Sweat.
Not Sweet, sweat, as in perspiration.
That's what I did! Oh, boyoboy!
I went to Sweat. Which is a kindof Indian tent, heated up like crazy
with stones that have been on a bonfire for two hours (they are about 700-900 degrees Celcius, making the top of the tent over 100 degrees hot)(so don't try sitting up too straight). Then they splashed water on the stones and everything gets filled with very hot steam.
Let me start from the beginning.
There are these two guys who organize this Indian ritual, and you go with a
group of people to experience, uhm, something or other. Depends on what you expect and are open too, I guess. You are greeted at a bonfire, where one of them tells you your color and what your year is going to be like. This would be warm and cozy, normally, but yesterday was really cold, rainy and windy (me wearing classical Icelandic Winter Wardrobe - jeans and cowboy-boots) After that we go in the house, get cleansed (spiritually, you see, with a feather)(not too big on the particulars) and dance in a room for about an hour. After that you slip into a bathing suit (or similar) and go out into this little, low tent, waiting for five cycles of chanting and sweating in extreeeeme heat(more than you have EVER done in your life). For two and a half hours. Unfortunately the spirit of my ancestors did not appear to me, nor did my animal spirit - I guess the spirits of the buffalo and the hummingbird (that we chanted thanks to) did not know their way to Iceland.
After that we went back inside the house for some warm soup and bread, very yummy.
That's quite a brief summary of a very long and intense evening. What was it like? Well, I think focusing on your spirit and having a good sauna is good for everybody. I could have done with a little less, uhm, spirituality... some of it went just a wee bit overboard, which is difficult for someone a bit more, uhm, sceptical, let's say. But it did sum up to a very nice, cleansing evening and I can tell you two things: My skin feels maaaarvelous now, and I woke up feeling completely rested and relaxed for the first time in months.
On another subject:
By my account all the magazines in Iceland, except Grapevine, are owned by the same people now. (And perhaps some periodicals dedicated to specific groups, say Orthodontists' weekly and such, are still owned by other groups.)
THIS IS SCARY. If you have any information that might prove me wrong, please do. I'm almost begging you.
Not Sweet, sweat, as in perspiration.
That's what I did! Oh, boyoboy!
I went to Sweat. Which is a kindof Indian tent, heated up like crazy
with stones that have been on a bonfire for two hours (they are about 700-900 degrees Celcius, making the top of the tent over 100 degrees hot)(so don't try sitting up too straight). Then they splashed water on the stones and everything gets filled with very hot steam.
Let me start from the beginning.
There are these two guys who organize this Indian ritual, and you go with a
group of people to experience, uhm, something or other. Depends on what you expect and are open too, I guess. You are greeted at a bonfire, where one of them tells you your color and what your year is going to be like. This would be warm and cozy, normally, but yesterday was really cold, rainy and windy (me wearing classical Icelandic Winter Wardrobe - jeans and cowboy-boots) After that we go in the house, get cleansed (spiritually, you see, with a feather)(not too big on the particulars) and dance in a room for about an hour. After that you slip into a bathing suit (or similar) and go out into this little, low tent, waiting for five cycles of chanting and sweating in extreeeeme heat(more than you have EVER done in your life). For two and a half hours. Unfortunately the spirit of my ancestors did not appear to me, nor did my animal spirit - I guess the spirits of the buffalo and the hummingbird (that we chanted thanks to) did not know their way to Iceland.
After that we went back inside the house for some warm soup and bread, very yummy.
That's quite a brief summary of a very long and intense evening. What was it like? Well, I think focusing on your spirit and having a good sauna is good for everybody. I could have done with a little less, uhm, spirituality... some of it went just a wee bit overboard, which is difficult for someone a bit more, uhm, sceptical, let's say. But it did sum up to a very nice, cleansing evening and I can tell you two things: My skin feels maaaarvelous now, and I woke up feeling completely rested and relaxed for the first time in months.
On another subject:
By my account all the magazines in Iceland, except Grapevine, are owned by the same people now. (And perhaps some periodicals dedicated to specific groups, say Orthodontists' weekly and such, are still owned by other groups.)
THIS IS SCARY. If you have any information that might prove me wrong, please do. I'm almost begging you.
Bryndis birti | 1/05/2007 04:30:00 e.h.
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