May 30th, 2010: The Sweat Lodge
The Sweat Lodge…what does that bring up in your mind? In mine it was a rather awesome, mysterious, powerful, spiritual event where you had the chance to touch the ages, be led by a shaman and reach a new level of being. A being united with the past tribes of the prairie, of buffalo, of sweet grass, of the pipe.
About four years ago this weekend I finally had the chance to do this…this long anticipated event. I had a friend who knew a teacher who held sweat lodges every month. I contacted this person and she invited me to participate in the sweat lodge. It was to be held about 40 miles outside of Milwaukee on an organic farm I was familiar with.
On the appointed Saturday I showed up promply at 3 at the farm and we walked down to the sweat lodge area. People would be joining us throughout the afternoon I learned, something I began to wish I had known as the day wore on.
First we were to do what our leader called Karma Yoga..which was her way of saying we were going to work the land. I was so nervous and I’m trying to make some connections with planting the trees that were brought and getting in the sweat lodge but I was game. Hey where was the sweat lodge? Oh, it’s over there. It appeared to be this small circle house made of an understructure of some long logs bound together and covered with canvas. It looked very small and very primitave. Someone was mentioning about how it has just been rebuilt and I thought, I wonder what it looked like before but I was very game.
After working for an hour or so we went to the stream on t he property to select the Grandfathers, the rocks, that would be used to heat the lodge. Heating the rocks, I learned is a long process as they must be nearly glowing hot to be transferred to the lodge. The Grandfathers were piled in the center of a large pit and a fire built around them. Now it’s about 5:00. I came for a sweat lodge and this is taking awhile but I’m game.
Now is the time of the firing up of the Grandfathers. There were some prayers offered along with a language I was not familiar with…oh, by the way, I knew only two people out of about 30 people who showed up and I was one of 2 people of the European American persuasion…not that it matters…but I was feeling out of place a bit anyway because I didn’t know the drill and then I felt like I stuck out somewhat to boot. The clueless white chick.
So we were supposed to feed the fire or offer gifts to the fire. Now the leader had told me that but I didn’t especially know what to bring to feed the fire…what does the fire want? The Milwaukee Journal or some oreos perhaps? Are the Grandfathers into junk food or are they vegan? I had no clue but everyone else did. Everything from avacados to flowers to prayers on paper were offered to the fire with a lot of chanting.
Meanwhile that fire was getting very Hot ! I don’t know how people were able to be anywhere near it. The leader told me to breathe but I kept backing away until she related in her strong Black woman voice to BREATHE, and I did. Okay, okay, already. But immediately I felt like I could handle the energy of the fire. I think I needed more energy inside of me to counterbalance the Grandfathers who were crankin’.
Now it is about 7:00 and we’re still stoking the Grandfathers and they don’t look anywhere near red and then I found out the next part of this gig was a sort of testamonial. People would just get up and spill their guts about whatever was troubling them. Now I’m all for that and I even have a clinical background but not Black Church back ground. Look out White Girl, the heavy guns are commin’. Now I had to remind myself that these people had histories with one another but I didn’t so when the shouting and the screaming and the crying started…yes, and the vomiting in the weeds too…I was a bit taken aback especially with children in the group. But when are we going to get to the damn Sweat Lodge? It’s 9:00 and I’ve been here since fucking 3:00 p.m. People let’s get on with it.
So, finally the Grandfathers were red and ready to go…somehow the men got them transferred to the pit on a lever of logs on which they rolled down into the pit of the Sweat Lodge. By then it was dark and I understood why nothing was going to happen until dark…it’s because now it’s time for everyone to get naked!
Yes, we all dropped trou and filed into the sweat lodge in single file. At the door of the lodge the leader smudged us with sage to purify us and then we sat or lay on the dirt floor, onto which had been laid rugs. Because there were so many people we were arranged in a tight spiral from the center of the fire going around and round until I was on the outside ring next to the canvas wall.
I have to say that I’m a bit freaked now, I’m naked, hungry, weirded out a bit. Shouldn’t there be an orientation for this, guys? What’s going to happen next? I had no clue. I knew soon. I did know something about the idea of dying and rebirth in the sweat lodge. The only think I could think of is that you get so fucking hot you WISH you were dead. And those Grandfathers did their job. It was unfuckingbelievably hot in there. I was purposefully placed on the side because it was less hot there but I wanted to stick my mouth down against the dirt in the crack between the ground and the canvas but I couldn’t quite manage it because my naked butt would have been in someone’s face.
Oh, Lordy, I guess it is death time…the screaming and moaning starts and it’s just too tight in there to have your own private space to die in We’re all going together in Jonestown fashion. Let the dying begin. No, I tell myself, I’m okay…I can last. It’s just sweat, and besides if I sweat enough I won’t pee on myself.
Then, there was the final straw…I could see it coming. At first I thought I was saved. Our leader opened the canvas door and I could feel some cool air…yes, cool air. Thank you, Jesus! But then I noticed that in one ha nd she held a long dipper and was filling it with water. Oh, God, she’s going to pour water on the Grandfathers and the heat is going to poach us in our own sweat!
That was it…I mustered up all my White Girl courage and said, “coming out, NOW”! The bodies immediately parted and I made a run for it before the canvas door came down again. Suddenly I’m outside….YES! It’s dark and cool and there is still a small fire going so I could see….a 10 year old boy staring at me. Oh, Well! We were partners in desertion. We bonded instantly. No one had told me to bring a towel so I grabbed someone elses and dried off my sweat soaked body and looked around for my clothes.
My new friend and I chatted as we dressed. He was sweet. But, as I got into my car and drove out onto the highway headed home I was so glad to be out of there and yet glad to have a tail of survival. I was invited back again but I passed. Thank you Grandfathers.