Sedona, Arizona, is renowned for its unique geological formations and stunning red rock landscapes. It’s also famous for its spiritual and energetic sites, known as vortexes. Los Angeles Times faith and spirituality reporter Deborah Netburn joined host Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” to discuss why Sedona’s vortexes are more popular than ever and if they’re worth tapping into.
Netburn explained that vortexes are understood to be places that have “potent and invisible energy that amplify meditation and connection with the divine.” Vortexes can be found all over the world, but Sedona became the epicenter of the vortex craze a few decades ago.
“It was in 1980 that a psychic named Paige Bryant, who was not originally from Sedona, went there and channeled these different vortexes,” Netburn said. “She located different geographical locations in Sedona that she claimed were sites of this intense energy.”
Netburn traveled to Sedona, where she met several people — mostly women — seeking spiritual experiences at the vortexes. She also spoke with members of the Yavapai Nation, for whom the land the vortexes are on is sacred.
“One woman I spoke to from the Yavapai Nation was like, ‘We kind of think it’s a tourist trap because Sedona has become so popular,’” Netburn said. “Vortex energy is not part of their ancestral practice. That being said, that land where the vortexes are is sacred to them as well. It’s the site of ceremony for them. But in terms of the vortex thing, they’re kind of scratching their heads.”
Netburn described the experiences her fellow vortex visitors had in Sedona.
“Some women describe feeling grounded,” she said. “They felt an opening in their heart. Somebody said she felt energy coming from her arms. She felt when she was lying down on the rock that there was grass. She felt this energy coming up. She was really excited about that. Also, I met people who were like, ‘I don’t know, I guess you have to believe to feel anything.’”
Overall, Netburn said she felt relaxed and grounded during her own mediation on a Sedona vortex.
Click the arrow above to watch the full interview.
Watch “LA Times Today” at 7 and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.