Yesterday I attended a sweat lodge for the first time. I'm not sure if attended is the proper word. Was humbled by? I was trying to think of how it might connect to PCP, and I'm sure there are some parallels. After all, they're both intense experiences. A lot of work, for sure. And the more energy you put in, the more you get out. Both test your limits, and there are rainy days like yesterday, when even the lodge leader said he'd rather be in bed. He came anyway, he said, because he'd made a commitment, and when he makes lodges a regular practice, his life gets better.
At the bottom of it all, though, a lodge is just a group of people, many of whom didn't know each other before, gathering to sweat together, to share out loud their experiences—their triumphs, trip-ups, desires, and gratitudes—and to come out the other side with a new perspective. A lot like our group of five here with our trusty leader Patrick.
So I just wanted to take a minute to tell my fellow PCPers how grateful I am, especially the ladies who will be the last to reach peak condition before the clock strikes midnight on 2009: Shelly, Denise, Naomi, and Jonti. Y'all are awesome. I love reading your blogs and seeing your progress, and I'm grateful for your thoughtful comments, your inspiration, and your good humor. Thank you for sweating it out with me!
Due to the soul-stealing powers of the camera, I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the lodge. So I'll leave you with a photo of me, post-sweat, enjoying my grilled salmon spinach salad at the Yankee Clipper. The jury is still out on whether visiting a roadside diner after a purification rite is part of ancient tradition. . . .
Ohhhh AWESOME! I have wanted to attend a sweat lodge since I was a kid. Thank You for letting us know you had the opportunity. Wow. I love sweating it out with all of you as well.
ReplyDeleteEmily, your post-sweat meal looks like just what your body needed. I am sure it was part of a, um, new tradition!
Wow, sounds great! You really deserved that post-sweat meal too!
ReplyDeleteI watched a British journalist on TV, travel to the US and visit sweat lodge. This was only a few months ago actually. It looked really hard-core!
But having done the PCP for 61 days already, I reckon your body was able to deal with the whole experience really well.
How long did each sitting/session last? Or do you only go through it once? Was it mentally challenging? Where did you do it?
Jonti—if you ever have the chance, you should definitely try it!
ReplyDeleteNaomi—We were in upstate New York. It took about 5 hours of preparation (mostly to get the fire going in the rain), and we were in the lodge for a little more than an hour. We did four rounds, I think, opening the door after each. It was very personal but more of a physical challenge than mental. After the first round, I stayed close to the ground, where it was cool.
How wild and totally cool! Thanks for sharing such an amazing experience with us!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to keep the sweat lodge image with me as we push through these last few weeks of PCP. Something tells me that it's going to get tough. It will help to remember that we're all sweating it out together!
Having low body fat must have been a huge help in there. Interesting stuff.
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