Crestone, CO. An exploration of humanity

I know exactly what it was that triggered my desire to explore Crestone, Colorado.  It was shortly after a trip that my mom took my sister and I on to Sedona, Arizona.  The trip was a time of spiritual exploration that touched all 3 of us in a positive way.  It was a time that I needed change in my life.  A time I needed direction for the next phase of my life.  While we were in Sedona we asked for a shift in energy and spiritual awareness.  That trip planted seeds of change and growth in my life that are still growing in and around me today.

Shortly after returning from Sedona my mom told me there is a town in Colorado that is said to be a vortex of natural energy in a similar way that Sedona is.  This town is Crestone and underneath Crestone is one of mother earths natural flows of energy that provides life to our beautiful planet.  Maybe we can compare this earthly flow of energy to the chakras that humans have.  Are there 7 of these natural spots on the planet like humans have 7 chakras.  If that’s the case then which chakra is Crestone?  What color is this chakra and what life power does it have? what healing powers does it have?  What affect does it have on the planet and what affect does it have on humanity?

These are some of the questions I bring to Crestone as I begin my exploration of the connection between humanity and mother earth...

Crestone, Colorado

• Population: 139
• Home of 25 major religious groups and many other spiritual groups.
• Crestone has a higher concentration of high lamas then Tibet.
• The largest water aquifer in North America lies below Crestone.  This water aquifer is 30,000 feet deep and lies on top of a bed of crystals.

Our first day we spent seeing the town.  It's beautiful, on one side of Crestone is The Sangre De Cristo Mountains.  A stretch of 14,000 foot mountains overlook the town.  On the other side of the town is the San Louis Valley.  The Native Americans call this valley the bloodless valley.  It's a valley that for centuries medicine men and healers of different tribes and families have traveled to for connection and for oneness.  A place of peaceful oneness.

We visited some different religious centers including the Shumei Center, the Buddhist Stupa and The Haidakhandi Universal Ashram which is a Hindu Temple.  While at the Ashram we were invited to come back the next day to photograph the Vasant Navrati fire ceremony...

Vasant Navrati is a hindu ceremony that last 9 days.  The first 3 days is dedicated to Durga the warrior goddess.  The middle 3 days is dedicated to Lakshmi the goddess of prosperity.  The last 3 days of the ceremony is dedicated to Saraswati the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts.  We visited the 6th day of the ceremony which was the last day everyone was celebrating Lakshmi.  

At the fire ceremony we did 108 chants.  Each chant was followed by the group saying "svaha" and then a pinch of rice thrown in the fire by everyone.  As you pinch the rice with your right hand you keep your index finger pointed out.  This is an identification of our ego.  They also threw bananas, coconuts and poured tea into the fire. 

As for the humanity, the love and the oneness...here are some of the people at the Ashram.  Many thanks and much love to everyone!  At the end of the ceremony I had a higher awareness of my ego and was much more in touch with the oneness of humanity.

A special thank you to Hanne Strong for your guidance and insight.  While visiting the different spiritual places in Crestone it became obvious that Hanne has touched many lives in a positive way.  It's very warm to see and feel this humanity.

All photos taken by Matthew Heersink