Story and photography by Marlene Goldman

The spirit and lure of Sedona is hard to resist. Native Americans have long considered the area and its surrounding red rock monoliths sacred. Red Rock country still hails as a vortex mecca, with natural energy centers at places like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, and Chapel of the Holy Cross. Homesteaders flocked to this region in the late 1800s to raise cattle and horses, but the rough and rugged settlement gradually softened its edge and by the 1960s, began to grow as a New Age center. The New Age wave peaked in 1987 when thousands descended on Sedona to witness the harmonic convergence of the planets. Today the city of about 10,000 is flush with spas, healing centers, yoga schools, crystal shops, and energy workers. Aside from a New Age bent, Sedona attracts visitors with its thriving arts scene, that boasts more than forty art galleries and its lingering Wild West flavor.

Best Spa

Sedona’s New Day Spa blends a thoughtful mix of luxury and pampering with a warm, casual setting. There are no pretensions, only attention to detail, from the moment you walk in. Guests are given a warm or cool neck wrap to help unwind and are seated in a lounge while the treatment room is prepared. The spa’s signature treatment, the Spring Flower Wrap, features a Turbinado Sugar Scrub, followed by a 50-minute massage using flower-based oils. The therapy concludes with a rose petal and calendula wrap. Sedona’s New Day Spa also offers a full range of Ayurvedic treatments, Aura-Soma therapy, and facials – all incorporating some form of massage and all presented with equal elegance and sophistication. Contact (928) 282-7502 or visit www.sedonanewdayspa.com

Most Romantic Retreat

Sprawling across seventy acres of the spiritually charged Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort and Mii amo spa offer pampering and luxury in one of most scenic settings in Sedona. There is a sense of romance in the story behind Boynton Canyon. The Apache Indians believe the first woman came to rest in this location after a flood. Here she made love to the sun and the Apache tribe was born. Enchantment’s private, one-story abodes are surrounded by massive red rock formations and pine forests. Canyon views are also part of the allure of the Yavapi Restaurant, which looks out on a 180-degree panorama. Many of Mii amo’s treatments are inspired by Native American healing techniques including the Crystal Grotto – a space for contemplation modeled after the Native American kiva. Contact (800) 826-4180 or visit www.enchantmentresort.com or www.miiamo.com

Best Yoga Center

7 Centers Yoga Arts touts itself as the oldest yoga center in Sedona. Students can choose from a variety of classes, including Kundalini or Chakra yoga, the latter of which focuses on a chakra of the week to bring awareness and energy to that part of the body. Students can also schedule consultations with an Ayurvedic practitioner. The Children’s Project, one part of Mystis, the educational, non-profit branch of 7 Centers, includes classes such as Prenatal Yoga and Meditation for Moms and Babies. The second part of Mystis is the Teacher Training Project, a month-long program that requires a minimum of 200 hours, during which trainees learn about yoga techniques, teaching methodology, anatomy and physiology, ethics, and the basics of Ayurvedic philosophy. Contact (928) 203-4400 or visit www.7centers.com

Best Health Food Store

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace which opened in 1990, has become a staple for local health food seekers as well as the largest health food store in Sedona. Nearly all the produce is organic, and all the meats and poultry are guaranteed hormone-free. The deli section provides a multitude of innovative options, such as Kung Pao Tofu, the Perfect Protein Salad, and the Red Rock Reuben, a tempeh-based sandwich. In the Sedona spirit, there is even a Vortex Veggie sandwich. In addition to the prepared foods, New Frontiers offers a salad bar as well as a juice bar featuring wheatgrass juice and fresh-squeezed blends. Contact (928) 282-6311

One-Stop Metaphysical Shopping

No place quite captures the essence of Sedona like the Center for the New Age. The center includes a comprehensive metaphysical book section, crystal shop, imported god and goddess gallery, and an impressive collection of Tibetan singing bowls. Evening activities include lectures, seminars, and channelings. Nearly twenty psychics and energy workers operate their businesses through the center. It’s easy to walk in off the street and book sessions with clairvoyants, certified hypnotherapists, past life regression workers, Reiki masters, and aura photographers. The Center also offers guided tours to vortexes and other sacred sites and even arranges New Age weddings. Contact (928) 282-2085 or visit www.sedonanewagecenter.com.

Most Fun Treatment

Sedona is a town of self-indulgence, and there’s nowhere better to indulge than at Lovejoy’s Enchanted Cottage. Deb Lovejoy’s signature holistic pedicure caters to even the most worn and haggard feet. She begins the session by seating the client in a heated, vibrating chair and asking the client to choose a crystal. Which crystal you choose determines the intention of the pedicure. The healing properties of the stone are released into the water while your feet soak in a whirlpool with four jets. The treatment includes an exfoliation and nail cleansing, as well as a shaping, polishing, and buffing of the nails. Reflexology, chakra balancing, aromatherapy, numerology, and even a bit of Reiki are all part of the experience. The treatment ends with an Om balancing toe tuning, replete with tuning forks. Contact (928) 300-9003 or visit www.deblovejoy.com.

Most Luxurious Dining Experience

On Saturday nights, El Portal, a luxury bed and breakfast, serves five-course gourmet meals in elegant surrounds. The menu changes regularly, but sample dishes include watercress soup with paprika cream and jicama as well as pine nut-crusted halibut with a smoked jalapeno and mango salsa. Executive chef Eden Messer uses local organic produce and fresh, seasonal ingredients. Contact (800) 313-0017 or visit www.innsedona.com.

Best Desert Indulgence

The Desert Dream treatment at the Sedona Spa at Los Abrigados Resort incorporates a variety of earthly elements into an hour and a half session. The treatment starts with a scrub, with choices such as blue cornmeal, salt and sugar, and apricot seed. After a rinse-off, you select your wrap from a menu that features both seaweed and Sedona clay as options. The therapist rubs soothing lotion on the hands and feet while you lie in the wrap, then places hot packs in various locations to help draw toxins out of the body. The cold compress with tangerine essence that is placed on the face provides a soothing touch. Contact (928) 282-5108 or visit www.ilxresorts.com.

Best Hiking Trail

You can’t go wrong with any of Sedona’s vast hiking options. Many hiking trails are shared with mountain bikers. One of the best trails open exclusively to hikers and horseback riders is Brins Mesa Trail. Brins Mesa, which spans three miles one way, climbs 600 feet to an expansive mesa overlooking Sedona to the south and the Mogollon Rim to the north. Coffee Pot Rock, Wilson Mountain, and Chimney Rock are all visible as well. The trail, said to be named after a brindle bull, passes manzanita, piñon, and juniper trees. The trail connects with Soldier Pass to form a loop. Access to the Brins Mesa Trail is at the end of Jordan Road in uptown Sedona. A Red Rock Pass is required for vehicle parking ($5 for a day) in Coconino National Forest areas. Passes and trail information can be picked up at Gateway Visitor Centers in a few locations. Contact (928) 282-4119 or visit www.redrockcountry.org.

Best Excursion

While several tour companies in Sedona offer rough-rider jeep tours over the red rocks, Earth Wisdom Jeep Tours aims to connect its guests with the energy of the land. The tour company offers visits to the ancient cliff dwellings of the Yavapai-Apache Nation and medicine wheel tours, which teach about native plants as well as Native American myths and practices. The Horse-N-Round tour adds horseback riding to the mix. Scenic vortex trips visit the numerous vortex sites, or energy centers, thought to exist around Sedona. Contact (800) 482-4714 or visit www.earthwisdomjeeptours.com.

Best Treatment to Get Your Chakras Balanced

The Circle of Life session at the Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa starts with a brief consultation with a spa therapist, who combines intuition and experience to help decide which modalities will work best with each person’s body. The four directions come into play. The East is a new beginning and treatments include massage and reflexology. The West represents introspection and calls for hot stone treatments, deep tissue massage, or clay wraps. The South, a cleansing position, can include aromatherapy treatments, while the North is wisdom and can entail chakra balancing with crystals and gemstones. Scented oil blends may be used to help stimulate the chakras or other key areas of the body. A massage often follows the chakra balancing treatment. Contact (928) 284-6975 or visit www.hiltonsedonaspa.com.

September/October 2004

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