Release the Inner 'YOU' in YOUtopia (travel article)

Everyone has a part of their self that gets neglected during the consuming obligations of everyday life. So, take time out to tend to your inner self and watch yourself blossom into a fuller, happier, more exquisite you. The best place to do it… Sedona where natural beauty, positive energy, extraordinary attractions, unforgettable activities and superlative amenities await you.

Merriam-Webster defines utopia as “an often imaginary place or state of utter perfection and happiness,” but there’s nothing imaginary about the YOUtopia you can create in Sedona. Whatever part of you (mind, body or soul) yearns for attention, Sedona and its surroundings offer experiences that will polish those facets and send you home shining like a diamond.

Connect With You

Years of personal neglect might leave you lost in regard to exactly what you need. Sedona’s many spiritual and metaphysical practitioners can help you find your way.

Hypnotherapy and psychic readings tap spiritual connections and ease out dormant personality profiles. Reiki, massage, meditation and yoga relax your body and stimulate energy zones. Healing therapies detect damaged areas and begin to repair them. Such treatments and services will help awaken inner selves that need attention, like…

The Child in You

No longer shushed and shunned, your inner child will squeal with delight while slipping down the smooth chutes at Slide Rock State Park or jumping from a rock into a deep, blue-green pool at Grasshopper Point. These summertime water parks, compliments of Mother Nature, nurture childlike giddiness.

Giddy-up with a horseback ride. Or, take a ride on the railroad. The Grand Canyon Railway ventures from nearby Williams to the canyon’s south rim on a day-long excursion with on-board entertainment direct from the Wild West. Board the Verde Canyon Railroad to journey deep into the Verde Canyon and witness unspoiled, natural beauty.

Go to the Zoo. At Bearizona Wildlife Park drive or walk through 160 acres harboring animals indigenous to North America. See exotic animals at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park where experiences also include ride- and walk-through exhibits, animal shows and interactive encounters.  

Need help coaxing out your inner child? Consider a fun and enlightening psychic or animal totem reading.

The Artist in You

Whether it’s a hands-on experience or simply appreciating the genius of world-class art, Sedona’s studios, galleries and museums nourish the creative soul.

Spend a day gallery hopping and enjoy public art along the way. Observe the performing arts with a stage play, musical performance or combine dinner and a show at a dinner theater. Marvel at Paolo Soleri’s futuristic vision of urban living at Arcosanti, where architecture and ecology form “arcology.” And, visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross to appreciate the spiritual nature of its integrated architecture.

When your creative juices begin to flow, schedule a glass-blowing class, pottery workshop, painting session or instruction in another medium. Wander with your camera. Astonishing beauty surrounds you—dramatic red rocks, otherworldly rock formations, awe-inspiring sunsets, the charm of Oak Creek. The photographer in you will certainly take home enlargeable, frame-worthy images to adorn your walls and stoke your creativity daily.

The Athlete in You

Home to more than 100 hiking trails, 200 miles of single-track biking trails, winding hilly roads, towering rock faces, sandstone spires, and the Verde River, Sedona is a veritable Youtopia for hikers, backpackers, cyclists, runners, rock climbers, kayakers and anyone who enjoys increasing their heart rate while huffing and puffing fresh air.

Plan ahead for Sedona’s annual sporting events. Join 3,500 other runners for 5k, 10k and half-marathon distances at RunSedona every February. In March, adrenaline junkies congregate at the
Sedona Mountain Bike Festival for heart racing rides, workshops, vendors, a beer garden and live entertainment. Slow down and focus on your breath at the Sedona Yoga Festival (also in March) where presenters from around the world lead workshops and classes for every level and every style. If river running is your thing, the Verde River Runoff in March includes five- and 10-mile kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard races with class 1 and 2 rapids amid leafy Cottonwoods and towering cliffs.

Whatever gets you going, restore tired muscles with a massage and stretch them out with a yoga class. Refuel at a healthy eatery, and when your vigor runs low, recharge at one of Sedona’s famous energy vortices.

The Romantic in You

Book a room for you and your special someone at a charming bed & breakfast or plush resort and the romance will easily ensue. Get totally relaxed with soothing spa treatments for two. Then, stoke the flame with a quiet, candlelit dinner. Satisfy your inner oenophile at area wineries and tasting rooms. Hike to a quiet spot along Oak Creek for a dreamy picnic and siesta in the sun. Gaze in awe, hand-in-hand, as your hot air balloon soars in time with the rising sun over the inspiring Sedona landscape. 

And finally, reflect on your good times while the fiery sun sets the red rocks, and your hearts, ablaze.

For a truly unforgettable experience, book a commitment (or recommitment) ceremony at Bell Rock or another well-known energy vortex.

The Historian in You

Step back in time at the Palatki, Honanki or V Bar V heritage sites. These historic locations reveal the lifestyles of the ancient Sinagua and Hopi tribes through cliff dwellings, artifacts and more than 1,000 mysterious petroglyphs carved into the sandstone rocks.

Montezuma Castle National Monument validates Sinaguan building and engineering skills with a five-story dwelling containing more than 20 rooms and 4,000 square feet of livable space built 90 feet up a sheer limestone cliff. Additional dwellings exist at Montezuma Well, where irrigation from a perennial spring watered the crops of these prehistoric farmers.

Get a glimpse of more contemporary times—the late 1800s—at the Sedona Heritage Museum, once the homestead of the pioneering Jordan family.

Make your own bit of history with a Native American ceremony—a shamanic drumming ceremony to connect you with your spirit or animal guide; a fire ceremony to release things that no longer serve you; a water ceremony to honor its life-giving essence; a purifying sweat lodge steeped in spiritual symbolism.

The Adventurer in You

Do you crave adventure? Sedona is a YOUtopian basecamp for remarkable outdoor adventures and life-changing experiences. Paddle rapids on the Verde River. Book an air tour of Sedona or the Grand Canyon and glide alongside jaw-dropping sights. Take a ground tour by vehicle or on-foot to delve deeper into the rugged desert—the majestic Antelope Canyon will elicit oohs and ahhs and a lifetime of passionate retellings. Float high above the spectacular landscape in a hot air balloon, and while the rest of the world begins to awake, quietly contemplate the magnificence of nature.

Perhaps the adventure you crave is inward? Build an astrological or numerology chart to help define your future path. Attend a spiritual ceremony.

Mind, body or soul, the Sedona YOUtopia will reconnect you to yourself, the earth and ultimately everyone around you. Browse these YOUtopia itineraries to get started—just follow your instincts and don’t hold back, then reap the rewards for years to come.

Read the published version here.