Torn by the winds…
The Inipi, which some call sweat lodge, is not unique to Lakota or even Native American nations. The cultures of nations throughout the world have used sweat lodges of one sort or another for many hundreds of years. Some of these uses are spiritual, some not. They all have elements in common. Like the Chanunpa, it is a ceremony of itself, and precedes other ceremonies as well.
The water that flows through the Inipi, is as the water that flows from the sweat of those stooping close to Mother Earth in the darkness of the lodge. It is as the source of Mother Earth’s life, flowing through her rivers, lakes and oceans like blood through her veins. All become mingled, united their in the darkness of Mother Earth’s womb. It is a spiritual experience that is nearly ineffable.
Always it has brought me closer to Mother Earth than any other experience has done. Like the saplings that form the lodge, I feel part of Mother Earth, as a tree, centered with my roots in the ground. Like the Chanunpa, it is an intense way of praying, but so much more. For each person who crawls into the lodge, close to Mother Earth in the darkness, the experience is different. Each time I have been given a sense of balance, exuberance, and though elated, peace.
This is a weapon of the modern warrior. The faith that comes from the prayer of the Inipi as well as the strength and peace that comes from the experience. As we each go through our lives, we often find ourselves torn by the winds of angst and ire of daily life. It is easy to find ourselves battered down. To me, Inipi has been a way to become lifted up again. To be centered, balanced and calmed. When I find myself caught up by anxiety, in need of balance. I remember how it felt then in the lodge, to be centered. I see the stones and the billowing steam, the life of Mother Earth. I smell the sweet grass once again. Once again, the hot steam fills my lungs and brings a clarity of mind that allows for no other thoughts than Mother Earth, the Creator and the prayers that brought me there. Again, I experience the profound sense of peace. Throughout the year, there are times when we gather for the inipi. When I find myself torn by the winds of daily life, I go back to the inipi.
Peace be with you.
Sister Juliemarie