never forget…if only that woman in the room above me didn’t come out and scream about her lack of phone service…
Aura Photo + Reading
Crystals
Whether you participate in the wellness stuff that I loved or not there are plenty of things for you to do.I am grateful I got the opportunity to visit and take part in things I’ve never done before. I even got to see a night sky filled with thousands and thousands of stars. I can’t wait to go back and experience even more!
If you’re looking for things to do in Sedona, here are some others we managed to sneak in:
Tlaquepaque (don’t miss the Chai Spot)
View more of my photos from around Sedona below!
