By Ralph Fourmont

I read in The Call of Sedona that when you come to Sedona and allow your heart to open, your vision or life’s mission will reveal itself, or a vision that you lost long ago. Like many others, I lost sight of my vision many years ago, and yet it was a vision that was muted and blurred at best. Please let me share not the beautiful vision that I now hold in my heart and my brain, but of the wonderful people who have helped me find that vision with great passion and clarity. Let me share with you my new loving family at the “Celebrate the Sedona Spirit” hosted by the Sedona Meditation Center this last Saturday, on November twelfth.

I began attending the Dahn Yoga classes at the Center on Jordan Road about seven weeks ago, and have increased my attendance to enjoy and learn in a myriad of classes since. I’ve enjoyed energy healing, Dahn Yoga, drumming, Tai Chi, modern dancing, a belly dancing class (I thought it was a yoga class, really!), and special visits from different exotic and spiritual cultures. How could I stay away when I feel so loved, so welcome, and I feel for once in a long time that I may be getting closer to opening my heart and letting Heaven’s beautiful loving energy in to heal my bruised and battered soul. Eventually I made more friends at the center and went on hikes and helped out with various events, so I was quick to volunteer for Ilchi Lee’s appearance on the great event at the Performing Arts Center. Why wouldn’t I be excited and honored to meet the person who was responsible for bringing such a loving, peaceful and crucial mission to humanity? I wanted to enjoy life with my new friends.

The state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center is an amazing building, and we were rushing about trying to prepare in time for the wonderful celebration we had planned. We tied balloons in the cold wind to direct the almost 900 people, set up booths, set out food, prepared the stage and performances; trying to hold it all together like a child with a full bag of groceries on a rickety staircase. The new Meditation Center director, HaeJung Jung, was typically beautiful and brilliant, guiding and thoughtful, yet a powerful mother to us all; appointing places and times like the grand conductor of a massive orchestration. People arrived in droves, exceeding our expectation, and still I had a strong sense of family and belonging as my friends from the center manned booths and assisted visitors. I could not be tied down to a booth as the energy began to grow inside and around me; I found I had to keep moving, running errands, helping, and sharing my energy.

The crowd rushed into the theatre at the appointed hour, and I helped find seats for everyone I could. I shared the kindness and love that I received from the instructors and core members at the meditation center, and experienced such a strong sense of belonging and family, wanting to welcome everyone into this joy and onto this path that I was so freely shown. When Mr. Lee appeared in the audience the crowd responded with a heartfelt cheer and welcome of love and respect. The show began with enthusiasm and excitement, one beautiful and thrilling performance after another of explosive sound, color, and richly flowing culture. But I was too intoxicated by the sheer energy of the event to pay much attention, honestly. The powerful and startling drummers from different cultures, the brilliant dancers, the beautiful singers soaring in my ears; I caught breathtaking and unforgettable glimpses, but had to keep moving, attending, assisting, running between the lobby and the audience. The energy was terrific, and I could not stop; I was drunk with love and excitement, a small child in a huge gathering of close relatives. My heart was open, my family was close, and the night was filled with light and sound and an endless stream of joyful people like ten years of Christmas all in a few hours. We were all connected, and I was glowing.

Nervous and apprehensive later, I waited to take the stage for a Brain Wave Vibration demonstration directed by Ilchi Lee himself. I was honored and deeply grateful to be chosen for this small task, and ecstatic to meet our enlightened teacher. In front of all those people, sitting in a lone chair dancing to the music, I was not alone … I felt everyone giving me their energy, their love, their support. I felt we were all in that chair, I felt we were One. As the rhythm increased, though my body shook and jumped I grew peaceful inside, and still … like a cat in the window on a bright snowy night, warm and safe. As I exited the stage, Mr. Lee took my hand and touched my forehead, and I felt the love and compassion of my new family at that moment, as a bright light filled my heart.

The people left that night in a reluctant rush, more caught up and driven by the energy that filled and unified that Center, than by the thought of beating the parking crowd. Everyone was glowing, and wondrous at the vision they had experienced, excited about learning more about this new Meditation Center that had brought such a remarkable event. I was simply happy, honored and very, very proud of my new group of close family and friends. I felt alive!

(Photos by Franklin Hughes/ Post from Sedonastory.com)

지난 3월 5일 북애리조나 세도나 한인회는 세도나 업타운 메인스트리트에서 열린 세도나 세인트페트릭스데이 퍼레이드에 참가하였다. 올해로 41회를 맞는 세도나세인트페트릭스데이 퍼레이드는 세도나 메인 스트릿 프로그램과 북애리조나대학교의 공동 개최로 진행되는 세도나의 유서깊은 문화 행사.  북애리조나 세도나 한인회는 세도나 현지인 주민들과 9 명의  사물놀이 팀을 구성해 한국의 전통 문화를 선보였으며, 한-미 합동 사물놀이팀의 흥겨운 가락과 길놀이에 약 1000여명이 넘는 참가자들이 큰 갈채를 보냈다. 특히 이번 퍼레이드는 북애리조나 세도나 한인회에서 추진하고 있는 한국전 참전용사 기념비 건립을 홍보하고 도네이션을 적극적으로 유치하기 위해 기획되어많은 참가자들의 공감을 얻었다.

북애리조나세도나 한인회가 적극적으로 추진하고 있는 한국전 참전용사 기념비 건립비는 북애리조나에 약 300여명이 넘는 한국전 참전용사들의 헌신과 희생을 기념하는 의미로, 세도나 한인회 명예회장인 이승헌 총장의 제안으로 지난 2월 시작되었으며, 내년 6월 25일이 개막 목표이다.

앞으로 세도나 한인회는 한국전 참전용사를 위한 감사 행사를 정기적으로 개최하고, 한국의 문화와 정신을 미 주류사회에 알리는데 주력할 예정이다.

Sedona, Arizona—February 5, 2011

On February 5^th the Sedona community enjoyed a unique opportunity for cultural exchange when the Sedona Korean American Association hosted a Lunar New Year Festival. Visitors and residents alike marked the day with games, food, film and well wishes for the community.

This ancient celebration during the first two weeks of the Lunar has been enjoyed by billions of people in Asia and various Asian communities in North America. However, the Year of the Rabbit has introduced the celebration as a new tradition for the Sedona community. Usually, the Lunar New Year festival is a time for families to be reunited, for special meals and special ceremonies honoring ones ancestors. Sedona got a taste of the Korean version of this holiday at Mago Healing Center.

Attendees were treated to a variety of cultural experiences: including traditional Korean Folk games, personal Calligraphy, Lunar Zodiac readings, and a Korean film. Delicious Korean, Thai and Chinese dishes and items for raffle were provided by local merchants. The crowd was also treated Korean Folk Dance performances by Arirang, a Tucson-based Korean folk dance troupe. In addition to the games and entertainment there were speeches and presentations. The Mayor of Sedona offered words of support and a congratulatory message from the Korean Consul General of Los Angeles was delivered by the President of the Arizona Korean Association..

The day was topped off with a presentation on one special inter-cultural inspiration for this group, honoring veterans of the Korean War. Several Korean War Veterans attended the event and some told the audience their time in Korea, while members of the Association paid special tribute to those veterans in the Korean manner of honoring elders as part of the New Year tradition.  In addition, Association President Banya Lim presented a proposal for a Korean War Veterans’ Monument here in the Verde Valley.  This proposal was encouraged by Ilchi Lee, Sedona resident and long-time supporter of the Sedona Korean American Association, who is donating $10,000 toward the Monument’s fund.

As the rabbit is a symbol of longevity and fortune in many Asian cultures, the year of the rabbit is said to provide a respite after the intensity of the previous year of the tiger. This bodes well for the Sedona and the Sedona Korean American Association, introducing this tradition during a peaceful year.

About the Sedona Korean American Association:

The Sedona Korean American Association is a non-partisan, community-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  It is dedicated to serving the Sedona community, particularly the needs of its Korean-American residents.  It endeavors to promote inter-cultural understanding, educational activities, and preserve the unique beauty of Sedona.