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Are You Looking for a Sacred Place? This is as Near to One as I know of!

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
That almost makes me shiver just to hear of them. Thanks for sharing that!



I love your attitude! I'll ask you the same question I asked Ice Horse, if you don't mind. What makes any place sacred? Is it something you can explain? Or is it beyond that?
I have no idea really. Some of it may have to do with antiquity and use by humans. That would explain ancient sites like the medicine wheels or Stonehenge. (One chap did a long 'research' on the one medicine wheel we went to, actually comparing it to Stonehenge. Google 'Canada's Stonehenge'. Personally, I don't buy it.

Me being Hindu, that's the one I can best relate to. The ancient stone edifices of South India have a spectacular 'spiritual energy' to them, detectable by most Hindus. Some are related to hills.

My best attempt to explain it would be how some houses are happy, and others aren't, and people can feel it when they enter, even if nobody is home.

But really I have no idea. Why do you think the hot springs is sacred? It is just a hot spring, after all.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
All I can say personally is that I've visited places that have inspired me and felt special even without the nudity.

Without the nudity? But...but...that's impossible! I don't believe you. Or rather, I do believe you for you're an honest man, yet my whole worldview now lies in tattered shreds at my feet.

Seriously, I certainly would not want to claim Valley View is the only place people feel is sacred. That would be ridiculous. It's just the only place I myself have so often heard various people say they felt a sense of the sacred. And, of course, my experience is limited. Beyond that, as I've pointed out, plenty of people apparently do not find the springs sacred, even if they enjoy them.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
My best attempt to explain it would be how some houses are happy, and others aren't, and people can feel it when they enter, even if nobody is home.

I think that's an apt and beautiful analogy that goes so far to characterize how subtle these things are, and yet how much so many of us do feel them at times. Is it just our imaginations? Perhaps, but I take note that when many different people, most of whom have never met each other, agree "That's a happy home", or "That's sacred earth", that maybe -- just maybe -- they might be picking up on very subtle clues -- clues they are not fully conscious of.

Can they all be wrong? Of course! That's always a possibility. One of my secretaries told me that, when she became profoundly unhappy with her first marriage, she would distract herself by cleaning house. Quite ironically, her husband and all but one or two of their friends became convinced that she must be quite happy indeed because she was so enthusiastically putting such care into her and husband's home! "Tara works so hard to make you happy, Pete! She's really trying to make a home for you two!"

If -- as I suspect -- there are subtle clues a significant number of people who visit Valley View are picking up on that prompt them to use the word "sacred" in describing the place -- very subtle clues in addition to some much more noticeable ones -- then, yes, it could all even then still just be a fluke, like Tara's house. And, then again, maybe not a fluke at all.

But really I have no idea. Why do you think the hot springs is sacred? It is just a hot spring, after all.

EXACTLY! "Just a hot spring"! I know I didn't even hint at this in the OP, but I came to the recognition that there might be something going on with Valley View at my usual plodding, slow-to-dim-witted pace. It's true that the very first time I made a trip there, I felt a peace that I thought a bit unusual, but not much more than that.

It took a few trips before it sank in that some people -- certainly not all, but only some -- really meant to say the place was a bit beyond "peaceful", "special", or "inspiring" when they spoke of it being "sacred" to them. Naturally, given my prejudices, I thought "sacred" was idle hyperbole at first. And even today, I still think that's all some people meant who have told me it's sacred to them. Or sometimes maybe they are just agreeing with others without really thinking about it.

So, I'd guess it was probably at least after my sixth or seventh trip that I got curious about that word and what it might really mean to at least a few of those who used it. What helped me get curious was hearing that word used by people who I'd not gone on any trips with, and who used it even though I did nothing to suggest that word to them.

Nowadays, I'm pretty sure that some people think of that place as genuinely sacred in some way or manner -- but I still can't quite figure out why! Unless they all of them think exactly like I do -- that sacred here means something like "coming home" or "feeling centered" -- but I doubt they all do.

So what's my best guess? Well maybe three things, or at least three things:

1) It has purposely been left about as close to nature as you can get and still have something properly called a "resort" rather than a simple mountainside. Nature, everyone knows, tends to have certain effects on some of us.

2) Maybe too, there are those "subtle clues" I spoke of that -- not everyone -- but some people unconsciously pick up on.

3) And then there's my admittedly strange notion that nudity might have something to do with it. Something very important to do with it. Here again, this was anything but a quickly reached opinion on my part. Yet, people agree with me that at Valley View they feel more than merely tolerated, they feel an usual non-judgmental atmosphere of simple, but profound acceptance. Can that translate into why they call the place "sacred". I actually believe it can.

For one thing, just about the last thing so many of us expect nowadays is anything like genuine acceptance from nearly everyone around us, friend and stranger alike. But in my experience, we sure know it when it happens. So maybe the unexpectedness combines with the acceptance to make some people think the place is a bit beyond even "special".​

Dumb as those guesses must sound, those really are my best guesses.

And all that brings me to my last point. I did not think entirely through the impact this thread might have on someone's expectations about the place. Whatever the causes for the sense of sacredness that some people feel, the sense or feeling itself appears to be subtle. It's certainly not something that runs right up to you and hugs you. Even the people who I most suspect of feeling it, are sometimes a little hesitant, a little shy, about describing the place as sacred. So I've been worried. Have I clumsily spoiled if for people? Will someone go there expecting to be hit in the face with it, overwhelmed by the sacred, and thus be so disappointed they see nothing at all? I don't know, but I certainly hope I haven't ruined it for anyone.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Without the nudity? But...but...that's impossible! I don't believe you. Or rather, I do believe you for you're an honest man, yet my whole worldview now lies in tattered shreds at my feet.

Seriously, I certainly would not want to claim Valley View is the only place people feel is sacred. That would be ridiculous. It's just the only place I myself have so often heard various people say they felt a sense of the sacred. And, of course, my experience is limited. Beyond that, as I've pointed out, plenty of people apparently do not find the springs sacred, even if they enjoy them.
I'm not trying to imply that the place is not special but to reflect on other special places. That written, it sounds like a place I'd enjoy visiting although given the state of my 73-year old body, my nudity would spoil the beautiful view.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I sure enjoy your posts...they're usually insightful, thoughtful, and humorous!

Thank you so much for those kind words. "Insightful, thoughtful, and humorous"! And I am genuinely impressed with just how tactfully you have understated the truth, too!*


*Sunstone suddenly collapses onto his keyboard as his ego inflates dangerously beyond bursting size*


Seriously, thanks so much! :)
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
I'm not trying to imply that the place is not special but to reflect on other special places. That written, it sounds like a place I'd enjoy visiting although given the state of my 73-year old body, my nudity would spoil the beautiful view.
That's funny!
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I'm not trying to imply that the place is not special but to reflect on other special places.

Indeed! That's a very legitimate point! In all likelihood, I think my enthusiasm for Valley View must come across to at least some people as more than a wee bit chauvinistic.

If it does, I think that's quite understandable. But that's just an unfortunate by product of my being genuinely enthusiastic about the place. I don't mean to imply it's somehow exalted above any other places that are special to people. And the fact I think so highly of it probably says more about how few places I've been and experienced for myself than it says about anything else.

...although given the state of my 73-year old body, my nudity would spoil the beautiful view.

Here I must genuinely disagree with you. Honestly disagree with you! You see all ages there, and no one seems to think anything of the differences in body shapes, sizes, wrinkles, or appearances. Valley View ain't the movies. So few people there look anything like Hollywood stars. Picture a few dozen random people you might pass walking down a street in town. That's the typical assortment you'll find there.

Beyond that, I am not even in the least exaggerating when I say the place "generally has a noticeable atmosphere of non-judgmental acceptance". That's not just my opinion. I hear that opinion from many others, too. It almost certainly wouldn't matter to anyone whether you went clothed or nude. They'd surely treat you the same. That is, excepting only if @Terese were there. If snickering Terese were there, God help us all!
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
View attachment 21914

  • Do you ever feel a spiritual connection with nature?
  • Are you curious enough to see if you could?
  • Do you enjoy visiting unique, one of a kind, places?
  • Are you attracted to relatively undeveloped, rustic resorts?
  • Can you accept the possibility of experiencing some of North America's largest wild animals peacefully grazing within a stone's throw of you? (Caution! Actually throwing stones at a thousand pound elk? NOT recommended!)

If so, take notice! I've spoken of this place before in threads on RF, but a recent event recalled my attention to it. First, though, I'll tell you what it is not:

1) It is not the most beautiful place in all of Colorado. There are many other more beautiful places.

2) It is not easily accessible. It's a three and a half hour drive from Colorado Springs and a bit longer drive from the Denver International Airport.

3) And it is anything but "touristy". If you adore stylish "I love Colorado" T-shirts, and cute little figurines of bears pooping in the woods, this most likely will not become your favorite haunt.​

That's what it's not.

Here's what it is. Valley View Hot Springs is a remote resort perched on the side of a mountain. It overlooks the world's largest inter-mountain valley. The 100 mile long, thinly populated, San Luis, which -- according to Wikipedia -- is the home of at least 500 working artists. The nearest town to the resort itself, Alamosa (population under 10,000) is over 25 miles away. Even on a dark night, Alamosa is no more than a dim glow on the horizon. All of which puts the Hot Springs "in the middle of nowhere".

There are nine soaking pools at various locations up and down the mountainside, most of them natural, each of them unique, and each roughly around body temperature. There's also a lovely sauna and a few other nice amenities.

But Valley View's real claim to being special is this: People treat Valley View as if it were spiritually sacred.

Of course, not everyone. But I've been there several times, and depending on the trip, one-quarter to fully one-half of the guests were speaking in whispers, just as if they felt they were in a cathedral. People almost routinely describe it as "sacred". Even those who do not themselves feel the sacredness of Valley View tend to respect those who do.

Frankly, I have no idea why so many people feel it as sacred. It's beautiful, but -- like I said -- not the most beautiful place. You look out over the valley from the mountain and are impressed by the view, but you are not likely to feel awe at its beauty. I have been to more beautiful places where people have spoken in anything but whispers. Gorgeous places visited annually by thousands, and no one has ever said to me those places feel sacred. Yet, I can no longer count the number of people who have said Valley View is sacred. Whatever it has, it has something that is virtually unique.

Maybe it's the animals? You can almost expect to find wild black tail deer, elk, or even the occasional moose come down from the mountain to graze within thirty or forty feet of you. You could even sight a black bear. In the evenings, you can expect to hear -- but most likely not see -- a chorus of coyotes. Overhead, hawks and eagles sometimes pass by. But I myself don't think it's just the animals, nor even the generally undeveloped nature of the resort.

The closest I have come to explaining why Valley View is held sacred by so many people is that it's clothing optional. At Valley View, no one will ever object to your going without clothing, and no one will ever object to your wearing clothing.

Now, if you know nothing at all about nudists and naturists, know this: Contrary to myth, they are NOT generally motivated by an egotistical desire to show off their bodies. Nor are they hyper-sexual individuals titillated by the sight of mere nudity. If you've heard either of those myths about them, you've been mislead.

It is much more truthful to say they simply enjoy going without clothing. Some folks are like that.

But how does all that translate into holding a place sacred?

Well, nudists and naturalists tend to be among the most tolerant and accepting people you'll ever meet. A friend of mine, a Christian pastor, once told me that she and her husband had just gotten home from going to a nudist resort for the first time in either of their lives. "I was astounded, Phil, by how accepting everyone was of each other. They were actually practicing 'Christian Love, and practicing it better than my congregation does on a Sunday!"

So I think it might be that sense of being accepted just as you are -- warts and all -- that causes so many people to hold Valley View spiritually sacred.

On a moonless night, the San Luis Valley explodes -- with stars. There's no better word for it than "explodes". I can all but guarantee that if you live in a city, you will most likely have forgotten how many stars can be seen in a non-urban sky. The Milky Way is clearly visible, and the coyotes don't quit calling until well into the night. If you gaze straight up, you might even experience the eerie feeling of being in imminent danger of falling upwards into infinity.

Yet, even despite the "noisy" coyotes, the valley is quiet. There is a certain quality of sound there that perhaps only rural people are quite familiar with. Sounds seem peculiarly discrete, as if each noise is wrapped in a cushion of silence. You can hear your thoughts there. The buzz of a single passing fly will leap out at you. You'll notice things you usually don't notice.

If you've ever wanted to experience a spiritual connection to nature, this might be the place to do it.

Nearby is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Although not officially clothing optional, the Park is still in Colorado, right? Some folks go nude there, too. Far to the South is Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. About a six or seven hour drive.

To the North is the real South Park, which has been made famous by the cartoon show. Nearby, Salida is a small town known for art galleries and whitewater rafting. People who have houses on the river there tell me they wake up in the mornings to watch eagles fishing.

And, of course, further North are the dangerous Colorado ski resort towns just waiting for any fool reckless enough to plumet down a mountain slope lashed to mere sticks and without the sane comfort and safety of being attached to climbing ropes. Sheesh! I tell you, such an unlikely "sport" will never catch on. Stick to climbing 200 foot cliffs. It's safer! Just when was the last time you ever heard of someone crashing into a tree at 90 miles an hour while climbing up a mountain? Huh? Stay safe. Climb cliffs!

Valley View Hot Springs
64393 County Road GG, Moffat, CO 81143

(719) 256-4315

A couple necessary disclaimers: My information may be dated. I haven't myself been there in at least six years. But the place is still under the same management, so I doubt it's changed much. Last, the notion Valley View is sacred soil apparently belongs at most to just half the people who visit there. The rest just like the place. Except for @Terese. and @SalixIncendium. Grumpy Terese and Salixincendium just don't like nothing. And I have my suspicions they probably ski, too. Both of them.
I live in a location where its sacred around every New Vista. Couple of weekends ago I wandered up a logging road got off the kept walking out into.the forest.. shot back at the bike.


we also have a very incredible hot springs in the cascades not far from crater lake. But I wont give the name out its so cool! Solid smooth rock not muddy at all very clean and remote enough not near major cities.
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