This Sacred Life

This past weekend I partook in a native american sweat lodge.  A 2 hour drive to the mountain, working on the land to prepare, watching the fire light up and heat up the stones, preparing the sweat lodge with blankets, connecting to people on a level of the heart, sweating, singing, praying, crying.  This is led by someone who lives this way of life.  It is not for money.  It is not for fame.  It just is his way.

In the lodge, it was my turn to speak and pray.  I cried to let go of the past.  I asked for help to embrace change.  I prayed to let go of that which does not serve me.  I want to appreciate the love that is all around me even if it's not romantic love.  I want to learn to be strong, alone.  True love begins with loving myself and then a partner can appear and walk with me.

The part that fascinates me the most, is how afterwards, we sat around, we ate, we laughed, told stories... nobody judged anyone for what was said in the lodge.  Nobody brought it up.  The sweat is sacred.  You are allowed to release and let go.  It was so beautiful.  I will continue to explore what the native american culture offers- it makes sense to me.  Pray to the ground we walk on, the trees, the sky, the animals- everything around us and everything within us.  The light and the darkness.  Embrace and love it all.