This past weekend I met my friend Rosie in Sedona to race
the half marathon and relax in the red rock desert. Sedona felt magical to me.
Magical in a way I’ve never felt in a place.
A town is made of rock, pavement, people, memories. But in
Sedona I felt an energy; an energy I’ve never felt before and not sure I can
explain.
The energy didn’t make me want to live there or even come
back again (although I may). This weekend I was the most relaxed I’ve ever
felt. It may have something to do with the fact that Rosie is the most relaxed
person I know. She has taught me how to slow down by example – not by saying “Relax”,
which she knows I hate. She is not anxious, hurried or worried about anything.
I wish I could be more like that. However, this weekend, I was.
I signed up for the Sedona Half Marathon on a whim when I
got an email about the race. I looked at the website for about ten minutes and then
signed up. I had never been to Sedona and wanted to see the red rocks, and try
a different running race course. A few months after signing up, Rosie said she wanted
to do it too. We looked at some lodging options and she found a rental online.
The rental house she found was amazing.
It was a big apartment in a house in a residential area just
outside of town. The name of the rental was Circle of Atonement. The woman who
rents the house tells us she teaches the Course in Miracles. I read A return to Love : Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles by Marianne
Williamson many years ago. I might need to read it again.
In the backyard was a garden and despite the winter season,
the yard was lovely. The first day I sat and looked out to the mountain across
the way where red rocks occasionally could be seen between green trees. I sat
for a long time with the most stillness I have ever known; just watching,
looking, listening.
The Garden with a View
On Saturday morning I ran the half marathon at my usual 10
minute/mile pace. The course was hilly, many ups and downs, and I walked a bit
of it. This race wasn’t going to be a PR, but it was okay. I wish I could push
myself to run until I puke, but I don’t have it in me. It was a gorgeous sunny
day, not too hot and not cold. I finished the race just over two hours, and
watched Rosie finish a few minutes after me. We got our medals and headed back
to the rental.
I’ve been carrying a sense of stillness and wonder all day
thinking about Sedona. I love it when a place can change you.
Rosie contemplating her life while drinking a mocha. Sedona 2013
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