I did a thing this weekend…Native American (Lakota Nation) Sweat Lodge!☆◇♧
I prayed though 1-1/2 hours of pure heat, drenched in the sweat and tears of my past. I came out of the womb reborn with all new waters running through my internal rivers and streams.
Detoxified and purified.
I am feeling so blessed to have a friend who invited me, delivered me, watered and fed me…and to have been “seen,” acknowledged, honored and hugged by many lodge tribal sisters♡together we conquered a difficult, humbling, beautiful experience.
I was too out of it to get a pic of the actual lodge, but this looks like it as I recall with the exception of dark cover.
The other two pics I took after recovering while sitting and observing. I just want to offer a visual. You crawl through that door and sit in circle (one outer, one inner) with other women, and there’s a pit in the center.
They open the door 4 times to be handed in (via pitchfork, picked up with a set of antlers by a fire tender) and she lays 7 scalding rocks in the pit, sprinkling cedar over them to burn and then pouring water over them slowly through the closed door time to create the steam/sweat.
A total of 28 rocks at fourth door!☆
While door is closed its pitch black, only the glow of the hot stones and the cinders of cedar are visible. It’s intensely hot! I cant even explain what that’s like! And as you’re suffering the heat, one or two tribal songs are sung, a story told, and then you’re asked to pray to the creator for all babies, teenagers, adults & elders.
The crawling out of the lodge is an experience of true reward and totally blissful in a non-awareness moment, feeling and breathing in fresh air is … magnificent♧
Immediately afterwards we stood side by side in circle being embraced and thanked by each of the elders and tribal sisters one at a time…being thanked for your gift of prayer.
My tears flowed in waves of emotional acceptance and embodiment of true love. It was beyond anything I’ve ever felt.
Breathing air. Drinking water. It really is a total blessing. It’s something to be appreciated, honored and I am thankful every day I get to wake up and do it again.
On wings and waves of fire and water, I pray for each and every one of us brothers and sisters.
A’ho, amen, and so it is,
Rev. Shannon Paige, PhD.
Root Chakra Healing 