Taino Woods Sanctuary iNIPI Lodge Protocol **Covid- 19 Safety and Sensitivity: Taino Woods is aware of and following the CDC’s guidelines and recommendations. The health and well-being of all of our participants depends on each person’s responsibility and good judgment of his/her own health. We all must take care of ourselves. In the days and weeks approaching any of our sweat lodge ceremonies, please be diligent and conscientious with your own health and any possible exposures. Within fourteen days of a sweat lodge ceremony, please ensure that you have not traveled outside of the country, and make sure that you do not experience any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, cough, and/or fatigue. If you fall ill, do not feel comfortable attending the ceremony you have registered for, or if you have any questions in regards to our COVID-19 protocols, please contact us at: tainowoodsny@gmail.com. The safety of our elders, children, our community, and one another is in our hands. Our History: For hundreds of years, the sweat lodge has been our way, the way of the indigenous, to purify, prepare for, and celebrate in ceremony and in life. It is the first medicine. The sweat lodge is a sacred space to heal and express ourselves with our ancestors and community. It is extremely powerful and held with great reverence. Purification, Temazcal, or Sweat lodge have been used to cure a variety of physical, mental and emotional ailments. The lodge represents the womb of the Earth; it is inside the divine feminine that we are able to be purified and reborn. The lodge entrance is aligned to the sacred Grandfather Fire, the divine masculine, in which the rocks (our Abuelos and Abuelas) are prepared and glow in the heart of the fire. We call the rocks our ancestors of the Earth; and they share their wisdom with us as we honor their presence. Herbal medicines are then placed on the stones to help purify through heat, and the healing power of prayer, music, and deep earthing enhances the spiritual cleansing. When water, the primal and transformative medicine of the Earth, is brought inside the lodge and poured onto the rocks, it creates vapor, The Breath of Life. A Day on the Land: To honor the tradition of our ancestors, the sweat lodge is to be built, maintained, and taken down by the community. We ask that you arrive at Taino Woods at least one hour before the lighting of the fire to ensure enough time for us to come together, pray, and bring the firewood and the blankets to the lodge. This gathering of the firewood and blankets and praying is the start of the sweat lodge ceremony. Once we have properly gathered the ceremonial materials, the lighting of the fire will commence; and we will move through the wonderful ceremony of the sweat lodge. After we have completed the sweat lodge, we will, as a community, gather the blankets and all of our ceremonial artifacts, and return to the top of the land. This cleaning of the lodge allows for us to come together once again, take care of one another and the land, and pray as a community. After the ceremony, we will participate in a potluck meal. In the tradition of the sweat lodge, it is important that we sit together and share a meal. We ask that each participant brings a dish to contribute to this community feast. IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW: Our sweat lodge ceremonies can last for several hours as we encourage participants to experience the sweat lodge in its fullest effect as it requires great work and responsibility to host such an important gathering. Please allow for this preparation and tidying before and after the sweat lodge; and do not book any important meetings or events following the sweat. It is very important to move slowly and with great reverence through the rest of your day as the medicine continues to be absorbed into your heart, mind, and spirit. What to Expect: Pre-Ceremony Protocol: We highly recommend that participants are not under the influence of any substances that alter and/or stimulate the mind. No alcohol, caffeine, or other drugs (prescribed or unprescribed). If you are on any type of medication or if you have any medical conditions, please inform us prior to entering the lodge. If we are to be responsible for you, we should know what’s inside of you. We recommend eating a small, light breakfast beforehand and staying hydrated even the days after. Do NOT have any oils or lotions on the skin before the lodge. You are encouraged to spray natural bug sprays and oils afterwards, for ticks or mosquitoes which are seasonal. Timing inside: The sweat lodge consists of four rounds, also known as the four doors. At the end of each round, the lodge door is open for a short period of time to allow for more stones to come in and for anyone to exit if they wish, but to also give the participants a moment of reprieve. 1st Door: Welcoming Prayer 2nd Door: Prayer for Yourself 3rd Door: Prayer for Others 4th Door: Prayer for Gratitude The sweat lodge can last between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Special occasion sweat lodge ceremonies will have a different time frame. Each door is about 15 to 20 minutes long. Please account for an hour before the ceremony to prepare the ceremonial materials and at least an hour after to clean up the lodge and share in the community potluck. A traditional and honorable sweat lodge consists of its participants contributing to the building, maintaining, and cleaning of the lodge as well as the sitting and sharing of food and water after the ceremony. The entire ceremony can take up to 6 hours. Clothing: Women should wear a lightweight and modest dress or skirt. Her shoulders, cleavage, and knees should be covered. The clothing cannot be see-through. Women are not to wear pants or shorts. Men should wear shorts; and have the option to wear a lightweight shirt or be shirtless in the lodge. No shoes or sandals will be worn inside the lodge. Please do not wear metal jewelry or glasses inside the lodge. We also recommend that you do not wear contacts. You may bring a small towel to sit on inside the lodge as you will be sitting directly on the ground; or you can use the towel to cover your face if the lodge becomes too uncomfortable. Communicating: Once the ceremony has begun, we are in prayer. We encourage all participants to remain silent and to go within. If you wish to speak, please ask the water pourer for permission to speak. Cursing, talking amongst each other, and touching one another are prohibited in the lodge. The sweat lodge is a sacred space to commune in prayer. The fire keeper or water pourer may ask for those who have a prayer or song to share, and you may volunteer yourself as long as it comes from the heart. This prayer or song does not have to be spiritual in nature. If you have a personal instrument, like a rattle or a drum, you may bring your instrument. Once inside the lodge, the fire keeper will choose whether or not you may play your instrument during the ceremony. Breathing: There are two ways to breathe in the lodge: 1. In through your nose and out through your mouth (This is the most effective breathing technique, but it may feel uncomfortable to do so at first.) 2. In through your mouth and out through your mouth If the heat becomes too uncomfortable, you may lower yourself to the ground (Mother Earth) to keep cool. Always return to your breath as your breath regulates your parasympathetic nervous system. Please let the fire keeper and/or the water keeper know if you experience any physical discomfort like shortness of breath, light-headedness, dizziness; and you will be able to step out of the sweat lodge. Your health and wellbeing are our highest priority. Traditional Offerings: A Lot goes in to this ceremony such as time, energy, and even our own finances (i.e. travel, wood, gas, propane, and sacreds) In the name of healing and to honor the tradition of our ancestors, we humbly suggest the following donations in exchange for the service of the sweat lodge: $50, more or less will be accepted and appreciated, and one of the bulleted items below Lodge blankets (moving blankets always in need) Cedar, Tobacco (American Spirits), Sage, Sweet grass, Copal, Lavender, Rosemary Amenities: After the ceremony, we encourage you to go into the beautiful and magical River to rehydrate and replenish. This will reboot your immune system even further. In addition to the River, we have a hot shower that uses the natural River water. Please be mindful of the amount of water you use as this is a communal shower. For our Winter Sweats, we encourage you to be out in the snow. This will give you the same effect as entering the River in summer. (Winter sweats are our personal favorite.) There are five bathrooms on the land, each with their own individual instructions. No paper in the urinal bucket. An outdoor kitchen with a sink, small stovetop, and basic utensils is available for all campers and attendees to use. The kitchen is a communal space, so participants must clean up after themselves. Address: We are located across the street from 305 Big Woods Rd, Harris NY. Please do not knock on the door; they are our neighbors. Diagonal from this address is our parking area. If you continue to drive past there is a second driveway on the right. A gravel parking lot. This address is a reference point to the Taino Woods. Please park at the top of the open lot and walk down into the woods. Follow the path until you arrive at the communal outdoor kitchen.