"Yes, of course" I replied with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"I told a friend of mine I was coming to a spiritual retreat center in Sedona and he said the whole vortex thing was nothing but a New Age hoax designed to fleece unsuspecting tourists.

I couldn't help but laugh.  How many times have I heard this!  But Debbie's timing was especially fascinating.  She had already been on her SpiritQuest journey for several days, and we happened to be sitting, at that very moment, in what I consider to be my favorite power spot in the Sedona.  In fact, we had come here specifically to tap into the unique energy of the area, even though this site isn't listed in any of the "official" vortex guidebooks.

"Your retreat is about empowerment," I finally replied, "not about what I say or what your friend says.  Let's sit here and just meditate for a moment.  Once we're centered I'll ask you some questions and perhaps you will discover your own truth."

After a few minutes of deep breathing and meditating to the sound of a Tibetan bowl, I knew Debbie was in the right mental space so I asked her to reconsider her original question: Is Sedona really a sacred place?

"My TRUTH is that EVERYTHING in the Universe comes from a single Divine source.  Therefore everything and every place is ultimately sacred, at least in its natural form anyway."  I asked her to meditate on that statement for a moment, but not to decide yet if she agreed.

"Perhaps that wasn't really your question" I continued.  "Perhaps you were asking if Sedona is special or unique... if Sedona is sacred in some way beyond the ordinary.  The most important thing to consider at the moment is simply the fact that you are here, able to experience it directly for yourself.  And you've been here for four days now.  Empowerment is about making your own judgments, based on your own direct experience of reality, then speaking your truth.  So, you tell me, what has your experience been during the past four days of your retreat?"

"Are you kidding," she exclaimed, "this whole thing has been like a miracle!  Everyone I've met has been amazing.  Everything that's happened has seemed like it was unfolding according to some master plan."

"And right now, what do you feel at this moment?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know.  It is really beautiful here.  And I am really happy" she replied.  "I guess I feel a sense of joy.  Maybe elation is a better word.  It's exciting... sort of thrilling.  And I have a remarkable sense of clarity about my life that I didn't have when I left home."

I let the silence hang for a minute before I went on, wanting to choose my words carefully.  "OK... I can't explain it in any scientific terms that would satisfy your skeptical friend, but a lot of people say the same thing in Sedona.  I guess you could say that I don't have a need to understand the energy here using logic.  I have come to understand it as a non-logical, intuitive, 'visceral' phenomenon, simply by feeling it myself and from observing the effect it has on other people."

"But once again, we're talking about what other people say, when we're really interested in finding your truth.  Empowerment is not about following the herd.  Native Americans going out on a vision quest did not need reassurance that they were following some well worn path to enlightenment!  I'm only suggesting that the Sedona Vortex is an intuitive phenomenon, something you feel in your gut, in order to point you toward a particular direction.  All the remains is for you to look inside yourself, and discover if Sedona is a sacred place for you.  So, for the next 30 minutes I want you to relax, breathe and meditate.  But also let your mind be free to notice whatever it wants."

Afterwards we walked in silence back to the car.  Just before we got there Debbie turned and smiled.  "I found my own truth... and Sedona will always be sacred to me."