Insights

As a retreat facilitator, I understand the importance of personal retreats and taking time to recharge ones batteries. This year I decided to go to Sedona, Arizona which is a desert town near Flagstaff. I heard great things about it within my spiritual community. Among its many energy vortices, its surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls, pine forests and hiking trails. It’s noted for its mild climate and vibrant arts community. In addition, there are a multitude of crystal shops and psychics at every street corner.

After a modest bit of research, I decided to book a retreat experience with a local company in the heart of Sedona. You can pick one of their customized retreat packages or create your own. This is perfect as we all know–one size does not fit all! The 3 day adventure included a sound healing and soul retrieval session, dosha and chakra tour and a relaxing massage.

The owner was very accommodating and assisted in the scheduling, pick ups and drop offs. This was an important feature in being able to attend all sessions but also in getting around with no concerns.

Now normally I would link a website that I speak of in my blog to promote a business or product but in this case I am choosing not to. Heres why: I did not feel I received my monies worth for most of the sessions. The $240US dosha tour consisted of sitting outside in cold and windy weather for about 15-20min filling out a few worksheets. Consequently it became unbearable so we made our way back to the facilitators car for the remaining portion of the tour. I will say that the facilitator was a great gal but one must always have a contingency plan for bad weather. Note, I did receive a meager refund after emailing my dissatisfaction.

That being said, the soul retrieval and sound healing session were well worth the money spent. My tour guide was wholly versed, attentive and caring. The space was a tipi set up with every sound instrument you can imagine which included a cozy lounging nest for the participant to lay down on. I received some great tips on healing products and a sound healing CD to take home.

If you are interested in visiting Sedona, AZ please do NOT pay a retreat company to bring you to the energy vortex spots. These are free to visit. The company I found wanted to charge $240-360US. I personally found a local resident who graciously took me to various spots. I honestly believe some of these “tours” are overly priced and that people (like me) are being taken advantage of because they do not know any better. (I would have rather purchased a Deepak Chopra book on Ayurvedic Medicine and consulted an Ayurvedic Practitioner in my own city in exchange for the dosha tour.)

All in all, I had a wonderful time and truly owe it to my couchsurfing friend, DS. The take away–do your research and don’t just read the testimonials on the site where you may be interested in going. No company would post unfavourable feedback on their own website. Explore travel blogs, sites and forums that inform the consumer about the good, the bad and the ugly. In this way, you know what you’re getting into.

Om*