Final day in Sedona, now reality

My last day in Sedona I was feeling pain and stiffness all over. I needed one more massage with the focus of relieving pain and not just for relation. I want back to the lady who did the energetic treatments with the tuning forks. I knew she has the knowledge, expertise and experience to give a really deep a through massage. She told me that my entire pelvic girdle is torqued and has caused me pain throughout the body. I knew what she was saying. Only the very experienced massage therapists can pick up on this. I had heard it before last year for the first time while in massage school. One of my massage instructors had noticed in while working on me how out of line my body is. It stems from an accident I had in Costa Rica five years ago. I fell down a flight of concrete stairs on the beach. I have not been the same since and hold a lot of pain and trauma in my body. The rest of my body tries to compensate and get back in homeostasis where it needs to be. I still ached after her massage, but one day later I could feel the difference in my body and some relief I have not had in a while. I know many of you think I just get massages for pampering, but I really do need the work.

After the massage, I hiked to a nearby stupa. There were a ton of these stupas in Nepal. These are Buddhist temples made for praying. Sedona is truly a multi cultural and religiously tolerant place. I was amazed at the gifts that were left for Buddha. Beautiful necklaces of coral and turquoise, watches, billfolds, coins and more. I can’t believe no one had stolen these items. Thank goodness they hadn’t! How could you live with yourself by stealing from a place of prayer and worship?

Later that night I attended the sweat lodge ceremony. My only disappointment was that it was not out on the land near the Coconino National Forest. But I can understand, with the average price of a home in Sedona is at $720k, then land must really be pricey! The ceremony was in the backyard of a sub-division of an Navajo Shamans home. I didn’t know what a shaman was until I went to school last year. They are like medicine men and women who go from the physical worlds to the spiritual world of healing and power. Me and a nurse from Pennsylvania were the only attendees. We wore our bathing suit. This ended up being the highlight of my entire trip. We were sprayed with peppermint, eucalyptus and pine needle essential oils to start. The fire was lite. The door shut and the lodge was pitch black. He chanted, played the flute, drums, and a crystal bowl. We perspired profusely and we sang songs in the darkness. I began to cry. My tears were for happiness, joy, sorrow, forgiveness, suffering, and pain. This was truly detoxifying, releasing and spiritual experience. Later we gazed at the stars above before the clouds rolled in. I could clearly see Jupiter! I felt like a bunch of yuck and emotions had finally left my body!

This had to be one of the most interesting vacations I have ever taken! I learned a lot, I think. It was good to cry. Now I need to decide what to do with what I have learned! If I do anything! I always think I am going to have an epiphany while on vacation, but it never happens. Although, this one may have come pretty darn close. Now reality and back to work soon. I have company from Denver in town for the holiday weekend!
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