Sweat Lodge Sovereignty

The sweat lodge tragedy in Sedona, Arizona has rocked the news this past week. It can have potent meaning for us about how we make important choices in life.

The nightly news prompts us to choose a side. Do we identify with the victims of the tragedy whose plight we can all respond to with horror? The Native American community which seems deeply justified in its indignation over the appropriation of its traditions to the purpose of making money?

Can we see the viewpoint of Yavapai Country Sheriff Steve Waugh who seems to be doing his job in trying to determine what charges should be brought? The community of Sedona that understandably wishes to preserve its reputation as a safe haven for spiritual seekers? And can we empathize, even a little with the focal point of all of the debate James Arther Ray? Like other top, self-help gurus he can readily justify his huge fees by the fact that in our materialistic world the fundamental mantra is You Get What You Pay For. For moneyed folks looking for deeper meaning in their lives, that can easily translate to entry fees in the thousands of dollars. Anything less might simply not have them invested at a level that fosters real results.

Once again, we are spun about by the confusing perspectives presented to us by the images and voices of the external world. In this whirlwind lies perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from this very controversial disaster. As a people, we all-to-often look to others to define our reality for us. Whether it is the teaching of a famous guru, the authority of a stalwart sheriff, the consensus of a community, headlines and sound bytes of media coverage, or the wisdom of indigenous peoples, we seek  answers outside of ourselves––often to our detriment.

What to do? We can learn to listen to our own internal wisdom. Listen to our bodies when they say, I am too hot now and need to leave this sweat lodge. Listen carefully to our minds until we can readily distinguish between fear-based thinking and possibility-based thinking. Listen to our intuition when it asks us to draw healthy boundaries. Tap and utilize our internal creativity. We can learn who we truly are so that when various options are presented, we know how to choose wisely.

Then, we can have compassion for all of those victimized by the disasters of life because we have no need to project our internal frustrations onto others in the form of blame and shame. And we have the power and clarity to use our personal sovereignty like a laser for making wise choices even in a high-end sweat lodge experience where there might be a lot of pressure to conform.