visit a sweat lodge

i have attended quite a few and worked a few sweat lodges (name the job)(myself . . . but i am feeling desperatly in need of another as an attendee if anyone can help direct me to one in the vacinity of the ohio river vally or great lakes i would greatly appreciate any and all info

I’m going to Az this weekend and this is exactlly what I want to do. Does anyone know where I can go? I going on a road trip coming from Calif…Please advice and anything related to visiting indian reservation…..Much love

the temps didn’t get to the intense stage everyone was talking about, but the emotional release sure did…
this is an amazing, process, and can’t seem to want to share too much, i saw how i can be there for others with strength, and amazing life experience to share..
just go do it..
very healing, and peaceful, feeling afterwards

xojk

thanks all for sharing, i absorbed all that was written
i had no idea,

i will listen for guidance, i am so
in a place of nothing, things are in storage,
i am not attached, to what life looks like,
i have been in a search mode,

so this cleansing will just be an extension of
that or even more of a gateway…

bring it on!

xojk

I have to say that ever since I went to one I have wanted to go again and now after years of not making the effort to find one near my home. I am Determined to go again and experience the healing and Serenity the Sweat lodge process gave me so long ago so that i may continue to grow spiritually and in emotional intelligence. I Highly Recommend it. Have a Blessed Day!

A sweat lodge is hard to explain as far as spirituality is concerned. People come for different reasons such as healing, or even just the health benefits of purging the body of harmful elements and keeps the skin healthy to name a few. The sweat itself is shaped in a half-dome which is symbolically not unlike the womb. Generally, it is constructed with willow branches and depending on the size of the lodge, can range from 28 branches and up. The willow is used because it reminds us that the willows life cycle reflects the natural cycle of life’s many stages. There is also salicin, which is like a natural analgesic used in several aspirin like compounds. The willow is set up in such a way that it also marks off the four quadrants of the universe.

Everything from the hides or blankets to the buffalo skull altar are prayed to and offered tobacco. Men normally go in with a towel and some shorts while women (if they are allowed) wear long skirts or dresses and a long shirt. The reason women sometimes are not allowed is because they have a period so they are already cleansed once a month. Although, I’ve never seen a woman turned away lest it be for the reason aforementioned.

The sweat itself begins in silent darkness. That’s to ensure that you have a moment to clear your thoughts and prepare for the gift of prayer given to us by the Grandfathers (stones). The arrival of the glowing red rocks is a constant reminder of the Creators penetrating goodness and radiance. Good and proper intent are very important as the spiritual side of life deserved no less care than the physical life.

There are four rounds or doors to represent the four directions and purified water is poured onto the rock and the singing begins. It varies from tribe to tribe but usually starts off with the four direction song and a welcoming song so the grandfathers feel comfortable singing with us and hearing our prayers. The second and third round vary sometimes. Normally it’s to pray for others and the next round is to pray for yourself. All during this time, the heat is pounding every part of the body and what you’re doing is sacrificing part of yourself in order to help others and yourself. If it gets too hot, you may put your head low to the ground but I like to keep my head as far up as I can and suffer as much as I possibly can for my prayers to be heard loudly.

The final or fourth round really isn’t the end of the ceremony but it is used to give thanks for the honor and privilege of having had the opportunity to be there. The last thing we do is have some food and unwind a bit especially if it was intense. We offer up the first plate which has a little bit of everything on it along with some water to the spirits and set it out either by the altar (not on it though) or near the sweat lodge since after all, they are always the guests of honor. Then everyone else digs in and has a good laugh or tells some stories and if you’re lucky, maybe strike up a conversation with an elder and learn about this way of life a bit more. However, one never talks about what they experience unless the leader or elder brings it up. This is to ensure that the prayers and the signs that were given to you are yours to keep and cannot be corrupted with anothers thoughts. The message(s) one receives is to be interpreted by that person only.

Pay close attention to what happens before, during, and after the ceremony as a person can easily miss any guidance given to them and thusly, miss out on something that could be very important!

Well I could write some more but that’s basically a guideline of what I’ve been taught and people run lodges differently everywhere but the basic idea is the same. Get close to the Creator, pray in the womb of Mother Earth, and be willing to give in order to receive!

for some reason this never wound up on my list of things to do, tho i wanted to do it, so i stuck it on here this morning and then went and did it.

it is VERY intense – however, the most physically intense part of it does not last that long. you might freak out and get ready to run and just when you do, the doors are opened and among other things, that small (but seemingly huge) sense of accomplishment itself is enough to make it worth it.

I did this a month ago for the first time and loved it, but I had to deal with a lot of fear to get through it. They say that when you exit the lodge you are reborn. Since the ceremony I have had such a lighter attitude towards life. I see more beauty than I had before. Whether this is due to the sweat lodge I can’t be certain, but getting through the ceremony was powerful.

I went to a introductory sweat lodge, but it was still very intense. I am slightly claustrophobic and during the 3rd session I started to get pretty anxious. It is very aerobic as the body has to work hard to try and control your body temperature. I don’t think I was in as good of shape in terms of cardio as I would like to be for the next sweat. They told me to lie down on the ground and let the earth support me and this helped tremendously. Since then I’ve been taking hot sauna’s daily slowly increasing my exposure.

The ceremony is absolutely beautiful and I doubt you’ll leave without experiencing some very powerful life changing things.

It was definitely an interesting experience….but, if you’re not used to extreme temperatures, you could get sick.