Sweat lodge experience with NYFC
Trying something new can be renewing
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first sweat lodge ceremony with the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre as part of my practicum placement. The ceremony was a renewing and incredible experience.
According to an article written by Rene R. Gadacz in The Canadian Encyclopedia on Feb 7, 2006, “Sweat lodges are heated, dome-shaped structures used by Indigenous people during certain purification rites to promote healthy living.” Historically, these lodges were small, domed structures draped with buffalo or deer hides, but sweat lodges made today are usually made of wood and covered with tarps and blankets.
The heat that is created inside the lodge promotes sweating throughout the ceremony to cleanse your body of toxins and imbalances that may be taking place.
According to the Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia, this purifying ceremony can be performed alone or in preparation for other ceremonies, like a Sun Dance. However, a sweat lodge ceremony can look drastically different depending on the culture and the specific person who hosts it.
This article is going to talk about my experiences with the sweat lodge ceremony that I attended.
The sweat lodge ceremony I attended was very spiritual and beautiful. It started with everyone gathering and getting settled in together. Women were strongly encouraged to wear a ribbon skirt and a shirt, and men were encouraged to wear shorts with no top when attending the ceremony. Once everyone was dressed and prepared, the ceremony started.
First, everyone began with a smudge. “A Definition of Smudging,” an article from the Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., posted on Feb 16, 2017, states, “is traditionally a ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts of a person or place.”
As the shell holding the plants and releasing the smoke is shared throughout the room, each person holds the shell and waves the smoke over their body and mind to cleanse of negative thoughts.
According to The Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement, medicinal plants such as sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and/or tobacco are burned in an abalone shell, with the smoke “rising up to the Creator.”
Next, we all gathered in the sweat lodge. The lodge itself was a dome-shaped structure with a pit in the centre. The pit is where the rocks are placed and where the heat is generated. As you gather around, women sit on one side, and men sit on the other. The door is then closed, and the ceremony begins.
It is pure darkness inside the lodge, which some people may find unsettling. However, the darkness allowed me to focus on what was happening and encouraged my body and mind to settle.
As the ceremony begins, the lodge started to heat up as the rocks in the centre pit heat and let off steam into the lodge. The ceremony leader can put water onto the stones to release more heat through steam. As you are sitting in the lodge, you listen to the leader talk, sing, and share their messages and teachings. During this time, participants get to listen and enjoy the ceremony.
While sitting in the lodge, I sat with my legs bent and crossed with a towel wrapped over my head. Participants are encouraged to bring a towel to wipe the sweat off and to help them breathe. I focused on my breathing when I noticed the sweat lodge getting warm. This was very calming, as it allowed me to take a moment to be meditative and focus on one thing at a time.
It allowed me to listen, take deep breaths, and calm my breathing, mind, and soul. As I sat in the lodge and listened to the leader talk, I felt the messages personally. It was a beautiful feeling to gather with everyone and spend time together.
There are four parts to the ceremony, each lasting a few minutes. Once each part is done, you can choose to leave the lodge, grab some fresh air and water, cool down, and be welcomed back in for the next part.
Once all four parts of the sweat lodge were completed, we gathered for a feast. At the feast, everyone was encouraged to take a bit of everything and enjoy the food that was made. To start, we had salmon and corn mixed together and berries. We dished by handing a bowl from person to person, taking a spoonful before passing it along. This went on until all the food was gone. Then, we had traditional bannock with soup. The feast concluded the ceremony.
After the sweat lodge ceremony, my body and mind felt amazing. I felt so refreshed, cleansed, and clear-minded of all things negative. It truly is hard to explain, but it was an amazing feeling. If you want to join and partake in a sweat one day, it is highly encouraged and an amazing experience like no other.
If you would like to attend a sweat lodge ceremony, I highly recommend it. However, make sure to wear light, natural, and breathable clothes made of materials like cotton. You should also bring water for after the ceremony. Sweating will dehydrate you, so you will need to drink some water before and afterward.
In Regina, The Place of Hope/Awasiw and the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre host sweat lodge ceremonies that are open to the community. Awasiw/The Place of Hope provides outreach services like ceremonies, access to knowledge, resources and support, and the All Nations Hope Network operates it.
Sweat lodge ceremonies are posted on Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre’s Facebook page. When attending a sweat lodge ceremony, you will be asked to bring your own tobacco, towel, ribbon skirt, and a change of clothes.
