How Earth’s Energy Vortexes Inspire Serenity and Rejuvenation

From coastlines to canyons, pristine natural areas can generate a sense of peace and healing. In jaw-dropping escapes like Sedona, Arizona, those sensations may veer into overdrive. The reason? Sedona’s energy vortexes: powerful, meditative or spiritual areas where energy funnels in and out of the Earth.

“When they talk about the energy of Sedona, they’re talking about the energy of the Earth,” says Kim McDermott of the mindfulness team at Mii amo, a destination spa tucked beneath Sedona’s striated red-rock canyons. Mii amo and its neighboring sister property, Enchantment Resort, lie within a stone’s throw of one of Sedona’s core energy vortexes, Boynton Canyon.

Crystal Grotto at Mii amo, Sedona, Arizona / Photo: Courtesy of Mii amo

According to local tourism bureau Visit Sedona, a trip to an energy vortex such as Boynton Canyon can elicit feelings of inspiration, rejuvenation or uplift. Researchers say these meditative sites don’t have measurable electric or magnetic fields—it’s more an inflow and outflow of energy from the Earth. Dramatic canyon views from these vortexes also boost serenity and awe.

While Sedona is perhaps the best-known escape for those seeking energy vortexes, it’s far from the only destination to visit. Experts say these spiritual centers exist around the world, including Machu Picchu in Peru and Stonehenge in England. And though the idea of an energy vortex may be somewhat new—popularized in the mid 1900s—Indigenous communities have known about and relied upon these sacred locations for millennia. In fact, virtually all known energy-vortex sites were at one point considered sacred by Indigenous peoples.

Archaeologists suggest the Sinagua people, who built cliff dwellings in the area starting around the year 600, placed their structures on the outskirts of Sedona, then traveled into the red rocks for sacred ceremonies. According to early Indigenous beliefs, the earth’s energy was largely concentrated in these areas. Many say visitors can feel the force of the planet, whether it’s a swirling wind in the physical sense or a spiritual awakening or sense of contemplation within.

Energy-vortex experiences at Enchantment Resort include three-to-four-hour hikes from the property’s trail house to one of these special sites with a private guide, inclusive of meditation. “I always invite people to sit with the land, close their eyes, and feel the Earth below them,” says McDermott. “I let them respond and connect with what Earth has for them. Each will have their own unique experience.”

Those who want to delve deeper into the background and history of Sedona’s energy vortexes can join a lecture about the phenomenon at Mii amo (sessions run twice weekly). The spa also goes beyond energy vortexes with a host of experiences, including chakra balancing, a soul-consciousness session to heighten awareness, and a robust fitness program with yoga and adventure classes. Enchantment Resort’s location puts Sedona’s energy-vortex offerings within easy reach, but myriad places around the world provide travelers with convenient—and, for some, life-changing—energy-vortex access.

Spa treatment at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado, Santa Fe, New Mexico / Photo: Courtesy of Peter Vitale/Four Seasons

The small town of Cassadaga, Florida, located 35 miles north of Orlando, is said to have multiple energy vortexes within its limits. It’s a spiritualist community—a religion that believes spirits can communicate with living people via mediums—with the 1895 Ann Stevens House known to have two vortexes on-site.

Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County, California, is another well-known energy vortex in the U.S. The mountain draws both adventure athletes and those seeking healing, with outfitters such as Shasta Vortex Adventures hosting tours to foster soul-searching within this high-energy area. For overnights, the LOGE camp at Mount Shasta, which centers on all things great outdoors, provides a cozy place to rest your head. It’s located near the base of the mountain with close proximity to Mount Shasta’s energy-vortex tours, not to mention biking, hiking and rafting.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is another place to soak up the power of energy vortexes, and the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado takes that experience up a notch with vortex-inspired spa treatments. This includes a Sunset Sound Bath and Midsummer Night’s Dream Massage, a three-hour session that incorporates the ground’s vibrational vortex healing. It concludes with a massage beneath the stars, designed to foster calm.

Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bali / Photo: Courtesy of Felix Hug/EyesOnAsia

Internationally, resorts across energy-vortex destinations pair wellness with Earth’s energy to help guests feel rejuvenated and at peace. In Bali, a well-known hub of energy vortexes, Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, runs healing sessions that honor and incorporate ancient traditions and herbal oil blends. Down in Tulum, Mexico, another known energy vortex, the Maya Tulum resort offers massages, yoga and ancestral practices in its Aura Healing Temple.

As for how often you’ll partake, McDermott says just one energy-vortex visit can yield transformation. That said, “Many guests come back again and again.”