Heading to Sedona, Arizona, I didn’t know what to expect. Was this really going to be a spiritual journey that would change me forever? I’m not opposed to some metaphysical healing, but I wasn’t going into the 100-degree weather expecting an epiphany. Driving along the canyons from Phoenix, I almost forgot how hot it was as I headed into my summer-solstice weekend retreat.
Upon arrival, I was overcome with a sense of calm. The heat was so dry it felt amazing, warming me from the inside out. My adobe casita was luxurious and private, complete with a spacious patio looking out onto the surrounding, larger-than-life red rocks. This was my home away from home: 70 acres of stunning terrain nestled into Boynton Canyon within the Coconino National Forest. I had arrived at Enchantment Resort.
My first stop was Mii Amo, the 24,000-square-foot destination spa. The Yavapai-Apache consider Boynton Canyon — the site of their creation story — a sacred place. This in itself made me immediately feel the power of the space. Enchantment commissioned Gluckman Tang Architects (known for projects like New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art and Spain’s Museo Picasso Málaga) to create the contemporary yet organic structure, complete with a sky-lit crystal grotto as its centerpiece.
Seamlessly fusing the powerful Sedona mystique and Native American history, the spa menu is unlike any other, offering treatments like an aura-soma color reading, a psychic massage and the intriguing Spirit of the Full Moon. I chose the Spirit of the Full Moon as it would soon be rising. I commenced my spa experience by setting my intention in the crystal grotto. The treatment itself started with an exercise in self-reflection. I was not prepared for this. First I was asked to relax and meditate. Then I was given a small piece of paper and asked to write down everything I would like to let go of. This is not exactly the kind of task one would expect when trying to relax. Don’t get me wrong: I’m used to visualizing “letting go” in yoga, but actually writing it down was a challenge. At first.
When my sheet quickly filled, my therapist gently reminded me I could write on the back, too. She burned everything I wrote — literally. The paper, engulfed in a small flame, flew up in front of me. She gracefully caught it on a dream catcher, promptly saged me and gave me permission to be free of what I had acknowledged was holding me back. The next 60 minutes were pure bliss: a hot sesame-oil head massage followed by a full-body massage. I drifted between consciousness and dream state for the duration.
That night, my sleep was deep, my dreams vivid. Ignoring my cynical side, I had let the vortex do its thing, let it bring up whatever needed to be resolved. The vortex held more power than I knew. I came away thinking that Mii Amo might just be the kind of destination spa that could produce lasting results, offering something intangible to tap into when that small piece of paper starts to fill up again.
