Sedona works its magic

In northern Arizona, the stunning red rock formations have a powerful presence

September 07, 2005|Weekend Planner, Stephen Jermanok, Globe Correspondent

SEDONA, Ariz. -- The best time to arrive here is in the dark of night. The next morning when you open your drapes and stroll onto the hotel terrace, you will stare in awe at the blend of twisted red rock formations. Monoliths, mesas -- some as high as 5,000 feet -- hoodoos, hanging cliffs, and spires join serrated red mountain walls. It's as if an impassioned abstract sculptor went to furious extremes. Indeed, many people now moving to the region believe that there are numerous spiritual sites or vortexes around Sedona made by God.

''Vortexes are high-energy meditation sites that turbo-boost people's spiritual and psychic abilities," says Pete A. Sanders Jr., author of ''You Are Psychic!" (Ballantine, 1990) and ''Scientific Vortex Information" (Free Soul, 1992). Sanders, a graduate of MIT, moved to Sedona in 1980 to found Free Soul Mind/Body Education. He believes there are nine vortex locations around Sedona.

''There aren't any signs that say 'This is the vortex,' " he says. ''Go to the general locations and find a place that you feel personally enhances your energy. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and meditate for 15 to 20 minutes."

Whether or not you believe in the power of the vortexes, after hiking and biking through this phantasmagoric landscape, you will inevitably agree with Sanders's statement that ''there is definitely something magical about Sedona."

A one-hour round-trip climb will take you from the side of Highway 179 to one of the most spectacular formations, a coveted site for meditation named Bell Rock. This monolith looks like a large anthill thrust into the sky. Take one of the numerous trails that encircle or ascend Bell Rock. The arid terrain is covered with prickly pear, yucca, cacti, short pinon pines, and the shady juniper tree.

You may encounter circles of loosely stacked rocks that new age pilgrims call medicine wheels. These wheels are based on Native American beliefs in achieving harmony and balance in life, and supposedly intensify the vortex experience. Yet, in recent years, the US Forest Service has been irate over the disruption of the natural habitat by new agers. Native American tribes have staged protests, considering it a sacrilege to leave a medicine wheel in place after meditation.

''If visitors feel a need to construct a medicine wheel, they should make a mental one," Sanders recommends. He also asks that people resist taking pieces of the red rock. ''Soon Bell Rock will be Bell Flat," he added. Instead, he echoes the principle of John Muir, naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club: ''Take back memories, leave only footprints."