By Barbarita de Jesus Tomaszewska
The mystical beauty of Sedona is a luminous place to be for any celebration. There I feel a harmony and spiritual connection with God and with nature. I always enjoy going to Sedona, a place I visit often throughout the year. There are four beautiful seasons experienced in Sedona; each highlighted by the radiating appearance of its own beauty. Summertime brings sunshine that illuminates the deep blue sky. In the winter I saw Sedona with the exquisite snow on the red rocks, draping the trees like a wedding dress worn by a new bride. Spring blooms from winter, blanketing the fields with wildflowers. In the fall the leaves change to orange and yellow, the color of gold. During the rainy monsoon season I witnessed vibrant rainbows arching across the beautiful skies of Sedona.
Sedona’s main attraction is its stunning array of red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks, for which she is famous. The formations of colorful layers of rocks appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The Red Rocks form a breathtaking backdrop for everything from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails. The famous rocks: Bell Rock, Thunder Mountain, Coffee Pot, Sugar Loaf Hill and Cathedral Rock are transcendental. Through the year, people from around the world come to celebrate their honeymoons and much more. This is evident by just walking through the streets of Sedona. One can hear a variety of languages#mdash;too many to count. Sedona is also a haven for artists and art lovers. All the colors of Sedona inspire the art that fills the walls of the many local galleries. Everybody seems happy and glowing because of the majestic beauty of Sedona. Likewise, Sedona is a wonderful place for growing a spiritual and personal relationship with God. His presence is felt wherever you go. As someone said: “God created the Grand Canyon, but He lives in Sedona.” For these reasons, I would like to live there too. The bright side is that I’m living nearby, so I am able to enjoy the beauty of Sedona more often.
One year, just after Christmas I spent three days at my friend’s cabin in Sedona. The place was quite solitary, deserted with a variety of beautiful cacti. From the cabin I saw Cathedral Rock, and further down was Oak Creek flowing with crystalline water. There was no cellphone signal, no radio, no TV, no connection with the outside world. It was amazing. Just God and me … and the javelinas. In the mornings I was able to see delightful sunrises. Each morning, birds rose with the sun singing marvelous melodies glorifying the Creator. I enjoyed the divine music. In the evenings I was delighted with the sunsets. One afternoon, I cherished the full moon rising behind the red rocks and meditated on the beauty of God. It was breathtaking. I do not need any words to praise God when watching His Creation for I believe His Creation speaks for itself. I treasure that time in my friend’s cabin and every time I have spent in Sedona since.
On September 14, 2011, I was celebrating my 33rd anniversary of my Consecration. After the morning Thanksgiving Mass, I went to Sedona to continue the celebration. When I arrived there, I parked my car, and went for a walk on Main Street. I visited galleries, shops, and especially jewelry stores. After a while it started to rain, and I went to a tavern for a glass of local, delicious beer. Later, I drove up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. I stayed in the chapel for a while, prayed, and I was delighted in the beauty of God looking around the chapel through the windows. Outside it was raining cats and dogs, and there were puddles in the road. I decided to head back to Flagstaff. While I was driving north on highway 89A, colorful rainbows came up one after another. The colors were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. There were two rainbows at the same time. I’ve always seen a rainbow in the sky, far away from me, but this time I was inside of the rainbow. While I was driving home, a rainbow was up from one side of the road to the other side, and I was inside of the arc, like in a colorful glowing tunnel. Sometimes I was in one rainbow, other times I was inside of two beautiful rainbows. That was amazing. Seems like time stopped, and I was in another dimension. It was like from the Bible: the alliance between God and me. It was the sign of the covenant that God makes between Himself and me forever from the day of my Baptism when I was 6 days old. Even this day I was sad and crying, missing my family, as all of them are in Heaven. Somehow, through the rainbow I was connected with God and with them. It was a divine connection. What a glorious day! Without rain there are no rainbows. Every time, when I am driving to Sedona on 89A, with joy, I remember the two rainbows that I saw on September 14, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
I invite you to visit the mystical beauty of Sedona. There you will experience the many seasons of Red Rock Country and connect with God.
These miraculous things could only happen here, in this spiritual place because God lives in Sedona.
My first visit to Sedona was in the summer of 1990. It was just a day trip. My mother, six sisters, and I were having a reunion in Scottsdale. After our dad died in 1987, we regularly got together to spend a long weekend of shopping, eating, and visiting. MaryAnn, my oldest sister, was living in Scottsdale at the time and she was in charge of our agenda. She planned a day trip to Sedona for an afternoon of shopping, followed by an evening dinner in the nearby town of Jerome. I had heard stories of the ‘spiritual’ town of Sedona—that it was one of the power center sites of the harmonic convergence in 1987. That was interesting to me, but I was too busy working and raising my daughter to take much stock in such things. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the landscape as we approached Sedona. In contrast to the Arizona high desert, which is very beautiful, the massive red rock cliffs of Sedona situated at the base of Oak Creek Canyon was spectacular. I could see why it was considered a special place. We had a delightful afternoon there—many purchases were made.
My second visit to Sedona was under much different circumstances. It was in November of 2005. I was driving out there with 2 women I had met at a Dahn Yoga workshop in Albuquerque. We were going to the Sedona Mago Retreat Center for a week long workshop called Healer School. I was very excited and nervous to be going to this workshop. At the age of 51, I was beginning to explore the spiritual side of my life. I had joined a Dahn Yoga Center 8 months before and my life was changing rapidly. I mean I was going to Sedona for ‘healer school’ not for ‘shopping’.
Sedona Mago Retreat Center is like a sparkling jewel in the desert. The vast variety of nature that gathers there paints a rich visual texture that delights the eye. It is a beautiful contrast of arid desert, and lush gardens, surrounded by mountains and rock formations ever changing in color, and framed by an endless deep blue sky by day, and blazing starlight by night. Exploring the grounds on the first night, I discovered the ‘Healing Garden’. A tranquil lake with a meditation walking path around it, several quiet sitting places, a delightful secret herb garden, and peaceful energy radiating from the center. I knew I was in a very special place.
My stay in Sedona was the beginning of my awakening. I started to realize that there was so much more to me than I had previously realized. I gained a sense of purpose and lost a lot of self-doubt and self-judgement. I left that beautiful spot in the Arizona desert with new hope for my life. I keep a piece of Sedona in my heart now. I have returned countless times to renew and grow further. It’s feels like I’m home when I’m there but the outside world always calls me back. That’s where my work needs to be done.
When I was in Sedona during the middle of winter I ate at Mago Cafe. The feeling I had while eating there was very wonderful. I felt bright and happy. 
Where I was raised, in the north western part of Germany, the landscape was flat, the weather usually cold, wet and unappealing. Sunshine was a rare occasion. All this led me into dreams of an “Unusual Landscape” at an early age. I dreamed of powerful mountains where I would put up my tent under the warm sun and blue skies. My wish became reality almost fifty years later and changed my life on many levels.
January 31, 2012
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