Post 14

My own religious experiences with rituals vary. I have been a part of a "sweat" on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota on two occasions. Both experiences were amazing. However, I cannot say that I felt religiously affected by them. I think I was more interested in being a part of a completely different culture.

The experience was very peculiar to me. Traditionally you are supposed to fast all day, and any female who is mentruating cannot enter the sweat lodge. By only drinking water you are ridding yourself of impurities. The elders sit around a fire all day preparing these certain stones that have odd characteristics for rock and withhold heat amazingly well. Just before dusk everyone meets around the fire and passes the peace pipe while an old man hits a drum and mutters prayers. After the peace pipe activities conclude everyone enters a small dome-like shelter with a stone pit in the center that is covered with animal skins so that heat cannot escape. It is only about 4 or 5 feet at it's maximum height. Everyone sits "Indian style", no pun intended, and waits for the master of ceremonies to bring in the first 7 rocks. He then pours water on them, sings, says a prayer, everyone else is invited to sing, and opens the door for a few moments. He puts 7 more rocks on and continues in the same fashion for 3 more rounds. The idea is that as you sweat your sins are released and raised up to the gods. When you exit you have been cleansed. Now, I don't know any more details about it then that. I feel like some of the older traditions have been lost or changed over the years. All I can say is that everyone should experience it once. It was like a suana times 100!