A “Sweat Lodge” is the name that we call both: the physical structure where the sweating takes place, and when referring to the ceremony of the sweat lodge. 

 

A “Temazcal” is another name for the same thing, although it’s specific to cultures of South and Central America. Since I was trained within a tradition (or lineage) that sweats inside a Temazcal I often refer to this word when describing a sweat lodge.

 

The Sweat Lodge ceremony is a sacred place – a time of healing and purification. The lodge takes place routinely within a community setting, and could also coincide with special events like a marriage or coming of age celebration. We also perform the sweat lodge to purify before going into a larger ceremony like a Vision Quest for example – that would start and end with a sweat lodge. The most common Sweat Lodge ceremony is one that is made publicly available to the community and that is for the purpose of receiving physical/mental/spiritual purification. Attendees are urged to bring their intention to the lodge which could be as simple as: to find connection, to be in a place to pray, to be able to let go of something.

 

My journey with the Temazcal started in 2013 when I was given the blessing to conduct the ceremony by the chief of the Sacred Fire of Itzachilatlan. What a blessing indeed and a great responsibility to constantly open the womb of Mother Earth for the sake of our healing and development. 

 

In my own words as best as I can describe what it is for anyone who has not yet experienced the lodge – it’s the ceremony of our rebirth, of honouring the old as we let go of it, of acknowledging the new as we learn to receive it. 

 

We sweat four rounds, four times hot stones are brought into the lodge. Water is poured onto the stones as we steam clean in the heat. Songs are sung to raise up our prayers for the earth, for humanity, for ourselves and for all our relations.