Sweat Lodge Ceremony for New Beginnings

At CIP we draw inspiration from our native Celtic traditions but have our roots in the Lakota tradition of sweat lodges. Our founder is an initiated Lakota Sundancer. We use knowledge from many sources, but the main source is the inner primordial knowledge and wisdom which exists within us all. The Sweat Lodge is very much a spontaneous event, but generally involves storytelling, visualisation, meditation, singing and chanting. The duration of the lodge does vary, but it usually lasts between 3 and 4 hours which is broken up into ‘rounds’ of approximately 20 – 30 minutes. After the sweat lodge, everyone shares food around the fire (baked potatoes, Veg Curry or similar and hot drinks are included). It is important to have this period of relaxation after the lodge.

What you need to bring:

2 towels (one for sitting on in the lodge and one to dry yourself with afterwards)

swimsuit or equivalent (to wear in the lodge)

warm clothing for afterwards

food/drink to share with everyone around the fire after the lodge (no alcohol please)

flowers/white candles/incense for the altar (optional)

drinking water to share after the lodge

We recommend that you have a restful evening prior to the lodge and that you keep the evening after the lodge completely free of engagements.

We also ask that all mobile phones be switched off.

Location

The Sweat Lodge is based at The CIP Outdoor Retreat Centre in Devon. If you decide to come to the Sweat Lodge, please use the directions by looking on Google maps for The CIP Outdoor Retreat Space.

More about sweat lodges

The sweat lodge has a strong connection to creation, the lodge itself representing the womb of mother earth and the rocks representing our ancestors. Within the sweat lodge we feel very protected and nurtured making it easy for us to get in touch with our inner self. We can look very deep within and are shown parts of ourselves that may have been forgotten or parts that may be out of balance. At the same time, we feel a strong connection to our ancestors, to the whole of humanity, to nature and to the elements – a connection, which is always there, but which is all too often forgotten.

This means that as well as a physical cleanse from the heat, steam and medicinal herbs, we also get a mental and spiritual cleanse. We can let go of old patterns of behaviour through achieving a state of mental clarity enabling us to see who we really are and understand our true path in life.

Background

Our sweat lodge started running in 2019, with the rites to pour lodge being handed down to our founder Michael Maisey by his Lakota elder. Michael had been regularly attending sweat lodges since 2014. Michael trained for 5 years with Blackfoot and Lakota elders, and uses sweat lodges, in his work as a medicine carrier. Michael has also spent time with the Shoshone Bannock in Utah, and The Lakota in Indiana. In 2023 upon completion of his Hanblecheya (vision quest) on Fort Hall reservation in Utah, he was invited to attend the Lakota Rites of Passage ceremony called the Sundance. Upon completion of Sundance, he was recognised as a Lakota Sundancer by the Sundance Chief.

These lodges are brought through with reverence and respect for all the elders who carried this medicine forward. In Lakota tradition it’s against the rules to charge for ceremony, and we rely mainly on donations to ensure we can keep this work available to those who need it. All costs for our sweat lodges go towards the upkeep and running of the ceremony (wood and rocks) and no personal profit is gained out of our ceremonies.