Perambulation and Meditation

The ride from Phoenix to Sedona has some pretty spectacular moments, scenery-wise, but none as amazing as the moment you get your first glimpse of those red rocks. I found out a couple of years ago that the desert landscape surrounding Phoenix is filled with beauty I had never imagined existed. As we drove a short two hours north this week, though, the landscape changed from the grays and blues of Phoenix..



To some gorgeous half gray, half red formations...



To the red wonder of Sedona...


Sometimes, if you're lucky, nature treats you with something special. We saw this as we were heading to dinner on our first night in town. A double rainbow!


On Sunday morning, we decided to hike. It's been awhile since I've ventured out on a trail. My back problems make me a timid hiker these days, so we asked at the hotel desk about a tame trail, and the man there recommended Thunder Mountain and Chimney Rock trails: relatively flat and easy to hike. Perfect. Boots on and hiking sticks in hand, we set out. The trail was just right for me. It was not totally flat, and there were a few rocky ups and downs, but I never felt like I was going to fall. The rocks were just gorgeous, too! Doesn't this one look like a mother and child?


Here's the happy hiker:


It didn't take us long to hike to a side trail that wound us towards a site that was on our must-do list in Sedona: the Sacred Buddhist Stupas of Kunzang Palyul Choling. Sedona is sacred central for spiritual seekers and new age-ers, and it seems like every faith is represented, Buddhism included. According to their website, "Stupas have been built for centuries in the East to protect beings from illness, poverty, plagues, famine and war; and to bring environmental stability and harmony to the world. They are visited by people from near and far who are looking for healing for themselves and loved ones, solace from sorrows, good fortune, long life and help for the dying or deceased. Stupas are also a spiritual oasis, a place to refresh the spirit, gather strength and hope and connect with a deeper truth. Just to see a stupa, to walk around it or to feel the wind blowing by it is a blessing."



This is a big meditation site, so we put down our hiking sticks down and sat for awhile, meditating and listing to the wind whip the prayer flags around. We were in good company.


There are actually two stupas on the site. Here's a shot featuring both:


Eventually, we got up and we wandered around some and read the prayer flags.





And we read the glass beads: "Om"...


And we read the brick pavers...


And then we wandered back to the trail and continued our hike. It was a great morning.


Next up...in search of the vortexes. Or are they vortices?