Sweat Lodge

Inipi: the sweat lodge
inipi (Pronunciation, all i's in Lakota are pronounced as Long e's)

The Inipi or Sweat Lodge is an ancient ceremony of the Lakota people, and has been passed down through generations as sacred knowledge.

The Inipi ceremony is a purification ritual that prepares for divine intervention and God's blessings. It's a spiritual experience that reconnects participants with their oneness with the universe and nature.

Native American Indians believe that the Inipi lodge stands for the universe. They build it with a frame of willow poles, which they cover with blankets. The lodge houses a fireplace in the centre, which stands for the centre of the Universe. Rocks, heated in a fire outside are brought in with sticks and placed in it. Sage is scattered all over the floor A path leads out of the door to an altar where the Sacred Pipe is kept.

The lodge is heated with fiery volcanic stones, smouldering in the pit. Participants, dressed in loose clothing or swimming trunks, gather around the fire in concentric circles, legs crossed. When water is poured over the stones, it bursts into steam engulfing the Inipi and plunging it in total steaming darkness. The fragrance of cedar and sage permeates the blazing air.

Songs and drums accompany all Inipi rituals. While the people are singing, the leader of the lodge holds a pinch of tobacco and calls forth the universal force (the Four Directions, the Universe above and the Earth below) to enter and manifest itself in the lodge.

The sweat lodge ceremony lasts up to four or five hours with four rounds in the actual lodge, lasting a total of two hours. In the first round you pray for yourself, the second is for prayers for others, the third one is the healing round, and last is the round of gratitude.

Inipi is an intense challenge; the lodge is crammed and sweltering. Participants are confined in the space. It's above all a communal and spiritual ritual where all limitations are dropped and one surrenders to the womb of the earth. We definitely wouldn't recommend it to those who suffer from claustrophobia.

On your first Inipi experience it's advisable sit towards the back and let others sit in the inner ring. Even at a distance, the extreme heat emanating from the stones can be overwhelming!

Ensure you bring in towels, a change of clothes, gifts of tobacco or sage for the lodge leader and fire tender, a potluck dish and a donation for the service.
http://www.pureinsideout.com/inipi-sweat-lodge.html

Sweat Lodge Etiquette
by Carmeen
We welcome you to the opportunity to participate and pray in the traditional ways of the Lakota people. The "Inipi" ceremony is a very sacred ceremony and we ask that you observe some basic etiquette when participating. The Inipi is the way we pray to Grandfather. The lodge represents Mother Earth and when we crawl out at the end of the ceremony it is like a rebirth. We leave all our problems in there with the Grandfather Stone

No women should come to the lodge when they are on their "Sacred Monthly Time". That is a ceremony in itself and according to the elders we cannot be in two ceremonies at the same time.

If you have not attended a traditional Lakota lodge please be open to learn and ask questions. Do not assume you know. We want to always be respectful.

* When women come to the lodge they should not wear slacks or jeans. They should come in a skirt or dress that is at least below the knees. When in the lodge women should wear a dress or skirt and shirt that covers some of the arm and is long. Bring different clothes to wear in the lodge than the ones you arrive in. No sleeveless, tank tops or bathing suits. We must respect ourselves. Bring a towel in the lodge. Wear no makeup or metal jewelry of any kind.
* In the lodge, men wear swim trunks or shorts with no metal on them.
* When you arrive, be sure to shake hands with the people and introduce yourself.
* Be aware that there will be many sacred items sitting on the alter in front of the lodge.
* Do not throw anything in the sacred fire. It is not a bonfire.
* Bring tobacco to put on the alter before you go into the lodge.
* Women usually go into the lodge first. Be sure to listen to the one pouring the lodge for any special instructions.
* The firemen will smudge you with sacred sage or cedar
* First the medicine man will load his "Channunpa" (sacred pipe) with tobacco while a song is sung..
* Allow the Lakota women and elder women to go in first unless you have been instructed otherwise.
* Turn in a clockwise circle at the door, then crawl in and say "Mitakuye Oyasin" or "All my relations" as you enter the opening. We crawl in to humble ourselves and then remind ourselves that we are all related.
* Crawl in a clockwise manner sitting next to the person ahead of you. Be silent. When the first seven stones come in there should be no talking. We must pray to the directions at that time.
* Sometimes there are separate men's and women's lodges.
* After the 7 stones come in the men will begin coming in.
* When all the stones are in the ceremony begins.
* The door will open and close 4 times.
* Sacred songs will be sung when the door is closed.
* Pray when the door is closed while looking at the Grandfather Stone People.
* Do not attempt to leave the lodge while the door is closed.
* Do not pull up the sides while the door is closed.
* Do not pull up the sides unless the one pouring the water gives you permission.
* It is good to drink plenty of water the day of a lodge (especially in Colorado where the elevation is high and it is very dry.)
* Be sure not to over eat before a lodge. You may become nauseous.
* Be sure to ask questions if you are not sure what to do.
* After the 4th round (door) we will go out and get dry clothes on and come back and form a circle and smoke the "Channunpa" and eat the spirit food.
http://www.worldcouncilofelders.org/SweatLodgeEtiquette.html

Spirit Food = Yes, a pot luck or meal after the sweat is standard. The spirit food in my experience is called a spirit dish. Before anyone sits down to eat, some of each dish to be served is placed in a dish and set out for the spirits. Those attending do not eat the food from the spirit dish, cause it's for the spirits for coming and helping, which a lot of Natives do this on a daily basis with every meal as its not like All Hallows Eve where the veil is lifted one day a year, spirits come and go all the time and this is how they basically treat the "guests" that come to visit on a meal by meal basis.

If you ever do plan on attending a sweat and taking a covered dish that you prepare at home, keep in mind while preparing this dish to stay in a happy and benevolent frame of mind.

Note regarding menstruating women: If you're attending an all female sweat, it is technically up to the leader of the sweat whether or not you may attend. DO NOT TOUCH OR PREPARE THE FOOD OR ANY SACRED OBJECTS, i.e. Drums, rattles, fans, etc...Pretty much it is a respect thing for the religious beliefs of this Nation. Basically, here's the scoop with this: A menstruating woman is in her highest time of power. Now if that woman happened to be pis--um--- really upset with her man at that time and didn't pay attention to how she was feeling and happened to touch the food he was going to eat while highly P'O'd at him, she could transfer her bad P'O'd vibes into the food and he could get sick hence "power". The same concept goes for a sacred item except anyone exposed to that sacred item could get sick. I'm sure an elder could explain this way better than I am, but this at least gives you an idea of the gist of it.

I'll be back with this one. There's more to it, prayer ties are made too. If anybody has stuff to add to these, goodness please feel free.

Hey DKW..

I have attended many Native traditions from my Comanche and Apache friends. I have been smoked and buried some good friends and Family... I have always wanted to be a part of the Inipi.
Though I am not Native I am Irish. I have always felt the drums in my spirit and the dances to be very emotionally moving to me...

daleray!!!!Holy wow, how ya doin? I'm not Native either or an extreme little amount, I could never pin my grandmother down on that one. I just, like you, have the memories of another time. Besides, from what I've found of the Pagan Irish stuff, we're not that different. Earth people are earth people no matter the homeland.

I felt entranced by the writing DKW. My mind is always working at different levels. It takes a LOT of focus for me to stay tuned to one thing. While I was reading I was aware of another level working, but focused on the read, as if I was the one there taking part.

Upon reaching the end I allowed the thoughts to come to me.
Traditions - my mind was giving me a disertation on the value of traditions. I value tradition, no matter what it is. Traditions are events that bring people together in another space and time that does not equate to our normal condition, (individuality).

Another thought, that was very strangely brought, in the two subsequent posts, was 'sense of time and place'. I have met so many people who have a very strong sense of some past time and place. So much so that they seem to relate their current being, with that other.

I once thought that reincarnation explained such phenomena, but I have changed that thinking. I have come to believe more, that time and place are not linear events, they are only placed in that perspective for the purpose of our understanding.

Because time and place have no actual boudaries or limitation, we have access to them, though it is random. For that reason, we all have this sense of belonging, or knowledge to another time and place.

I always wonder how people half a world away have disovered a similiar sense of time and place to my. And I, likewise, wonder how distant are those who have perceived my current time and space through my knowledge.

Thanks for the read, I greatly enjoyed it.