YES, SWEATING IS CLEANSING!

Although North Americans conceive sweating as disgraceful and dirty, human beings have always felt the need to cleanse. Through the ages, countless rituals have been developed everywhere in the world to promote sweating as a means to clean oneself. Those practices take into account cultural and religious factors, as well as available natural resources. And the need remains strong  today. Just think of the millions of dollars spent on soap every year. But there are other ways to do it, whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spirituality.

This summer, I had the privilege of attending two cleansing retreats. The first was with Amma, a saint and spiritual leader from India who came to a Toronto hotel. Her service to the world is to clean us of the dust of our lives through meditation, chanting, celebration and her wonderful hugs. The second was a shamanic retreat seated in traditional North American style, complete with fasting, sweat lodge and vision quest. (See http://bhuvaneswaridevi.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-was-sha-retreat-testimonials-and.html for details)

The sweat lodge

I especially like the sweat lodge because the results are so obvious. It cleans the skin beautifully. It smells great because of the cedar branches spread on the ground and of the sacred herbs burnt on red-hot stones, challenging our lungs to their full extent. The sound of the splash of water on the rock and the vapour it creates is powerfully evocative and moves the water in our own cells, out the skin with the toxins. The lodge also provides a very grounding spiritual connection to nature, to our body rhythms and to the community of people who share its space.

Sweat lodges have been used seasonally for health reason, but also to help with life transitions as they brings clarity and significant insights that help us move forward. Young men have used them before getting married, women to purify before conceiving a baby, communities to ask for healing, hunters to ask for the collaboration of animal spirits, or simply to prepare for a new season. It is the transformative power of fire that is the key here, burning the old, welcoming new growth inside out, as represented by the fire outside used to heat the stones, and the fire within.

Sweat lodges of the world
Author Arthur Colmant lists some types of sweats people have created around the world: Finnish saunas, Russian banyas, Jewish shvitz, Islamic hamams, Irish and Mayan sweat houses, Korean jim jil bangs, Japanese mushi buros, Greek sweat baths, Roman therms, Mexican temescals and African sweat huts. They are truly power houses.

Of course, we can also simply enjoy the more simple approach of the dry and steam saunas found in spas in all cities and towns close to home. It is a quick way to cleanse the system from its waste and to relax. Added to other practices such as herbal detox regimens, specialized massages with warming oils, and pancha karma treatments at the change of season, you are guaranteed happy, clean cells that contribute to keeping illness and premature aging at bay.

It's natural

Of course regular exercise, the most accessible method of all, goes without saying. And then, there are the infamous hot flashes so many women experience at menopause. Although uncomfortable, they help the body eliminate the toxins our stressful, sedentary life-style have created… as long as we do not cover them up with more unbalancing behaviours and treatments.

With the fall now knocking at our door, open the door to sweating and complementary cleansing practices. Your body, mind and soul will keep you ticking better and longer.

Humanitarian Elizabeth Kubler-Ross said: “People are like stained glass windows -- the true beauty can be seen only when there is light from within. The darker the night, the brighter the windows.”  I would add “clean” stained glass windows. So clean the skin, the body, the emotions and the mind to let your beauty shine through.