Sweat Lodge Awareness

I am sure many of you have seen the recent tragedy that occurred at a New Age retreat held in Sedona by “guru” James Arthur Ray. A Native American sweat or purification lodge ceremony was conducted where three people died and 18 were injured.

Details are still forthcoming, but some relevant things are known: 60-plus people were in the lodge. Plastic was used to cover the lodge. Participants fasted for 2 days, and then had a breakfast the day of. Participants paid almost $10000 for the opportunity to spend 5 days at Mr. Ray’s seminar/retreat.

It is not known if Mr. Ray has had any type of training in pouring a sweat lodge. It is not known how many first-timers were in the lodge. There was a nurse present, but it is not known how many people were comfortable with and/or experienced with the sweat lodge ritual and protocols.

While holding in prayer those who died and/or were hurt in this debacle, I am intent on using this mishap as an opportunity to create awareness about this sacred ritual.

While I am not Native American by blood, I have been given my medicine bag by an Arapaho elder and been blessed to facilitate this sacred ceremony. This elder believes in sharing the ancient wisdoms, with those who wish to learn. It is through education, awareness and transparency that ultimately will see us all become one nation, and act as one collective human race.

I feel creating awareness about any and all things Native American will also help evolve and heal the massive wound to our indigenous people that occurred at the time of the birth of the United States.

Did you know our very own U.S. Constitution was roughly based on the model of the Iroquois Nation, and it was an Iroquois chief named Cannasastego who initially proposed the United States be formed as one nation?

Did you also know that when Christopher Columbus first hit American shores in 1492, there were estimated anywhere from 6 to 15 million Native Americans. Though genocide, warfare, disease, forced migration, that number is now in the low 6 figures.

My personal choice is to celebrate the Italian culture, not Columbus(Day).



So what is an Inipi, or sweat/purification lodge?

A sweat lodge is built out of tree saplings, and covered with tarps. Sacred stones, called “grandfather stones, are then brought into the lodge by the firekeeper. The stones are blessed with the Native medicines like sage, sweetgrass, and cedar. Water is then poured on the stones, inducing steam in a sauna-like effect. There are different traditions, and variations, to be sure, but most lodges will have 4 rounds. There is intention setting(or prayer, why one is particpating in the lodge), singing of songs, expression of gratitude, education, and knowledge sharing. The lodge is facilitated by a pourer, whose role is to monitor the ceremony and those participating.

From a dear indigenous medicine friend, revered in the community, and who has poured many lodges:

1. We never cover the lodge with plastic. We only use breathable canvas tarps and old blankets. This allows the steam to go through and avoid burns.
2. We do not force people to sit through the whole process if they can’t endure it, or if they do not feel like staying in.
3. We usually do not fast before a sweat. During the conclusion of some ceremonies where fasting takes place a sweat may follow, if this is the case a whole sweat ( 4 rounds) doesn’t take place.
4. The sweatlodge is not part of a course,workshop, or a training. It is a ceremony to clear the mind, body, share traditional teachings and jokes, send prayers and be in community.
5. There’s never a charge for ceremony, of course there is way to make sure the facilitator is taken care of, and a place and a procedure to do that. No money should be place near the altar or near the lodge.
6. The ceremony may get hot, but never to the point that someone can get hurt. The lodge has never been an endurance test, it is a place for community building and prayer.
7. We do not ingest anything illegal or psychotropic when we go into the sweat, the lodge is a place of ceremony not a rave-like event. We encourage sobriety at all times.
8. We always have helpers tending the fire and to the needs of those who participate in the ceremony.
9. I have the mentorship and monitoring of many indigenous elders and community, they hold me accountable if I deviate from the purpose of the ceremony.
10. Of course there is never any nudity inside the lodge.

The environment of the sweat is inclusive, family oriented, and part of a traditional way of life. We always have young ones, children and babies, who attend with their families.

All true, and so well and succinctly put. I am not here to judge what happened in Sedona, as everyone has their path in life, and sometimes things happen for reasons that are not immediately discernible. What I do aspire to do is to create awareness, and with that awareness hopefully empower people to empower themselves in their choicemaking.

I would add that while certain traditional protocols are maintained during the ceremony, there is no dogma, or adherence to any religion. People are encouraged to speak with their own words, and pray and talk in the manner with which their belief system is most comfortable.

I have experienced much insight and healing in my times of prayer in the purification lodge, and been blessed to witness and share in others' similar experiences as well.

If anyone has any questions about the sacred Inipi(sweat lodge), or would like to have a deeper discussion about some of our experiences, and how we can together create awareness, feel free to write me at eric.majeski@gmail.com

Aho.

Eric

Sweat Lodges

Note: I'm back from a recent sojourn to the Alps to hike and meditate and recharge. I will posting some thoughts on sweat lodges and the recent tragedy in Sedona in an effort to help create awareness. Aho. Eric

What have you learned from your infirmity?

"What is it that you have learned from your infirmity? ----Jesus the Christ, before he would administer a healing.

The idea being that pain is sometimes one of our greatest teachers. And that we have to learn what it is we need to learn from it, before the true healing or release can occur.

Ok, so what the heck have I learned from what is now 17 days of physical pain in my back/left arm?

My C3 and/or C5 nerve shut down, for those chiropractors/doctors out there. Sending intense pain down my whole arm and back....only the painkillers don't really work when the pain is neural. Anti-inflammatories and acupuncture take some of the edge off. I'm with a talented physical therapy guy who says 6-8 weeks of treatment and stretching and rest.

I've always had this one huge knot under my left scapula(inside rear left shoulder blade) which no amount of massage, acupuncture, muscle relaxers, Reiki, or many other modalities have been able to get to. I believe that to be what is releasing at this time.

I've become healthy enough, physically, emotionally, and otherwise, to have the strength to face a trauma that has been locked up for years. I have some ideas where this trauma came from, and more importantly, I simply know that it has always hurt there. And now, whether through meditation, or other means, I am able to, as the Buddhist would call, act as witness.

Witness the pain.

Yes, it sucks. Big time. But almost from the minute it occurred, I've been asking myself what the hell am I to learn from this? Once I fully "learn from my infirmity", I believe it will be fully released.

I did a balance facilitated by a healer friend Jessica, and through a kinesiology technique(muscle testing), I muscle-tested weak for the statement :

"It's OK to make mistakes."

Muscle testing weak refers to there is a limiting belief pattern in our subconscious field, which is holding us back in life. We all have cellular memory, and our essence is reflected in every one of our billions of cells. So if we believe something we will muscle test positive for it, because we literally believe it with every cell of our body. For the intent of this example, at that moment, I believed, at the subconscious level, "It's not OK to make mistakes."

It is the same concept of why authorities can see if you have done drugs by sampling your hair. The memory is embedded in the cells of your hair.

Quantum science says that are environments DO matter (www.brucelipton.com), biology of belief, and that we keep traumas at our cellular memory.

Ever have a big breakup with a boyfriend/girlfriend and you go and ask your hair stylist to cut all your hair off, and/or you decide to rid yourself of everything associated with that person?

Similar. This is a form of healing, whether one is conscious of it or not.

So I share my process in the hopes that it adds to yours. With my good friend Jess, I balanced for the statement, "It's Ok to make mistakes." Through a technique employing tenets of kinesiology, NLP, and acupressure, I am able to communicate with my subconscious mind, and "write" or "program" what belief I would like to shape my reality.

Our perceptions shape our reality. Change, or re-program the perception, and you change or re-program your reality, or life.

By doing this, I was able to resolve, dissolve, and evolve that particular internal conflict.

Think about this, the name of this blog is "the gift is in the wound", which, translated, means, our greatest gifts, or wisdoms, or learnings, are found in our greatest pains, or our greatest "mistakes". Our infirmities.

The medicine is in the pain. And I've had a lotta physical pain in the last 3 weeks. Lots of "medicine" or wisdom. If there is a limiting belief system active in my subconscious mind, that states, "It's not Ok to make mistakes.", well then I am not receiving said "gifts", or wisdoms.

I have learned from my infirmity.

Message #1: Slow the fuck down! Just be. In my zest and passion for life, just about everything sounds great, and I wish to directly experience as many things as possible. So I say yes to a lot of new things. While this is well-intentioned, it leaves me short of energy sometimes, with less to focus on the things I really am super passionate about.

I came up with a mantra that may resolve this "road to hell is paved with good intentions" phenomena.

"I will march to the things I AM passionate about, instead of being passionate about the things that I AM currently marching to"

Message #2: Write. Write. Write. Every day. Is it coincidental that my entire upper body has writhed in pain for nearly 3 weeks, EXCEPT for my right arm and hand, or writing arm and hand? And while I have been writing every day, it hasn't been in that way of, this is my life mission, or dharma, at this time.

Message received.

"Feather, Pebble, Brick."-----a saying referring to how universal messages will get louder and louder if you are out of sync, and not listening to them.

I got hit with the brick.

Message #3: A renewed sense of reverence, and awe at just how fragile life can be. Tomorrow is promised to no one, so I am going to choose(again) to enjoy my unfolding present moments even more. It should never take something bad, to make us realize how good we have it.

Tomorrow is promised to no one.

I am grateful for the newfound wisdom, and next time, I'll choose to tune in and listen when the "feather" arrives, rather than get drilled with the "brick".

Be well.

Aho,

Eric