I was having breakfast last week at the trendy new “ish” Ace
Hotel, in Downtown Los Angeles, with a lovely woman, who
was planning her 50th milestone birthday retreat. She had
been referred to me by another retreat client that had spent
a week with me in Maui for a yoga retreat I had hosted some
time ago, for a group of very busy executives.
Spanish, the name literally means “Holy Wood”. Its properties
for cleansing and healing are similar to that of sage. I told
her that, as a beginning to her journey, to take the next few
weeks to begin to listen, cleanse and begin to journal any
insights about this stage of her life, and the messages from
Great Spirit.
Our conversation turned to planning her special time away
from the busy-ness of her day–to-day life, and we discussed
what she could “expect” on her journey to Sedona’s red
rocks and vortex energy centers. In our early discussions,
she had wanted a group retreat experience with some of her
closest friends and family joining her. Gradually, as we talked,
her focus shifted and she decided it was best to simply go
alone, with herself, and with me as her guide, to the most
special places Sedona has to offer -a lone vision quest.
It is said that there is a Universal law of attraction at work here;
that in order to manifest the experience we are choosing, we
must first release it or “give it away” before it will appear in our
physical reality. That night, after leaving the Ace hotel, one
couple arrived with a beautifully wrapped box with purple and
green ribbon tied around a fresh stick of Palo Santo. I opened
the box to find the four crystals I had given my new friend at
breakfast had returned to me that same night…an example
of that Universal law at work? Indeed!
We spoke about some of the things that were driving her
need to step away from her routine for a few days, and
hopefully to come back with a renewed sense of purpose
and clarity. Having hosted and attended retreats with hundreds of guests/attendees myself, I knew all too well that the
pivotal decision to step off the wheel of life actually begins
the true process of finding your place on your wheel of life.
We planned to participate in a Native American shaman-led
medicine wheel ceremony while in Sedona, so the metaphor
on the wheel of life did not go unnoticed by me.
We all need to take time to step away from our daily routine,
a routine that is increasingly becoming more and more accelerated as technology takes over. The natural environment
provides much needed food for the soul, solitude for inner
reflection and insight and time for self care. It’s an investment
in the “bank account” of life and the dividends it pays are
through the roof!
According to the Four Winds Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to cultivating conscious community by offering indigenous perspectives, values and ceremonies, the
Vision Quest “is a rite of passage in many Native American
cultures. It is one of the most universal and ancient means
to find spiritual guidance and purpose in ones life. A vision
quest offers clarity into the next phase of life.” Traditional vision quests involve days of fasting in nature within a sacred
altar, after extensive preparation, to be able to receive the
messages from Great Spirit that await them. It is a challenge
of faith, physicality and focus. It is a powerful time to align
with the Great Mystery of life.
Lori Tierney is a freelance writer and author of the book “Cougar Yoga”. She founded the Red Road Retreat company in
2006 and organizes individual and group retreat experiences.
Before someone is ready to take on a truly authentic Vision
Quest, a gentle introduction into the indigenous ways, ceremonies, culture and stories is suggested.
The “urban vision quest” we had planned took into account
that this woman, seeking a mid-life rite of passage, had never
experienced any of the traditional ceremonies, or had never
been exposed to the intensity of a vortex area like Sedona’s.
The experience would be no less powerful and life altering.
The alignment of our energetic connection began immediately after she said “yes” to the experience.
I recall a moment when she came into my mind’s awareness,
and in that exact instant, my phone rang and she was on the
other end of the line. At our Ace hotel meeting, I presented
her with an offering of four specifically selected crystals I had
wrapped for her, along with a fresh stick of Palo Santo, that
comes from a mystical tree that grows on the coast of South
America and is related to frankincense, myrrh and copal. In
Lori Tierney
@cougaryoga
www.loritierney.net
www.redroadretreats.com