Health and Wellness: Spirituality in the Desert

We all know it takes more than good food, exercise and rest to attain a balanced state of health and wellness. Our spirits must be nurtured as well. There is no one formula or belief system that suits all, and many of us find God all about us, especially in Nature. That has been true since ancient times, and in Northern New Mexico is evidenced by the petroglyphs and artifacts from times past as well by the more recent crosses on the side of the road honoring crash victims.

Another unique form of paying spiritual homage in these parts are the “nichos” to be found in rock formations, or even inside homes in the adobe walls. These are carved out or natural niches where one places a religious figurine or special memento representing one’s belief.

I was blessed to have a very dear friend here for the last few days, and we had many wonderful and healing adventures together. We basked in the sun and soaked in the mineral waters at Ojo Caliente, roamed the downtown streets of old Santa Fe, and rambled in the nearby hills on my two wonderful mares.

We also took a hike one day, and my daughter led us to a large, natural nicho–a shrine in the rocks about a mile from our property. Although my daughter knew where the shrine was, and had visited it at least a couple of times, there have been other times we’ve gone out trying to find it and it has eluded us totally. The terrain here is a morass of rocky outcroppings and deep ravines and arroyos, so there is very little to mark one’s path when trying to find something in particular, and there are many dead ends.

But this time we found it and plotted out a way to get fairly close to it by horseback as well. This particular shrine is a generation or two old, and many have left offerings tucked in the stones that surround and protect a small statue of The Virgin Mary. Being on private property, this location is well protected and not frequently visited. We made our own offerings, mostly in the form of admiration and prayers, and then built two small cairns as markers to help “show us the way” next time (double entendre intended).

On the way home we resurrected a rusty old lawn chair from a junk pile. It seemed pretty sturdy, so we carried it home and settled it next to the riding ring, where the horses looked upon it with much alarm and curiosity later. I guess they considered it an uninvited interloper in their familiar territory, but they’ll get used to it and it will always remind me of that magical day.

I can’t imagine what could be more beneficial to one’s health and wellness than a few days spent with a good friend in the high desert air of Northern New Mexico, enjoying not only great food, fun exercise, and restful sleep, but also the opportunity to embrace the spirituality of the area.  I feel so fortunate to live here and to be able to share it with those who come for the peace and comfort it offers. And I’m so glad to have finally found Desert Mary in her sacred nicho… and I think I can get there myself now fairly quickly by horseback, any time I feel the need for special prayer and solace.