Smudging
Smudging is a cleansing and purifying process using smoke from burning herbs,
usually sweet grass, sage, or cedar. People and all sacred objects are smudged so all
can be centered and focused on the healing process. The smoke clears negativity,
purifies the energy field of people and places, and is a prayer to the Creator. In addi-
tion to use in healing ceremonies, smudging is used in the morning or evening as
part of daily devotion. Smudging is a practice known to many religions; examples
include the use of frankincense in Catholic churches and sticks of incense in
Buddhist temples.
Sweatlodge
The sweatlodge is a ceremony to cleanse body, mind, heart, and spirit. It may be
held on its own or in preparation for another ceremony, such as a vision quest.
Typically, the sweatlodge is held in a round structure covered with overlapped pieces
of tarpaulin or blankets with a small door flap. When the flap is down, the place is
nearly dark and almost sealed off from the outer air. Near the lodge is a fire pit,
where rocks are heated and then passed into the lodge. Water from a bucket is
splashed on the stones, creating a dense steam referred to as the Breath of Spirit.
Depending on the illness, a variety of herbs are burned on the sweat rocks. Sacred
songs and prayers go on for several hours. Everyone in the sweatlodge prays hard
for the one needing healing, but it is the responsibility of the one being healed to
pray that healing energies come to her/him and ask the Spirit to give guidance to
the medicine person.
The sweatlodge is also a powerful ceremony for keeping people healthy, and many
view it as the first line of defense in preventing illness. It is a bringing together of the
four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Through sweating and praying, the body is
cleansed of toxins, the mind of negativities, the heart of hatred, and the spirit of
doubt. The sweatlodge is as a sacred a place as a church or temple.
Drumming and Chanting.
Drumming and chanting are powerful ways to bring oneself in balance with self,
others, and the world. Drumming harmonizes people with the heartbeat of Mother
Earth. It is a pulse rather than a tempo. As people dance to the pulse of the drum,
they dance in harmony with the Creator and with one another. Symbolically, the
drum represents all life. The wood was once a tree, and the skin covering the drum
was once life. They are related to life that has gone on, yet they are helping the lives
that are still here. Chanting is a form of prayer through music. Holyway chants are
used to attract good, to cure, and to repair; ghostway chants are used to remove evil;
lifeway chants are used to treat injuries and accidents.
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