Sedona Story

By Franklin Hughes

I saw this wise saying a few days ago and it made me do a lot of reflecting. And I found that putting these thoughts down in writing helps me un-jumble them, maybe somewhat like a diary.

(Dear Diary…)

In Sanskrit, the word karma literally means “action”. In Buddhism however, karma mainly refers to one’s intention or motivation while doing an action. And I’m Baptist, so where does that leave me? Well, another answer then would be: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A person reaps what he sows.” (Gal. 6:7)

However, I don’t want this to be a piece centered on karma, so I guess that I could change the title to: “How you treat me is your bag (or doings, or responsibility), how I react is mine…”

And I guess that the main thing that got me thinking is the “how I react” part. Sometimes, I take things so personally. The guy that cuts me off while I’m driving because he didn’t see me (or is one of us in the older generation that can only turn his head ten or fifteen degrees to look). The lady with the grocery cart that just stands there in the middle of the aisle (beep, beep, honk, honk). The turmoil we go through with those close to us. Boy, I got to lighten up some.

What that above saying made me realize in just a few words is that I should not worry or be bothered so much by their actions, but be more conscious about mine. They have their own “life-circumstances” that colors their intentions or motivations, that’s their present-life karma. I’m not responsible for what they do, they are. I’m responsible for how I react to it and I don’t do such a good job sometimes.

I’m (slowly) learning to be happier or accepting of myself. What’s there is there …. By accepting myself better, I won’t reflect my feeling on what others inherently make me feel when they interact.

One of the things that I’m doing is getting out more in the sunshine here in Sedona instead of being “captured” by my computer. I’m also going to the Sedona Meditation Center and enjoying the classes there that get my body moving (rocking and rolling).

One other thing that I’m learning is to concentrate more on my breathing. I went to a lecture at the library a few weeks ago, given by the author of “The Call of Sedona” where he spoke on the utter importance of breathing (aside from keeping you alive). Not just breathing, but how you breathe. This is another thing that we all could learn better, whether it be at the Meditation Center, or at any of the yoga studios in Sedona.
Want to read a few paragraphs on breathing, click here: http://www.ilchi.com/tag/abdominal-breathing/

So, I’m practicing watching my breathing, concentrating on every breath, both in and out for 30 minutes a day. I know that I breathe shallowly, someone just reminded me of it last night. So, soon I hope to start to breathe more deeply without having to think about it. Keep myself kicking-around for a few more years…
I don’t want to feel like this little manga character… Life here in Sedona is pretty sweet, I want to enjoy it more… Ready to join me?

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
(Unknown source)

The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart, by Ilchi Lee

Review by: Dylan R. Marshall

Many people have been to Sedona, and many more will come. The draw of its visual majesty is undeniable. Sedona is, and always will be a source of Awe and Inspiration.

Mr. Lee knows all of these things…and more.

He uses plain and straightforward language, and his personal experiences, to take you by the hand and share his Joy, Passion, and Discovery of this spiritual refuge.

‘The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart’ is quite possibly the most deeply passionate book ever written about the Red Rocks.

Ilchi Lee playing his flute

Mr. Lee takes us there by sharing himself:

“I was born in December 1950, amidst the fires of the Korean War. When I was young, I was unusually softhearted and physically weak. I encountered many difficulties because I couldn’t focus well on my studies at school…demanding questions like, “Why am I here?” wouldn’t leave me alone, so I couldn’t focus on what I was supposed to be learning.”

He speaks of a transformative experience:

“…at age 14, I was involved in a tragic accident. I went to go swimming in the reservoir with a friend and he drowned. Because of the shock and grief I felt, I was sick in bed for nearly a month afterward and experienced acute fear and anxiety about death.”

He comments on his indignation with Life:

“God, if you put me on this world without bothering to get my permission, shouldn’t you at least tell me why I should live?”…I felt a resentment that wasn’t directed toward anyone in particular and I was bursting with questions that had no answers.”

He shares his frustrating early searches for those answers:

“…I started wandering about in search of someone who could give me the answer to the issues of life and death, or at least offer some clues! I looked for and found books about philosophy and the spiritual world, and every time I had a chance, I would seek out people who were said to have performed ascetic practices in the mountains…But I couldn’t find anything that resonated within me…”

Moak Mountian in Korea

He speaks of his enlightenment:

“I had reached that moment where I had to give up on “life and death”- whether I wanted to or not. As I resigned myself to my fate, I said, “O Heaven…Please do as you see fit”…And that’s when something amazing happened…”

“…I had come to have faith that if I gave my sincere devotion to an extreme situation, a strength other than my own would come and guide me, lifting me up.”

“…music of the universe reverberated in my heart and the breath of nature went in and out through my skin.”

The Amazing Bell Rock, Sedona Arizona

He talks of his discovery of Sedona:

“In early 1996, I was reading a newspaper…I saw a photo that immediately grabbed my attention…The red rocks were so real they felt like they might jump out of the paper at me.”

He shares his first experiences with a Sedona guide:

“This guide…came to me one day and said, “There’s a saying, ‘When you come to Sedona, you have to set aside all of your personal thoughts and desires. If you don’t, you can’t receive Sedona’s energy and furthermore you could pollute Sedona.’ That’s why, you have to clear your mind and prepare yourself before you come.”

He tells us the most Important Question:

“…though I had had many names and titles, there had always been only one question behind everything I had done. That question was, “Who am I?”…”

He explains the role of the Earth:

“…the Earth is also an organic life form; it has an energy system similar to that of the human body. Vortexes perform a similar role for the Earth as chakras do in the human body…The vortex energy of Sedona has the power to correct the energy imbalance in the human chakras.”

He Illuminates the Pathway towards Self-Realization:

“…You have to know that the sense of being that seems to extend infinitely without beginning or end is not an illusion…you are then able to embrace all moments of life with confidence…”

He shares his Sedona epiphany:

“As I looked at the dazzling beauty of Sedona’s Earth and sky awash with the morning sun, my heart skipped a beat, and it occurred to me that this just might be the place that I had been searching for for so long.”

And this is only a mere fraction of this amazing book…

‘The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart’ is a rich, interwoven tapestry of personal experiences, philosophical reflections, and celebration of the harmonious energy of the Red Rocks. It delves into the infinite possibilities that will manifest themselves when you meditate on the bucolic serenity of Sedona.

It is poignant and engaging at every turn.

‘The Call of Sedona’ is a Love Letter written not only about Sedona, but also about a Deep and Abiding love and concern for all humanity.

Thank you so much Mr. Lee!

By Ralph Fourmont

Like many other people who are fed up with media chaos, I quit watching television when I moved to Sedona in September. Unplugging ‘the boob tube’ was the smartest thing I’ve done in years: my life has become richer in many ways. The constant input of negative messages and bad information really dampened my own consciousness, and I feel alive again! I read again, write again, and even have intelligent (finally!) and meaningful conversations with my new friends, on a daily basis! One brilliant book I read recently is The Call of Sedona by Ilchi Lee.

After three months I decided that I would watch a movie with a friend, a DVD with no commercial brainwashing! We chose to watch August Rush … what a great decision; this movie goes hand-in-hand with The Call of Sedona, proving that a great movie (quite rare, really) can compliment a great book! The synergetic effect of the two really left me with a renewed rush of inspiration and hope for our society and myself.

In this movie, an orphaned young boy stays true to his inner self as he maneuvers through a painful cast of individuals who are hostile and skeptical about his ability to hear music everywhere in the world. True to life, he gets help where he needs it, however, and overcomes all obstacles to realize his dreams and bring his family together. The movie mirrors Lee’s book in describing the extra senses we can use to ‘read’ the world and realize our goals. There is energy everywhere, Lee details, in the voice of the birds, in the wind, in the trees and plants, in the sea and air, which can tell us how the earth feels and what’s going on around the earth. Lee constantly points out that we can “find our rhythm” —our personal rhythm—inside, and also discover, through the meditative practices described in the book, the powerful vortex of energy within our souls.

August, the prodigious young musician in the movie, hears his family’s music in the wind, in the night, and hears music in every sound on the earth about him. He refuses to believe those around him who try to make him doubt himself and ostracize him, and leaves the comfort of his stagnant existence. He sets out into the world, following the music, and overcomes his fears and doubts to realize glory.

I found it interesting that there is not one bird in the movie, as birds are key in spreading news, but that is evidence that all writers can forget an important element of a telling. Hemingway talked about this; he called it the ‘tip of the iceberg’ writing: we can describe only the surface elements of a story, as long as we know what’s underneath. If we don’t know, then there’s a hole in the story. That’s why Lee’s book compliments the movie; it fills the holes that the writer perhaps doesn’t understand: the powerful extra-sensory perceptions, the underlying psychology, and the great vortex of energy within us all. Too many people in our human societies live as zombies, bodies without a purpose, without understanding, led by bad information to lead pointless and hedonistic lives. The movie definitely covered ‘finding your rhythm,’ for sure!

Try watching August Rush while reading The Call of Sedona. Then practice the powerful meditations at the end of the book, and help realize your own dreams. My life has changed drastically over the past year, and I have found Sedona and a host of friends and teachers. I am delighting in the energy and rhythm of the dream I’ve discovered, a dream that was lost over the painful years of wandering through an unguided life. Instead of throwing our lives away chasing material gain and stagnant comfort, discover the rhythm that is yours, ride the powerful vortex of energy within. Realize your own dream, and your soul will sing within your heart.

Greetings and Salutations to All!

I wanted to share a message with you concerning the Holidays.

Often, we become so immersed in stress because of the season, that we forget the what and the why of the season.

Many Blessings of Light, Love, and Joy to ALL!

Dylan

By Dylan R. Marshall

I feel so blessed in my life because of many things.

One of those things is talking with people.

My guest is Haejung Jung, a warm, open, and kind woman.

She is a teacher.

We are sitting in the Sedona Meditation Center room as we do the interview.

It is very peaceful.

The energy of the room is harmonious and calm.

Come and join us!

By Frank Hughes

I had the pleasure of spending the day with a rambunctious 13-year old yesterday, a daughter of friends visiting from Germany. After touring Flagstaff, she wanted to see a movie, so we watched Miyazaki’s wonderful Spirited Away.

The movie is about a young girl who has gotten lost and the many spirits that she meets throughout her journey. It’s one of a few animated movies that really make you think afterwards. It got me thinking about Sedona with all its spiritual qualities and how we, as just human beings, fit into this spirituality.

It reminded me about an event and short lecture that I attended just last week. A new book about Sedona was recently released, The Call of Sedona, Journey of the Heart. It’s about one man’s journey from a far off land to Sedona, and the calling he felt when he got here. This event was the official book-signing. Many hundreds of people attended, many were residents, but also many came from neighboring states and even two that I met were visiting from Europe.

There was a nice variety of entertainment from an enthusiastic drumming group to soul-filling music, to wonderful dancing by two very magical women. Wow, what a nice start.

Then there were a variety of speakers, including Bob Coates, a very well-known local photographer (among many other talents), Rev. Janet Kingsley, and Dean Patterson of the Yavapai Big Brothers and Sisters Organization, which Mr. Lee highly supports.

It’s funny how sometimes you just feel content with the world, kind of like “one with everything around you.” This is how I felt at this moment… After an introduction by his son who is in charge of a local consulting company that is working on projects for bettering Sedona and bringing spiritually-oriented visitors to our city, the author, Ilchi Lee, took the stage.

Mr. Lee talked about how he was drawn to Sedona some years ago because of the spirituality he felt here. He went into debt to open a meditation center here to help grow the spirituality that surrounds all of us. That is the Sedona Mago Retreat that he then turned into a free-standing, non-profit organization with many spiritual growth programs. Mr. Lee reiterated during his talk that everything you need to grow spiritually, you already have inside yourself. It’s already there and you only need to realize it. What he said that he wants is to help in any way he can as a “guide” to help everyone to see their true selves. He enthusiastically added that the Sedona Mago Healing Center will turn into a non-profit Sedona Meditation Center. You could feel the caring in the room.

Mr. Lee introduced a woman who, through the spirituality of herself and others supporting her by sending healing energy to her (what Ilchi Lee calls “LifeParticles”), was able to reduce the size of an inoperable cancerous cyst deep down in her brain to the point where her doctor said she was cured of her condition. No matter what religion we may be, we all know about the healing powers that we ourselves have, especially when helped by a group of people dedicated to assist. The story she told sent wonderful shivers down my spine. Wow, how can I help others like that…

In concluding his talk, Mr. Lee was asked to play his flute for us, which we all enjoyed. Then he invited us all up onto the stage to have our books signed by him. Then we got to see a group photograph of many of the local people that help support his vision and the many programs and companies in Sedona that support our community. So much energy given just to help others…

By Michela Mangiaracina

Murmurings of excitement filled the air as I eagerly dashed through the crowd in the lobby of the Sedona Creative Life Center, past the main performance space, and into the small backstage, where I quickly changed into the traditional Korean drumming outfit that was to be my costume. The latest event the drumming group I belong to, Sedona’s Rhythm, played at was the book signing and launch of Ilchi Lee’s latest book, The Call of Sedona: Journey of the Heart, which took place on Saturday, August 20, 2011.

As an editor at the publishing company that produced the book and hosted the event, I was thrilled to be helping at the first public appearance Ilchi Lee has given in the United States in over a year. Many Sedona residents and fans of Ilchi Lee from Phoenix and nearby states such as Nevada, New Mexico, and California were in attendance, necessitating extra seats to be placed along the walls and out into the lobby. Over 240 people in all watched not only Sedona’s Rhythm’s act but a dance performance by Hansori Keliikuli and Yolessa K. Lawrinnce and a singing performance by Jeanie Carroll, who sang “The Power of the Dream.” Shondra Jepperson of the popular Sedona entertainment duo Tom & Shondra emceed the event. Many in the audience had their first taste of The Call of Sedona when local photographer and voice talent Bob Coates read the book’s introduction and Rev. Janet Kingsley of the Center for Positive Living Sedona recited a poem from it.

As part of the festivities, Dean Patterson, a spokesperson from Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters gave his own congratulatory message to Ilchi Lee. Like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mr. Lee said he wanted to give something back to Sedona, which is a special place that has inspired his philosophy and work. Shondra announced that he would give 30% of the proceeds from his book sales to three Sedona nonprofit organizations.

The part of the event I anticipated the most was Ilchi Lee’s talk. There were several touching moments, starting with Ilchi Lee’s introduction by his son, Jeonghan Lee. Another was the telling of Bette Castoria’s story through an engaging video. Bette, a Body + Brain franchise owner in Nob Hill, New Mexico has been practicing the LifeParticles Meditation described in The Call of Sedona for over six months. She attributes the disappearance of an inoperable brain tumor to the practice and to the innumerable LifeParticles sent to her from well-wishers around the country.

The part of the talk that touched me the most, however, was when Ilchi Lee said that although everyone would agree that Sedona was beautiful, what he found even more beautiful was each person’s soul. He hoped that through meditation, such as the guided meditations in The Call of the Sedona, everyone can experience that inner beauty for themselves. To help them, the current Sedona Mago Healing Center on Jordan Road in Uptown Sedona has decided to become the nonprofit Sedona Meditation Center.

After his talk and a question and answer session with Shondra that ended with Ilchi Lee playing a flute built into his walking staff, everyone lined up for the book signing. Ilchi Lee sat on the stage and the line went all the way out the door.
Before and after the main part of the program, people milled around the lobby and outside, enjoying Ilchi Lee’s displayed calligraphy, sandwiches and fruit from the Marketplace Café, and the lilting sounds of the duo Meadowlark.

After the crowd dwindled, we began a swift cleanup aided by a few generous guests. I was satisfied that everyone had seemed happy. We were all able to experience that Sedona spirit Ilchi Lee wrote of in The Call of Sedona.