“The world we live in is so noisy. It can feel impossible to listen to your own purpose, your prayer. Sweat lodges can allow us to open up, and receive, or to bring in and integrate a profound experience. Every time I get unbalanced I know I need to go to the sweat lodge.”
- Isabel, Sweat Lodge Guide at Cara Creek
Since 2023, we have been honoured to have this ancient practice of the sweat lodge on the land at Cara Creek. This ceremonial ritual has deep historical and cultural roots in the sacred traditions of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, where it has been passed down through generations as a prayer of individual, collective, and ancestral purification… It is said to help in healing 7 generations past and 7 generations future.
Kauil and Isabel, who guide the sweat lodges at Cara Creek, have long experience of the ancient traditions of sweat lodges in both the Mexican and North American lineages. The participants who have experienced their lodges have shared the profound impact it has had on their lives.
Their non-dogmatic approach aims to keep the tradition vibrant, relevant and evolving for the present moment, in the context of this earth, this community, and the times we are living in.
“It was profound. It was intense, visceral: I really confronted myself on a new level that I never had before. It was incredible. And extremely challenging. The sweat lodge was the beginning of a longer journey for me. That humbling experience was the catalyst to make me make some deep changes in my life.”
- Nick, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant from Oct 2023
What is a sweat lodge?
The sweat lodge ceremony holds immense spiritual significance and is considered a powerful tool for healing, purification, and spiritual connection.
The lodge is a dome shaped structure, covered with layers of thick blankets which insulate the lodge and ensure that the heat within is retained. Next to the lodge is a sacred fire, in which stones are heated, purified, and then placed in a central pit within the lodge. During the ceremony, water mixed with medicinal herbs is used to wet the stones and create steam in the tightly enclosed space.
What happens in a sweat lodge?
When the door is closed, you're immersed in complete darkness. After entering, the heated stones are added to the circle 4 separate times, one for each of the four cardinal directions. During each of these "doors" or rounds, songs, stories, and prayers are shared within the circle, creating a powerful space of healing and connection.
The heat within a lodge can be extremely intense. Participants find themselves encountering their own limits; many report visions, messages, or experiencing profound physical and spiritual transformation.
The sweat lodge ceremony holds immense spiritual significance and is considered a powerful tool for healing, purification, and spiritual connection.
“It wasn't easy or fun but so needed and very welcome. It took courage and honesty with myself to get to the root of some of my behaviour patterns and see how they were limiting my life.”
- Mālā, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant
What if I want to lead a sweat lodge?
Sweat lodges are powerful ceremonies and gaining the experience, wisdom, and strength to lead your own lodge is a path that can take years. There’s no quick training or certificate that can take the place of the devotion and apprenticeship needed before an individual is ready to hold this kind of sacred space.
“Nowadays we have this fast spirituality. People think they can grab it and own it. No one owns the traditions. Not even the tradition itself. But they need to be respected. This is strong work. If you’re not with a “good arrow”, if you bring your ego - it can bring problems.”
- Isabel, Sweat Lodge Guide
If you’re serious about developing a connection with this work, the first step is to immerse yourself in the practice. The sweat lodge immersion is an opportunity to understand the ritual of the sweat lodge in four days of intense work.
If sweat lodges are a part of your path, you may feel yourself called, compelled, or deeply curious. The only way to find out if this medicine will become a part of your work is to commit to participating fully in the experience.
If you want to develop a deeper understanding of this path, the Sweat Lodge Immersion is an opportunity to explore this and use it as the deeply healing practice it is.
“I get an impulse when I have to do something that is a deep gut feeling or knowing that I need to follow. I'm the type of person that when I know I have to do something I do it! I wanted to immerse myself deeper into the way of the lodge and learn and understand how they are made and held.
"I was surprised just how powerful it was doing 2-3 lodges a day, sometimes in torrential rain. It seemed that the spirits of the elements were working with us as each day passed - and there were so many rainbows!”
- Mālā, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant
Who holds space for Cara Creek's Sweat Lodges in Portugal?
Kauil, from Mexico, and Isabel Mota, from the Azores, are a couple deeply committed to the sacred tradition of the sweat lodge/inipi, which they have facilitated together for over 9 years. Kauil, a medical doctor with more than 15 years of experience in this sacred practice, carries profound influences from Lakota traditions while also honoring Mexica and Tolteca elements.
His path includes participation in numerous ancient traditional ceremonies, where he has connected deeply with spirit and supported others in their journeys.
“The most powerful part of the experience was Kauil’s clear seeing of our archetypes and how we could move beyond these limiting places inside ourselves.”
- Mālā, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant
Isabel, a doula and trained traditional midwife in Mexico with a background in psychology, complements this work with her nurturing presence and dedication to ancestral practices. She has actively supported and participated in these sacred ceremonies, bringing her profound understanding of life transitions and ceremonial work to their shared path.
Together, they create a transformative and sacred space within the sweat lodge in Portugal, guided by the elements of fire, earth, water, and air.
“As someone who’d never done a sweat lodge before I was blown away by the intensity of the work. Kauil held space incredibly. When you’re exploring yourself and pushing your boundaries, it’s important to someone who’s so grounded. His style was very down to earth and engaging. He’s friendly, playful - he’s solid.”
- Nick, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant from Oct 2023
What should you know about a sweat lodge?
One of the biggest assumptions people often make is simply “sweat lodges aren't for me”. It doesn’t matter what job you do, how much experience you have of spiritual practices, or how old you are, in our experience, sweat lodges are one of the most inclusive and accessible practices.
“I can be quite a cynical person. And it was very eye-opening. It’s changed me. It really opened up my mind. I experienced a deep connection, with earth and with fire, which I’d never felt before. A connection with the elements and something bigger.”
- Nick, 4 day Sweat Lodge Immersion Participant from Oct 2023
You might think you’re too old, too young, or that an aspect of your physical health will prevent you from participating. You may feel it will be too intense, claustrophobic, dark, or hot. But in these doubts and fears, you may be turning a way from the exact thing your soul is yearning for. We encourage you to reach out and contact us - if you’re feeling drawn to this practice in any way, trust in yourself that there's a reason for this curiosity. The barriers may not be as big as you think.
“This work can be hard. It’s not so appealing. People are often wary. They say ‘I’m not ready for a deep understanding of myself. I’m not ready for a deep transformation of my life. But what else is this life for?”
- Isabel, Sweat Lodge Guide
Some people imagine that the heat will be unbearable - and it’s true, the lodge can be challenging. But the medicine of this ritual is all about encountering and moving past the limitations our minds place upon ourselves. Led by experienced guides, honouring the elements and held with reverence and respect, sweat lodges can be a life-changing and deeply healing experience.
Spring Sweat Lodge at Cara Creek
-Three unique gatherings, each integrating the sacred sweat lodge.
Vision Quest | Hanblecheyapi - March 5th - 9th 2025
During a Vision Quest, seekers embark on a four-day sacred journey to seek clarity, purpose, and connection. They are guided by silence, solitude, fasting, and prayer in nature. Before the quest, the sweat lodge serves as a purification process, to strip away the noise of the world, and set their intentions. During the quest, the guides who hold the space and the supporters of the vision quest enter the lodge once or twice per day to focus and direct their prayers towards the participants, supporting their individual journeys. This is not a retreat but rather a sacred journey, undertaken with the understanding that when one person finds their purpose in life, it’s part of the collective healing of the whole.
Sweat Lodge Immersion - March 13th - 16th
The Sweat Lodge immersion is an invitation to deeply experience this practice and its roots. This 4 day workshop is open to all individuals who wish to embark on a path of self-healing and exploration, seeking to find their inner truth and connect with their authentic selves. It’s suitable for both people with previous experience of sweat lodges who would like to deepen their understanding of the practice, and beginners who are ready to embark on a profound transformation, to meet their limits and drop their illusions about their role in the world.
Sacred Cycle of Springs Rebirth - March 20th - 23rd
This 3-day women’s ceremony is not a retreat with a goal of personal growth or development as an individual, but rather a living prayer to mother earth. In this gathering, the sweat lodges will have the role of giving back to the earth herself, as part of our offering, along with the songs, chanting, stories and prayers we will make together.