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Doing yoga in Sedona, Arizona is kind of one of those things you just have to do when you visit. In a city that’s known for spiritual wellness and taking care of your body, yoga is right up there with hiking Sedona’s best trails. This blog post walks you through the *flow* (see what I did there?) of my experience taking a sunrise yoga class on the Airport Mesa vortex in Sedona, AZ.
I took this class through Aumbase Sedona, and would highly recommend them. My teacher, Nettie, was so cute and led us through the most relaxing yoga practice!
I am not a morning person, but one way to guarantee I’ll get out of bed before sunrise is if you tell me we’re doing yoga outside on one of the most powerful vortex sites in the world. Sedona, you win. I’m setting my alarm.
Intro to Sunrise Yoga on the Vortex
I have famously stated that I have an “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” approach to life, and especially when I go on trips. I would not know how to take a relaxing vacation if you asked me to. But during this trip to Sedona, I was determined to force myself to adapt to the take-care-of-your-health-and-your-body mentality of this city. I had a LOT of big changes happen recently in my personal life, and I needed to escape somewhere that allowed me to just breathe…
Wait…breathe?? BREATHE! That’s it! I’m taking a yoga class. And not just ANY yoga class…but a SUNRISE yoga class. On a VORTEX site. What a genius idea! I immediately pulled out my phone and started searching for yoga studios.
However, finding a studio was not as easy as it sounded. I was very surprised about the lack of yoga studio options here in Sedona. You would think I would have the opposite problem, but I had trouble finding a place that allowed you to do yoga outside on the vortex at sunrise.
When I found Aumbase Yoga, I saw that they had almost all 5 star reviews on Google, they were located right in town, and they offered a sunrise yoga class on the Airport Mesa Vortex. Having just walked the Airport Loop Trail the previous day, I already knew how beautiful the views were from here. I couldn’t imagine how incredible it would be to do a yoga class here as the sun illuminated the red rocks early in the morning. I immediately signed up for their Rise and Shine Yoga on the Vortex class.
The class holds a max of 7 people. When I went, there were 4 people in my group (5 including our instructor). If you want to book, sign up early! To book your class, click on the highlighted link in the above paragraph.
Preparing for Your Yoga Class
The day before my class, I received an email from Nettie, my instructor, with guidance on where to meet and what to bring.
Things to Bring with You to Yoga
- Comfy, moveable clothes (anything you would wear to a normal yoga class is fine)
- A light jacket (the mornings can be cold and breezy)
- Proper footwear (I walked up to the yoga site in sneakers. NO flip flops!)
- Water bottle (I like this water bottle from Amazon)
- Yoga mat (you can rent one for $5 cash; just let them know in advance!)
How Much Does It Cost to Do Yoga on the Vortex?
The cost of the class was $70 (plus $5 cash if you need to rent your mat).
Yes, it is more expensive than your standard drop-in class, but does your drop-in class ever take place at sunrise overlooking stunning red rock formations on a high-energy vortex site? **swipes credit card**
What Time Does Sunrise Yoga Start?
My class started at 6:30am and ended at 8:00am. We had to be at the meeting place at 6:25am.
- Pro Tip: I read where some of the classes can start earlier, around 6:00am. Book this time if you want to be there closer to actual sunrise.
Arriving to the Airport Mesa Vortex
The day before we were scheduled to do yoga, I got an email telling me where to meet our instructor and at what time. Our meeting place ended up being the CVS right near the airport, so it only took a few minutes for us to pile into Nettie’s car and drive to the Airport Mesa parking lot.
Once we got there, Nettie gave us our mats and led us up to the vortex site. On the way, she stopped and showed us a few of Sedona’s native plants and cacti along the trail. I’m always intrigued when someone shows me desert plants, especially since I grew up in West Virginia. I was always surrounded by my fair share of greenery, but nothing like the plants they have in Sedona!
ANYWAY…the walk to the vortex site took us around 10 minutes, including the stopping. Once we got there, we laid out our mats and sat down, taking in the view before us. It was incredible. You could see so many different rock formations, and Nettie made sure to let us know which ones we were looking at!
Doing Yoga on the Airport Mesa Vortex
After we all got settled, we started our yoga practice. We began with child’s pose, which allowed me to fully get in my mental space and set an intention for my practice. Immediately, I knew my intention would be “remember this moment.”
Nettie guided us through all of our down dogs, vinyasas, and warrior poses, all while reminding us to breathe in the magical, extra-energetic air of the vortex site. Of note, this practice felt more relaxing as opposed to an actual workout. We took our poses and movements slowly, and we were allowed to move at our own pace.
I found myself opening my eyes a lot more than I normally do during yoga, mostly because I was so mesmerized by the landscape in front of me. The vortex was the most perfect vantage point to really take in the beauty of Sedona.
At the end of our practice, I laid there in blissful savasana, so happy with the decision I made to book this class.
What Does the Vortex Energy Feel Like?
Now that you know about the logistics, your next question is likely about the energy. “Okay, Gina, but did you feel EXTRA zen?…”
My honest answer is…kind of.
I have been to all 4 vortex sites, and the ones I felt the strongest pull of energy from were Boynton Canyon and Bell Rock, with Boynton Canyon being the most intense. I felt a little bit of energy on the Airport Mesa Vortex, but nothing compared to Boynton Canyon. Still, I would definitely do sunrise yoga on the vortex again, even if I felt nothing at all. The simple act of being outside in nature and doing something good for my body with wonderful people was more than enough.
Keep in mind, everybody experiences vortex sites differently. I might feel a lot of energy in a place where you feel little to no energy!
Summary of Doing Yoga on the Vortex
Overall, I absolutely loved doing yoga on the Airport Mesa vortex. It ended up being my favorite non-hiking activity I did in Sedona.
I think what makes this special is that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can do yoga outside on the beach or in the mountains, but the amount of vortex sites in the world aren’t exactly abundant. Therefore, this was a rare experience that I will forever cherish.
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