Sedona Vision Quest: Lesson #1- Rocks

M= Mmmm, I wonder:
  I think most of us know the story about big rocks.  To "fill" a jar, you start with big rocks, then add pebbles, then sand, then liquid.  That way everything that matters fits in the jar. 

 Here are the rocks I found on a vision quest near Sedona, AZ.

Mii Amo is a resort nestled in Boynton Canyon just outside Sedona, AZ. 
I was attending an amazing David Romanelli "Yoga for Foodies" retreat Dec, 2010.

This is the first lesson of my supplemental vision quest walking down the canyon.



Red rocks establish the canyon.  They encompass the area like watch guards forming god's perimeter of solid sunshine, pigment and majesty. 

The point to the right is the Vortex.  It is said that the energy of God comes straight down at this cone.  I spent the middle of a night there offering Mother Earth thanks for my persence on this beautiful planet, dedicating my services for Her work, and cradled in Her arms receiving comfort.



 "First Woman's Landing:"  Early natives placed a young woman from their tribe in an ark so she could survive the coming floods.  This formation shows where the ark landed.

W/the vortex to the right, turning left carries me down a trail deep into Boynton Canyon.  I'd heard that the energy vortex is like a faucet and that the Energy flows down this canyon.  First Mother is said to reside there still.



Heading down the Canyon had me sweltering in the Phoenix sunshine.  Those beautiful red rocks radiate heat like an oven.  This Alaskan was MUCH more comfortable with the walks I took in the middle of the night! 

 I thought this dry river bed was a result of too much heat- That I could understand!



I was very surprised to find out that there is  a FOREST down in the canyon!

 I asked locals where the water comes from that feeds this vegeatarion. 

Turns out the river did not run dry on its own.  Rumor has it a developer tried to blast the mountain open to get more water.  The plan backfired damning the river and taking water underground instead.







Coming to the end of the trail is a steep climb, an open space, and a beautiful seat.  When you get there, you've earned it!    I must say, I was befuddled at how little I felt any energy pulses at the vortex. Here, though, I SWAM in the abundance of Mother's Love.



I've seen many places around the world where these alters are built.  My husband likes to say they are homage to gods long forgotten and now wandering the hills of loneliness as people become more submerged in development and technology.  I'm always encouraged to see these standing as I believe they are formed by people who refuse to forget.



This is the alter I used to offer my service to Mother Love.  If I can be an example of Conscious Living and Loving, if I can bring wonder to the body in yoga. If I can find a way to help others explore their own joy- Count me in. 

 

I= Look inside: 

 Back to the jar of rocks: At the end of the story comes a moral - yet what that moral is depends on my perspective. 

As I review decisions I've made in the past, I see many times where I would agree to do any sort of "important" requests.  From that perspective, it seems that a likely moral would be:  "No matter how full your schedule is,you can always fit more things into it."   I don't think this approach made me any happier.  I know I felt more stressed.

A problem is, however, that I would only feel the stress AFTER I was elbow deep in a commitment I made without Conscious Consideration.

Had I taken the time, I'm pretty sure what I would have felt in my body were- 
     a) turtle withdraw where my shoulders ride up and my head comes down;
     b) anal retraction indicating that any desire or wisdom my body wants to express is being ignored;
     c) bear-attack back: a slight tucking sensation that adds a locking mechanism to the anal retraction and lengthens my back to protect my innards but creates gurgles in my belly as denying my body wisdom expands.

This must be like the decision blasting rock to find more water only to cut if off entirely.

Instead, Consider the Wisdom of Creation as seen in Sedona.

When I look at the rocks from Sedona, these images are crystal clear:
1) Boundaries:  There are HUGE cliffs framing the canyon.
              Gay Hendricks had great suggestions for bringing this to life in the newsletter: Dancing with Time, Space,  and The LIST. "When hurry-up mode squashes your sense of space, you can recover with three relaxed, easy belly breaths, any time, anywhere. When you move, especially pleasurable stretching, you drop into a sense of inner space that refreshes."

2) Landmarks: The Vortex and First Woman's Landing. In my life, this is taking time to check body wisdom BEFORE committing.  What does my back feel?  My throat? My belly? Etc.  A quick body scan gives all the info I need.

3) Gestures:There are small piles left to honor our journey when we come to the end of the trail.  Likewise, a small gesture to choose what I love adds dimension over time. It means one moment, I chose to focus on what matters most to me. 

From this perspective, the moral becomes "I have to put the big rocks in first if I want to get to them all."

Willing 2=  What Brighter Focus?
So, I want to emulate creation.  This requires creativity.

I commit to using my resources being resourceful for Conscious Living and Loving.

What matters most to you?  Does your time, money, and energy demonstrate that importance? Is your commitment Conscious?  RUWilling 2 find out?