One of our recent The
Traveling Eye shows was on “Spiritual Travel.” I find that when I travel there is always a
space in time to connect. When I am at a
place near the ocean I like to, at the beginning of my stay, spend some time on
the beach and think about all the things I mentally brought with me on the
trip. I then walk into ocean, dunk all the way in and release all the stress
and baggage.
One of my most memorable journeys was at the ROYAL RESORTS
in Cancun, Mexico. They have a sweat
lodge associated with their Spa, but don’t think this is light weight, it
isn’t. It’s the real thing complete with a Shaman who will take you on the
spiritual journey. I committed to the
experience because I was curious.
The Hut looks like an igloo with a hole in the top and one
door to enter. The Shaman explained that
if I felt the need I could leave the hut at any time, however, to try and do it
as to not disturb the spirits/feelings inside the hut.
Before we could
enter, the Shaman asked permission from the North, South, East and West. He then cleansed me with the smoke from
herbs. Now it was time to for us to enter the hut. This was when I became a
little nervous. The hut was small, dark,
hot, and, did I say SMALL? I took a deep
breath and in I went and sat on the floor around a bed of hot coals. He then closed the door. Okay, I’m cool. There was still a hole in the top of the hut
that was letting in light and air that is until he closed up the hole and we
were in darkness. The Shaman’s calming
voice told me to close my eyes and take several very deep breaths. With each
breath I relaxed, my senses heightened, and I was ready for the journey.
The Shaman talked to me about the journey. He asked me
questions and I answered. He asked about my dreams and I told him. Sometimes we
chanted, sometimes we spoke in silence. We sweated, a lot. By the end of our
journey together, I felt as if I tapped into another part of me that I had
forgotten or maybe never knew.
After an hour or so it was time to release and leave the
hut. Again, there was a cleansing but I
felt different. I can’t explain it, nor do I want to. It is personal and yes, I
would do it again.
Sweat Lodge is not for everyone and make sure you do your
research on the person, organization and place that is conducting the ritual. If you decide to step into the dimension, I
hope you have a fulfilling experience.
Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!
Bonnie
Co-host of The Traveling Eye
