On New Year's Eve I participated in a powerful Native American ceremony called a sweat lodge. This was the third sweat I have done...and it once again proved to be quite a powerful experience.

Sweats come from the Native American tradiition. This excerpt I found on the barefootworlds.net website does a good job describing the intention behind the experience...

"During the purification of one's spirit inside a sweat lodge, all sense of race, color and religion is set aside. As in the Mother's womb and the Father's eyes, we are all the same, we are One. Each of us has the ability to sit with the Creator himself. Healing begins here for dis-ease, physical, emotional, directional and spiritual.

As the steam and temperature rises so do our senses. Messages and vision from the Spirit World are received through the group consciousness of the participants. One at a time, the people inside get an opportunity to speak, to pray and to ask for guidance and forgiveness from the Creator and the people they have hurt. As they go around the circle, they tell who they are, where they are from, and what is their clan, so the Creator, the Spirit People, and all there can acknowledge them.

A sweat is typically four sessions, called rounds or endurances, each lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. The round ends when the leader announces the opening of the door."
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Our sweat took place in a Kiva, which is a large hole dug deep into the ground that is supported by beams, etc. We sang songs from the Native Amercian tradition and took turns praying outloud. At the beginning of each of the four rounds, the firekeeper would bring in more piping hot stones before sealing the front door so the space would become pitch black.

As each of us sang, prayed, rattled, and drummed, the lodge leader added water to the stones which caused the Kiva to fill with hot steam. With each round the steam and temperature intensified...as did the energy behind the drumming, prayers, songs, etc. and my sense of connection to earth and to spirit.

The group of 20 or so people that participated was wonderfully diverse...from the four year-old son of the lodge leader on up to a radiant 79-year old woman who lived next door. Individuals from Spain, Ireland, and Peru were represented...as well as both East and West Coasters there all seeking a deeper connection to spirit and Mother earth. Several different languages were spoken, but we were all had gathered with the same intent - spiritual connection and healing for ourselves and "all of our relations."

Yellowbird, our lodge leader is the founder of the Institute for Cultural Awareness, a nonprofit that is dedicated to preserving sacred sites and indigenous traditions and bridging the gap between the elders and the children. You can read more about the important work he's doing in the world here.

I feel truly honored to have had the experience....what a renewing way to begin 2009. Aho Mataqui Yasin!