Return to Mystic Trail

On Sunday and Monday I paid return visits to Mystic Trail. Small, quick, conveniently beautiful Mystic. The trail with lots of happy energy. I chose this trail because of time constraints on Sunday. I returned again on Monday because I was excited about how much ground I could cover in a short time and I wanted to explore some more.

I had discovered some tributary trails. Namely, one trail leading toward the top. On Sunday, I was only able to ascend part of the way. On Monday, after Ki Gong in the park, I was joined by a new friend. We found that the tributary did not take us to the top, but took us deeper in the mountain of rock formations. Spectacular scenery with super-size views. And we returned before we could follow the trail to its conclusion. Maybe this is where it meets up with some of the larger trails in the area.

I hope you enjoy the photos. With the onset of the Monsoon, it's a little cloudy and the quality of light in the morning is harder to balance. This trail is certainly full of energy. My heart was lifted and reverberated with joy, especially after the post-Ki Gong hike. I felt connected to and supported by the earth like never before. My legs, hips and lower back felt solidly grounded--a physically empowering feeling, which made my heart feel light.

I think the energy of the full moon might have boosted this feeling. Before the sun came out, I saw the full moon floating above Cathedral Rock as I drove along the highway. All the Datura bushes along the way were standing at attention to the moon.
The scent of the Pinion and Juniper rolled up from the ground like a furnace blast. These phenomena filling my senses.

My Monday morning co-hiker brought me down to earth from my dreamworld by pointing out how some people were not living lightly on this land. At one point, some neighborhoods and the highway were visible below the trail. He told me about the blight or extra pressure introduced by some of these houses. Many of them luxury dwellings with un-ecofriendly swimming pools and extreme air conditioning. At another point he showed me a bunch of sightseers who may have been brought into that valley by 4 Wheel Drive Tour operators. He said there were places where the rocks had become black from the repeated assault of the vehicles. It made me think, if we can't get this kind of thing in balance here, in Sedona, it will be difficult for people to adopt a gentler lifestyle in our urban areas. But fear not, Paradise is not lost. There are plenty of opportunities for people to build and think differently around this special land. Maybe the economic downturn has slowed real estate development to a more contemplative place. Maybe the friends of the earth have a stronger voice in this community. Maybe earth friendly design has become a premium selling point, like the now mainstreamed idea of organic food. Maybe...

I will keep my eyes open as I smile. I will enjoy the journey and share my findings with you. Have a blessed day!