Amidst the pandemic, I decided to do what no one else would have done. I booked a trip to beautiful and magical Sedona, Arizona. What could have prompted me to take such a step during such a perilous time? Well, when the Universe calls, I always answer!
See, before this, things in my life came to a head. I was in a relationship that needed realigning. I had taken a job thinking that I could balance my holistic practice and earn a living that would easily afford my lifestyle (because crystals are not going to buy themselves), as well as provide me with a certain amount of financial security. Even though I was good at my job because I had done it for so many years, I was also tired of working in the legal field. My heart was no longer in it. I had sacrificed my life purpose for financial stability, and although I continued to practice and teach Reiki part-time, the Universe has always had other plans for me. I needed a spiritual retreat!
I remembered that I had always wanted to visit Sedona, and I was excited to find cheap tickets and a great cottage to stay at. I was originally interested in travelling to see a particular spiritual channeler that I follow, but when his speaking engagements were cancelled due to the pandemic, instead of cancelling my reservations, I decided to go on this trip anyway. I quickly began to plan everything out: all the hikes I would go on, all the spiritual tours I would take, and all the places I could visit on this five-day trip. But the Universe had other plans for me [again]… the Universe wanted me to slow down and really be in my own skin and reflect on where I came from, how I was doing, and where I was going from this point forward.
The morning of the day I was to travel, I suffered an injury to my Achilles tendon. One of my cats was spooked, and as a result, he dug his claws into my ankle! I laughed, and then I cried… How was I supposed to travel and enjoy my trip that consisted of lots of walking and hiking with an injured Achilles tendon? As if that was not terrible enough, when I showed up at the airport to check-in for my flight, limping and agonizing at every step, I was told by the ticketing agent that my flight did not exist. I was dumbfounded; but in my heart, I knew this was a test from the Universe. How badly did I want to reconnect with my spiritual path? What was I willing to do to get reconnected? Standing at the airline counter, I grabbed my phone and purchased a flight for the next day on a different airline and began shifting my travel plans. I was thankful for the mishap after all. I needed to rest my ankle.
When I finally arrived in Sedona after flying for five and a half hours and driving for two, my ankle was in bad shape. I was in serious pain, and the cabin pressure from the connecting flights had made my ankle swell up. So, I headed to the local emergency room in Sedona where I was given stronger antibiotics and pain medication. I bought ice packs, bandages, and other wound care products to last the entire trip. Suffice it to say that I became familiar with how to get to the nearest drug store. I also had to contact my tour guides and reschedule my tours. I needed take at least one more day to rest my ankle, I thought.
The next morning, I could not walk the three-foot space that it took to get from the bed to the bathroom. I was in so much pain that I was in tears. In that moment, sitting on the toilet, feeling the pain in my entire leg from the knee down and the tears rolling down my face, I looked up towards the sky and asked the Universe, “Why did you bring me here when I can’t even walk,” then, WHAT AM I DOING HERE?” The next hour is a blur in my memory, but I can tell you that I stopped crying, I tended to my wounds, I got dressed, fixed my hair, applied make-up, and prepared breakfast. I decided that I need to sit down and journal my entire experience up until that point; and that is exactly what I did. I sat at the dining table with my breakfast and my journal. I propped up my leg and put an ice pack on it and then I began to write. I wrote for what felt like an hour. This is where my memory of that morning returns. Having put the traumatic experiences of the last 48 hours on paper, I felt my consciousness lift. I felt… happy and blessed and oddly enough, I felt healed. Not healed from my injury but healed emotionally from the inside out. I felt that I was where I needed to be in that precise moment.
I then began to look at all the pamphlets and flyers I had collected at the hotel lobby on things to do in Sedona. There had to be places I could go even though I was injured. As I went to refresh my coffee, something amazing happened. When I stood up, I realized that I felt no pain as I walked to the kitchen. I could not believe it! Of course, I knew it was still injured and that I could not push myself to hike and abuse of it, but I felt like the door of possibility had just opened and was showing me the endless potential of this trip.
The rest of my stay in Sedona was full of magical, intuitive, and healing moments. I met wonderful people who guided me through medicine wheel meditations at the Amitabha Stupa, sound healing, and yes, even a vortex tour in Boynton Canyon. I returned to my hometown with a newfound sense of purpose and direction. I felt like I got my spiritual groove back! I was ready to dive back into my practice and begin taking clients and develop all kinds of new services and products. I began to thrive again!
But wait! We are still amid a pandemic and most people are afraid to leave their homes. I decided to begin marketing my services with a new twist, I was going to make some of my services available virtually. I was still working at the job, but I began to focus on different aspects of my practice and doing more research on what modalities resonated with me. In the back of my mind, I could hear my guides saying, “You should go back to Sedona. There is more to do.” If you have never visited Sedona, Arizona, and you are a person with a spiritual practice—whether it be a personal practice or a professional practice—and you have not visited Sedona, I highly recommend visiting.
So, of course, I listened to the second call from the Universe! When I went back during the week of Thanksgiving, I took my youngest daughter with me. She, too, is very spiritual and this trip was to be her birthday gift. We hiked Doe Canyon and experienced the vortex energy there; we went on a star gazing tour; and we also had Akashic Record readings. We hiked beautiful Bell Rock. We both returned from this trip with beautiful spiritual guidance and spiritual renewal.
This made my interest in the job drop even further. I had a burning need to get back to my spiritual career now more than ever. Before January of 2021 was through, the Universe answered MY call this time. I found myself unemployed once again, and what a blessing has been! I am now able to take control of my destiny, my practice, and my services once again. I am now ready to hold healing space for those who visit my studio in person or virtually.
I am still amazed at how quickly life can change, and 2020 was no exception for me.There were plenty of changes, plot twists, travel, and most of all LOVE!I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity for such expansive personal and spiritual growth even while our nation and our people are going through so much as we all go through the human ascension along with our planet, mother Gaia.