Inipi, also known as the purification lodge , is one of the oldest ceremonies of the native americans. It is also referred to as sweat lodge, although this reference does not express the true dimension and purpose of this ceremony. The individual will experience an ancient practice that provides the connection with the forces of the four elements.

The lodge is built following a traditional protocol: offering a tabacco to the stones to be used as well as building the sacred fire and setting up the altar. even covering the lodge itself is done with reverence. The stones that have been chosen are placed in the fire pit located a few steps from the entrance aligned to the doorway. When the fire is lit and the stones have been heated, the participants enter the lodge. The leader will ask for the stones to be brought to the entrance and placed into the small hole in the center of the lodge. The door is closed, songs and prayers are offered and this process is repeated four times. At the end of the fourth door, the final prayer is offered ending the ceremony.

For the natives of the north, the Inipi represents the womb of mother Earth and is a place where one seeks to purify the mind, the heart, body and spirit.

Outside of the indigenous lands, people emanate this ceremony utilizing it for retreats or weekend workshops. For the natives people, it is a place of healing and rehabilitation. In many cases, the lodge is used in federal and state institutions, hospitals, alcohol and drug addiction and domestic violence programs and youth centers as part of their treatment plans.

When the proper protocol is followed, then one is able to connect with the 4 sacred elements, earth, waters, air and fire. ]these are the generated and sustaining forces of life, the center of all things. It is at this place where true and profound healings will happen.

Inipi is powerful , an ancestral practice of purification, healing and self empowerment that transcends beyond being a simple sweat lodge