Sweat Lodge

"The sweat lodge is one of the gifts that Creator gave to the Blackfeet. Just like our physical body becomes unclean and needs a bath, the body's spirit also needs a cleansing. Everything used in the sweat lodge has to be gathered in a ceremonial manner, the rocks for the fire, the sage for the floor, and the willows that form the frame. The sweat lodge is ideally built along the bank of a river.

"Crawling out of the lodge the sweaty and red with life people, are now rejuvenated. Their spirits and bodies have been cleansed. Time has begun to start a new walk, free from previous negative energies —just like a baby leaving its mother's womb.

"The oval shape of the sweat lodge is like that of a pregnant woman lying on her back, gazing up into the heavens. That is one way to say that the womb of Mother Earth is the sweat lodge. When entering the lodge from the east it is as though you are entering Mother Earth's womb.

illustration from here.

"Once inside, it is dark, but safe. The head lodgeman sits in the west direction and splashes the hot rocks in the center of the lodge with medicine water. After four rounds of singing and being purified from Creator's breath with the steam from the holy rocks, all negative toxins from the person's body and spirit have been taken by Mother Earth. The lodgeman utters, "It is time to leave." Crawling out of the lodge the sweaty and red with life people, are now rejuvenated. Their spirits and bodies have been cleansed. Time has begun to start a new walk, free from previous negative energies —just like a baby leaving its mother's womb." from trailtribes.org

Our sweat lodge was made of bamboo branches tethered together with strips of old corn sacks. That was covered with holey blankets and old hotel bedspreads from thrift stores and sleeping bags probably left behind by bygone hostelers. The little lodge was nestled in the saw palmetto bushes and a small altar of a circle of stones in a dirt ledge was near the entrance. Jess and I got tasked to clean that up and decorate or prepare it in whatever way. I picked up all the acorns, cleaned them and put them in a little pile there. Then tore saw palmetto leaves and stuck them in the sand at the front and bent them down across the middle of the sand. We placed circlesof dead grass on the remaining exposed sand.

Each person chose a rock from those laying around and put our intentions on it. One woman, native american heritage, invited me to place my hands on her sandstone from Arizona and to store the memory of the rock so I could remember the coolness of it later. We then placed our rocks on the logs in the fire pit. We added wood and many dead palmetto leaves. Here is the fire pile about to burn with all of our rocks inside:

We lit the fire and watched. Our rocks were in there. We gathered in a circle and shared our thoughts and sweat lodge questions in turn. Expectations were explained and we dispersed to hydrate and prepare. On our return, a few of us spent 20 min doing yoga stretches in the ante-circle that preceded the main fire pit. MikeJoe and Chuck were feeding the fire with the very big pile of firewood.

I re-raked the circle. First an arc toward the middle, then 4 more concentric arc raked clean of leaves and yoga posture divots. Our fellow sweaters were arriving. Some in shorts, some in towels. Before entering, we each were smudged. Mike Joe smudged Chuck who would be tending the fire and delivering rocks to the sweat lodge. Using a hawk tail to waft the burning sage that was on a clam or large mussel shell. Down the front slowly back and forth, wafting the tail toward the smudgee, down each leg and under each foot. On the other side too. Coming back up the second side, the smudger *puff* blows at the person's neck. Then big hug "namaste." Chuck then smudged Mike Joe who then undressed and went into the lodge. Then we filed forward one at a time to be smudged by Chuck. I was glad it was him. He's one of those people you can instantly love.

We all were in there, 10 women and 3 men. Our first rock came in on the pitchfork glowing red. Little live red sparks of metal filings burning bright for 2 seconds. Welcome grandmother. After 4 rocks or so, the blankets closed the door and we had total darkness. Mike Joe facilitated our sweat. Four rounds of 30-40 minues. 3 or 4 left after the second round, and 3 more after the third. I left in the middle of the 4th with Mike Joe and others leaving 4 or 5 inside.

Round 1 - The East. Direction from which we entered the lodge. A song, then a round of each of our personal intentions. Emotions poured out and traveled among the circle. we were back in the womb of mother earth, reconnecting with the our inner children, feeling the fears and griefs and desires and love. In the blackness we were free to say it out loud and cry. I was amazed by all this trust.

Round 2 - The West. More songs, then a round of each person's reason for thankfulness. More emotions pored out, and the one who was thankful for his newfound grief got us all going grieving with him. The emotion traveled in the circle to each of us.

Round 3 - The South. songs and hollers and whoops and a round of each person's object of nature they were thankful for. Then a round of laughing. A few spontaneous spiritual comments.

Round 4 - The North. my teeth got hot and I couldn't breath without coughing. no rounds of anything, just a round of laughing. That was hard to do. A few of us asked to come out before it ended.

My heart was beating so hard but my breathing was normal and I was relaxed. Wierd. I felt open and clean. Relieved to visit my fears, hopes and loves - and to express them to strangers. But not strangers anymore. Several spoke of our new status as family. The rock-lady's mom said souls travel in blocks, and all of us were traveling together.

I jumped in the lake! It was definitely below 70 F. I aimed to swim to the platform, but halfway there thought better and turned around. My feet were pained from the cold. I got back out and lay supine on the grass. I was happy and grateful and worry-free.

Dark clouds were rolling in. Hollie and I really wanted to hug Leo. We found him at the fire dressed for the rain like us. We could embrace him and talk of his success to find and express his inner child and to have shed some layers that were over his grief. All of us shed stuff that day and felt open hearts.


some sweat lodge info: http://www.barefootsworld.net/sweatlodge.html