To inspire, means internally inspired, which is a connection to your spirit within. It’s a feeling of life force being breathed into you, its absolute Truth on a deep level which creates feelings of joy, bliss, enthusiasm, excitement, immense passion, and feelings of being energized. You know what I mean; you have had many moments of being inspired.
In the case of the October 8, very unfortunate sweat lodge incident in Sedona, Arizona, where three people died and a dozen more were hospitalized, some of the people involved spoke out about being fearful and ashamed, the opposite of being In-spirit.
What can we learn from this? Why is this in consciousness for us to look at? I am compelled to share my thoughts about this story in the hopes that if there is any situation in your life small or large, that you need to take a look at, you can feel empowered to take the necessary action steps in a positive direction for you- one that feels good which is aligned with your heart. And, if you are in a leadership role, this is a great reminder to always be in reverence, humility and sincerity.
In the recent sweat lodge tragedy, important native American traditional ceremonies were violated. The sweat lodge events are derived from very sacred native American traditions. I share with you here a statement from Chief Arvol Looking Horse: “I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being conducted. What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life! When you do ceremony – you can not have money on your mind. We deal with the pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what they paid for; the Spirit Grandfathers will not be there, our way of life is now being exploited! There are seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies. The values of conduct are very strict in any of these ceremonies, because we work with spirit”
We need to have reverence for other culture’s rituals, and not grab a little here and there and add our two cents and then put a hefty fee and big life changing promises in it.
Participants who spoke out about their experience in the sweat lodge, expressed they were ashamed and fearful, not In-Spirit or inspired, just the opposite. According to Beverley Bunn, a participant inside the sweat lodge, said, “People were not physically forced to stay inside but highly encouraged. It was all about mind over matter, you’re stronger than your body.” Looking back, she said, “it’s easy to see how so many people were overcome. No one was well-hydrated, the sweat lodge was poorly ventilated, no safety tips were provided and appropriate medical care wasn’t available.”
According to Shawn Bowen, a counselor for teenagers arrived on site during all of the chaos at the sweat lodge. She helped a woman who had just exited the sweat lodge. This woman told her that she was afraid to get up and leave the sweat lodge. And, then there was a young boy who told Shawn that he was ashamed because he did get up and leave.
Let this be a wakeup call–giving our power away to others- caring more about how they feel about us, than what is going on inside our own bodies. If you are uncomfortable in any situation with a teacher, or anyone in authority, be wary, especially of fear based tactics. If you feel “ashamed” because you cared for yourself, something is wrong with the teachings. I don’t care who the person of authority is – if you feel ashamed, afraid, uncomfortable and fearful, please take action and remove yourself.
The qualities of a good leader exhibits reverence, humility and sincerity. With Healthy teachings -you are inspired and guided through stories, techniques, positive intentions, exercises and information on how TO TRUST YOURSELF, trust your inner voice, trust your sensations and your body, AND ACT ACCORDINGLY TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. You are commended for taking action that honors what you need to do in that moment that is healthy and considered self-care for you. You are inspired and encouraged to be inner guided to follow your own insight. This is how people build trust to follow their own intuition.
This is very important, if we can learn a couple of things from this offal tragedy, it’s to not be afraid of failing or looking bad in another person’s eyes. And, that you are empowered to say, “No” if you are not comfortable in any way- physically, emotionally and spiritually. And, to always be humble and respect other people’s insight and traditions.
My heart felt prayers go out to everyone involved!
Exercise: Sit quiet, close your eyes, relax, invite in unconditional love, your higher wisdom and breathe for a couple of minutes. Ask yourself these questions:
What do you put up with in your life because you want someone to like you? How does this make you feel? Are you doing this out of fear? What would it look like if you felt abundant? What can you do to feel better? And, who are putting on a pedestal?
On Page 58-59 in my book Smile Across Your Heart: The Process of Building Self-Love it lists actions steps on how to begin your day, and see the world in an uplifting way.
If you have any questions, or you are interested in a coaching session, please email me at Lauriem@SmileAcrossYourHeart.com.
I work with clients on a regular basis to help them learn how to define their feelings, process them in a healthy way, and decipher the best way to verbalize. Healthy Communication is an art, and this leads to better personal and business relationships.
With Reverence!
Laurie Martin
www.smileacrossyourheart.com
Author of Smile Across Your Heart: The Process of Building Self-Love
Self-Acceptance & Self-Love Speaker
Yoga Teacher
Certified Life Coach