This is What to Expect Before Attending our Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremony (Temazcal)
Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremony
(Temazcal)
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​A Native American Sweat Lodge, also known as a Temazcal, originating from the Nahuatl word for "house of heat" or "sweat lodge," is a dome-shaped structure used for purification ceremonies that involve heating rocks to create steam.
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Sweat Lodges are traditional sacred spaces for spiritual healing, cleansing the body, mind, and spirit, and connecting with Nature.
This Ancestral practice was brought to the United States by the Mesoamerican cultures many centuries ago.
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The ceremonies, led by the Ceremonial Leader, Medicine Man or Shaman, include preparation, prayer, chanting, drumming, and purification.
Participants sit in the darkened lodge, and water is poured over the heated stones. Natural healing herbs enhance the steam's cleansing effect.
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This holistic practice detoxifies the body, purifies the mind and spirit, and restores balance.
The combination of physical heat and spiritual rituals provides profound relaxation and mental clarity.
We form a balanced relationship with our Earth, our Self, and the Community of Life around us.​​​
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Spirit of the Wind's Sweat Lodges (Temazcales) are led by our Ceremonial Leader, Walking Eagle (Jack Thom, Sr.), from the Karuk Tribe of Siskiyou County, California.
We are located in Weed, close to Mount Shasta, a prominent Northern California landmark, and the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range, considered a Sacred Ground by the Native Americans for hundreds of years.
Our Sweat Lodge:
We offer monthly Public Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies (Temazcales)
in Weed, California, that are open for the community, and everybody is welcome to participate.
These ceremonies are on a donation basis, and you can view the detailed information on how to donate below on this page.
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Next Public Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremony (Temazcal):
Saturday, December 6, 1 PM
Location: Weed, CA, 96094.
(Please contact us via email or text message, confirming your presence, for the detailed location and how to get there.)
The Ceremony typically lasts 60 minutes, and there are four rounds of heated rocks brought into the lodge.
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To help everyone acclimate and get ready, set the intention for the Ceremony, offer tobacco to the Sacred Fire, read the Disclaimer, and sign the Sign-Up Sheets for insurance and liability purposes, we recommend that participants arrive one hour before the beginning of the Ceremony.
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*EVERY PARTICIPANT IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THE DISCLAIMER/SIGN-UP SHEETS BEFORE ENTERING THE LODGE.*
Please refrain from wearing any perfume or cologne.
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What should you bring?
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Bring a towel and wear comfortable clothes.
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Make sure you don't have any metallic details on your clothes due to the heat inside the lodge.
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Before entering the sweat lodge, you must remove your shoes, glasses, and metal objects (i.e., necklaces, bracelets, rings).
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Out of respect for natural law, we always make a tobacco offering to the Fire before taking anything for our needs.
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We always leave our ceremonial areas clean!
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We ask that you refrain from any activities that disturb or damage the natural habitat.
Dress Codes:
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MEN:
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Men should wear shorts.
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WOMEN:
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The dress code for women is covered shoulders and preferably a long skirt. (A good old t-shirt and maxi skirt work great.)
Women on their “Moon Time”:
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Women on their “Moon Time” (having their monthly period) will not be permitted to attend the lodge, as this is a sacred time when the body is already naturally purifying.
A designated space is available for prayer and song during the sweat lodge.
Water and Hydration:
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Please bring a water bottle to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water before and after the ceremony.
Water is not permitted inside the lodge.
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We also encourage the participants to be well-hydrated on the days preceding the ceremony.
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Drugs or Alcohol:
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Individuals who have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, within 24 hours preceding the Ceremony, are not allowed to enter the Ceremonial area of the Sweat Lodge and will be asked to leave.
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We will not tolerate any drug use before or at our ceremony, and that includes recreational drugs (i.e., marijuana), psychotropic drugs (i.e., cocaine), or psychedelic drugs (like ayahuasca, for example).
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Pictures:
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Pictures are not allowed during the ceremony, especially after the lit fire.
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Pictures are not allowed inside the sweat lodge!
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Group Pictures are allowed and welcome before or after the ceremony.​
Donations:
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Cash donations are appreciated and needed to cover our ceremony-related expenses, which are:
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• firewood burned to heat the rocks used at the ceremony (we pay for the firewood at every ceremony),
• tobacco offered to the fire by every participant at the ceremony,
• sage and other sacred herbs,
• fuel for the chainsaws,
• fuel for Walking Eagle and Gentle Spring's commute (they have to travel to get to the location),
• monthly insurance payments,
to mention a few.
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There’s no minimum amount required, although the suggested donation per person is $50.00 (fifty dollars).
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You can donate in person, at the Ceremony,
or virtually, via our PayPal Tip Jar (Spirit of the Wind is a confirmed Charity on PayPal) or Venmo.
To donate on PayPal:
Spirit of the Wind Inc
Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
Or scan the QR Code below:
To donate on Venmo:
​@SpiritOfTheWindInc
Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
Or scan the QR Code below:
*DISCLAIMER*
Spirit of the Wind Sweat Lodge Release Form and Guest List:
A "Sweat Lodge Release Form" is a document that individuals must sign before participating in a Sweat Lodge Ceremony.
It serves as a waiver in which participants acknowledge the potential risks involved in the ceremony, such as high heat, confined space, and possible physical discomfort, while releasing the organizers from any liability for injuries that may occur during the experience.
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Participants are required to disclose any pre-existing health conditions that could be affected by the sweat lodge.
These include, but are not limited to, diabetes, seizures, heart disease, high or low blood pressure, pregnancy, and the use of certain medications.
The ceremony typically lasts 60 minutes.
To help everyone acclimate, we recommend that participants arrive at least one hour earlier.
Fernanda will have the Release Forms for participants to sign at each sweat lodge ceremony.
PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN THE FORM EVERY TIME THEY ATTEND THE SWEAT LODGE.
This requirement applies even to participants who attend the sweat lodge monthly, as a person’s health condition can change within that time.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
Phone/WhatsApp: +1 (310) 895-8149
Thank you! Aho! 🪶
DANIEL PRUETT
(Cloud Eagle) Wintun Nomlaki
PRESIDENT/CEO, SPIRIT OF THE WIND
January 1, 2025.