I spent my Saturday night sweating.

That’s right. You did, in fact, read that correctly.

Moi, full of sweat. Dripping with sweat.

Can it sound or get any sexier? I think not.

What was I thinking? Spending an entire night … sweating. That’s what you’ve got to be wondering.

Correct?

Well. A number of reasons.

First being curiosity. That’s what originally brought me to the sweat lodge two weeks ago. And see, I couldn’t help but to come back for Round deuce.

Anything that is meant to be a cleansing and purifying ritual interests me … especially those traditions from our past, our history. I think it’s important to preserve those traditions, to know where we have come from. To keep those aspects alive … in some way.

I’ve got to say — I went into this whole sweating business with total and complete naivete. Which is how I like it. I don’t want to know too much going into something where I know I’m going to be in extreme heat in darkness. Honestly, it sounds horrible and did sound horrible to me.

Yet, there was such intrigue and I’ll give anything a try once if I believe it might help me grow as a person and expand some sort of greater awareness.

Plus, I figured, if there’s anybody in our country who royally got f-d over, it was the Indians. I’m not bothering with being PC — they were originally called Indians, therefore, they stay as such to me. The least I could do was try out one of their most important ways of being and connecting.

The sweat lodge kind of reminded me of a Zen meditation … on steroids.

That first sweat, I went through the most difficult twenty minutes ever. In my life. Seriously, I’m not just being dramatic here.

Imagine sitting in total darkness. It’s hotter than hell. A relatively small space. There’s songs, there’s drums. And while the sounds are piercing and beautiful, it is disorienting. You feel like there’s nowhere to go. Which isn’t true — you’re free to leave at any point.

But, come on now, who wants to be the a-hole who disrupts the songs from the spirits? Yeah. NOT me. That’s for sure.

So. You sit. You be with it … whatever this “it” happens to be.

For me, it was my panic. My fears. Especially irrational ones. To have to work through and let go of the mental chatter, the stuff that was holding me back, was a scary thing.

The act of surrendering to that, turned out to be one of the most liberating and awakening experiences I’ve had. Which is why I couldn’t not go back for more … what else was there that needed to get out?

A sweat lodge, from a purpose perspective, hits on a number of different things … cleansing our bodies of toxins, healing ourselves mentally and physically, and connecting with the greater powers that be — whatever those may be from and for person to person.

If you think about it, the sweat lodge isn’t some new thing …

“The sweat lodge ceremony, older than recorded history, is practiced in some form by every culture in the world. Our ancient ancestors established the thermal bath in order to facilitate healing, purification and relaxation in their lives.”

A sweat lodge utilizes all the powers of the universe: earth, fire, air and water, with the actual lodge symbolizing the womb of Mother Earth.

There are Rounds. Yeah, like boxing. And traditions that go with each round — ones that don’t involve knocking the shit out of each other. It is challenging and rejuvenating, all at the same time.

You sweat. And sweat and sweat and sweat. A different kind of sweat, unlike anything that has come before from being hot. A deep sweat, that pours out and off of you.

It smells. Of cedar and herbs. At times this seems overpowering, but I came to quickly appreciate the strong aromas. These things seem strange and foreign, and they are. For a first timer.

Honestly, I struggle to find the right words to describe it all … to sum up the experience when it’s such an individual thing. You have no idea what anyone else may be going through or taking away from it. It’s simply something you need to do and go through for yourself.

Afterwards, I found myself in a haze. I wasn’t any one thing … I just simply was … a calm state of beingness.

What You Be. I’m hooked.