The Elusive Sedona Vortex

Lots of folks swear by it. Some claim it changed their lives. For the better of course. Others leave unhealed and disappointed. I'm talking about the vortex in Sedona, Arizona.

I had never been to Sedona but the photos I'd seen looked spectacular. More massive red rocks than you can believe, all right outside your window. Then there's the buzz about the vortex. So when I arrived in Sedona last week, I was determined to learn all I could about the vortex.

First things first. Just what is the vortex? After asking a few people, it seems to be this: Some believe that the Sedona area possesses a unique healing power and that this has been recognized for centuries, first by the Native Americans. According to their oral history, Native Americans did not live in the red rock area surrounding Sedona because the spiritual forces were TOO powerful. Instead, they would come to this area for spiritual cleansing and growth. No doubt the combination of red rock and peyote generated bucketfuls of enlightenment.

Ever the skeptic, for me, talk of the vortex all sounded a bit like so much New Age hocum. The notion that by standing in particular places, I could experience some sort of healing strays so far from my personal experience that for me, this was a tough sell. Many Sedonaites and New Age devotees see things very differently though. In fact, the leaders of the New Age movement believe that Sedona is one of the world's best sites for achieving a state of spiritual and even physical healing.

I felt the legend of the Sedona vortex eminently worthy of further investigation. So I talked with quite a few folks, especially bartenders, about the vortex. From the bartenders, I learned that lots and lots of people move to Sedona to get healed. They just keep on coming. Drives real estate prices through the roof. Optimism runs high. Apparently results are mixed. Many leave unhealed. But that doesn't stop others from coming.

I wasn't expecting to get "healed". I had a big problem---I wasn't sure what condition I had that needed healing. But I did love the place for its natural beauty. The air quality is high, and not just in some pristine scientific way. OK, here I know I'm sounding a bit New Age-ish but I'm telling you, Sedona is a place where the inclination to indulge your creative muse runs strong. I felt like writing a bunch of new songs. But our time was quite limited, so we did plenty of hiking instead while thoughts of new songs danced around my strangely active brain.

I had the opportunity to perform and meet some wonderful new folks. Then we headed north to the Grand Canyon, but that's a story for another time. So here's my ultimate recommendation: go to Sedona. Don't expect to get healed. You're better off to keep your expectations low---that way you may be in for a very pleasant surprise.