The Indian American sweatlodge

Temazcal in Tenerife

What is it for?

Based on my own experiences, the temazcal has rejuvenated me. It has kept me healthy for years. I do not suffer from any disease.

On the other hand, it has played an important role in those moments when life brought conflicts.

There are many arguments to attend a temazcal. Here I describe some :

For Prayers : to pray that everything will work out and we will stay strong for a situation. I do that for myself and others when someone can´t attend it and ask for me for a prayer for him or her or someone else.

- The Allowing the steam to help me purify bad feelings and negative emotions and other´s in case.

-Tune in myself to maintain emotional and mental balance.

-To Connect with the nature that surrounds us in this space where we perform the temazcal: trees, sky, clouds, wind, earth... the elements fire, water, air.

- To enter the axis of mother earth and her spiritual medicine wheel, which awakens us to other healthier realities.

and….etc, etc.

The Rite of Purification and the Buffalo Calf woman

The Lakota term for sweat lodge is Inipi which means 'to live again'. Inipi is a purification rite and is necessary in order to help the vision quest seeker enter into a state of humility and to undergo a kind of spiritual rebirth.

The sweat lodge is central to Inipi. Prayers offered there draw on all the powers of the universe — Earth, Water, Fire and Air.  Inipi is done before any major undertaking to purify the body and gain strength and power.

The History of the Inipi is lost in the time. It is told by the elders that the Inipi or sweat lodge was born when the Lakota people, starving, walked away from the tribe looking for Bulls. After 4 days of enduring hard climate conditions in the distance the two men encountered a woman wearing a white buffalo skin standing up in front of them. Scared by her appearance, the men tried to attack but she stopped them by smoking them into a thick fog.

She saw their bad condition and understood what was happening to them. So she explained that their tribes were in such difficulties because they had forgotten to give thanks for the hunting and were not respectful to the bulls who were our brothers living in the earth too. That they had not purified to be in peace with their relatives, bad actions and bad words against them.

And that is how the Temazcal and other rites were trasmitted to the American Indians.

White Buffalo Calf Woman gave 7 rites :

1.  Rite of Purification : This Rite of purification named Temazcal commonly is organized by Calmabu in Tenerife. Read more..

2. Keeping of the Soul : It is a way to pray for the dead people. Read more

3. Hanbleceya- Crying For a Vision : Esther T. Calmabu organizes every year the vision quest in Tenerife. Read more..

4. Wiwanyag Wacipi- Sun Dance. This Dance is being making in a new different version that is easier and shorter. A blood sacrify is not needed during this Sun Dance in Tenerife. Find out more

5. Hunkapi- The Making of Relatives

6. Isnati Awicaliwanpi- A Girl's Coming of Age: This rite is done by Esther T. Calmabu. She is instructing girls and women . Read more….

7. Tapa Wankaye- The Throwing of the Ball.