It was the last year my friend organized a Ragnar team to run the 100-mile relay in memory of his brother, who died ten years ago. He figured ten was a good number on which to end the tradition.
A beautiful destination race in an Arizona desert was just the motivation I needed to start training in the height of New England's August heat.
My plan was to run the race Friday through Saturday, hike a few days in Sedona – another opportunity to see the Arizona canyons – and fly home.
I hoped somewhere in all that we'd have an opportunity to formally pay homage to the man we were all running for, and my friend would have a profound healing experience. But we never did stop to say a prayer. No big deal was made about it.
I think that may have been me projecting onto my friend what I would have wanted for myself. Funny, that.
Little did I know what Sedona had in store for me spiritually.
Ragnar Relay Race in McDowell Mountain Regional Park
I always end up buying clothes at Ragnar races because I'm never prepared for the cold that hits at night. My first sleep was broken. With temperatures in the low 40s, the cold kept waking me up.
But with the sun, I rose and looked forward to my three legs: a 4.1 mile, a 4.5 mile, and a 6.6. The last two would be in the dark, by headlamp, just me, the night sky, and possibly coyotes.
They say you must see a sunrise in Sedona, and, fortunately, I did see one over the sea of tents at the campsite.
Ragnar campsite at the McDowell Mountain Range Regional Park
We started the race at noon on Friday and finished around 8:30 the following morning.
Ragnars are unlike anything I've ever done. When I arrive at camp, I wonder, "why did I sign up for this?" The first leg is my fastest. Then I head back to camp to let the next person know they're up, eat, and rest in my tent, waiting for my next leg. After my second run, I eat, go to sleep, and wake up at some ungodly hour to run the third and final leg. As I'm standing with a bunch of other crazy runners watching the monitor to see when my teammate hits the quarter mile marker – my cue to approach the bib hand-over tent – I fall in love with this nutty race all over again. At the end, when our team of eight runs with the last person across the finish line, my heart is full, and I'm thinking about the next race.
Hiking in Sedona – Birthing Cave, Devil's Bridge, Chapel of the Holy Cross
We rented a car in Fort McDowell and drove two hours to a condo rental in Sedona, where we would hike the next two days.
Earth Trekkers' piece on 12 Amazing Hikes in Sedona, Arizona, was very helpful for planning our hikes.
In one day, we trekked to the Birthing Cave and Devil's Bridge, then drove to the Chapel of the Holy Cross to catch the sunset.
The 2-mile hike to the Birthing Cave is flat and easy. However, you really must memorize the image of the mouth of the cave because the sign to the trail is nonexistent.
There's a bit of a scramble up. Once you're there, the view is amazing and provides great photo opps.
Birthing Cave
From there, we took a long loop back to the parking lot, passing lots of mountain bikers along the way. We stopped on a high ledge to eat our bagged lunch, looking out on the great expanse of mountains, trees, and sky.
Back at the parking lot, which, by the way, only has about ten spots, we started the 4-mile walk to the popular Devils Bridge. This was another easy hike but oddly, unnecessarily, zig-zagging in places.
Devil's Bridge
The views from the stone ledges are breathtaking – another great photo app!
We barely made it to the Chapel of the Holy Cross before dark, but we didn't exactly head out at the crack of dawn to start our day – more like 9:30 a.m.
Soldier's Pass Cave, Seven Sacred Pools, Sink Hole, and Devil's Kitchen
Another popular Sedona hike is the Soldier Pass Trail, which includes caves, a series of pools, and a giant sinkhole. At 4.5 miles, it's a relatively short and easy hike that took us about three hours to complete.
Again, we had stunning views, from beautiful, tall, orangey stone ledges to wide, vast vistas of rocky mountains.
Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park
My friends left, and I had one day to myself before flying out the next day. So, I made it 100% spiritual, visiting the Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park, followed by a visit to a light worker.
Sedona is known for its energy vortexes – places where the earth is especially alive with energy – making it a hub for spirituality. The vortexes are sacred swirling centers of energy conducive to healing, meditation, and self-exploration.
The Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park is situated on one of these vortexes. I went there to pray, practice reiki, and meditate. I also walked around a medicine wheel and prayed for healing for myself and others.
Amitabha Stupa
Starting from the parking lot, I walked the path up to the stupa and spun the bronze prayer wheel before entering the main area.
I read the signs near the 30-foot stupa and learned what it is, how it was made, and how to use it and the prayer wheels.
A stupa is a beacon of compassion that multiplies and broadcasts the power of prayer. They are agents of spiritual transformation, increasing happiness, protecting from illness, and bringing harmony to ourselves and the world. They have the power to awaken within us a desire to connect to our true nature.
After I wrote in the prayer request book for healing for others, I walked around the stupa three times in a counterclockwise direction, as instructed. Then I sat with the Shakyamuni Buddha wooden statue and invited him into my sacred space for guidance.
I found a stone circle on the hill behind the Shakyamuni Buddha statue and sat there to practice reiki and meditate. The energy focused on my third eye and then intensely on my throat chakra – me expressing myself, my thoughts, my beliefs. When I asked my reiki guide about my life path, writing came up again, letting people know what I believe, feel, and inspiring others. Again, I saw a book that I'm meant to write and thought about starting this blog. I asked Amitabha the same question and got the same message. As I always do, I ended my practice by thanking my guides and saying, "and so it is."
Next, I walked through the peace park, watching the colorful prayer flags flutter in the warm wind as I found my way to the Native American Medicine Wheel. Another sign explained the sacred space and how to use it.
The wheel is like a Divine mirror, helping us re-remember who we truly are, and walking it brings guidance, clarity, and healing. I set my intention and walked the wheel.
Native American Medicine Wheel
I left the park two and a half hours later, feeling lighter and happier than when I entered.
Center for the New Age
My next trip of the day was to the Center for the New Age, where I had a numerology reading and spiritual guidance with Melanie. She affirmed and extrapolated the messages I received in my morning meditation and explained so much about my personality in this life and current awakening journey.
She explained my life path number and three secondary energies, and so much about me finally made sense. She also walked me through the nine-year cycle of change and energies associated with them.
I walked out of there an hour and fifteen minutes later, fired up about my goals and ready to go after them.
I bought a few books from the bookstore, one on accessing the Akashic records, one connecting with your spirit guides and the archangels, and another on shamanic meditations.
My trip to Sedona was rejuvenating and enlightening.
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