Chapter 14 - Birna & Iri enlightened!

Well here´s a definite blog moment.... I went to the pool yesterday and sun baked in my bikini in the open air (!!) for nearly two hours and got sunburnt! It was really lovely. It was only 15°C but it felt like 25°C in the sun and with no wind. Then after Birna finished work we went to visit her parents at their Summer House in Þingvellir. We had a nice BBQ outside (although by this time it was quite chilly again and we had the rugs over our shoulders and legs). We also went for a nice stroll down by the water and then played some soccer... We played as if it were the World Cup (it was Birna´s dad and I versus Birna and her nephew Myrkvi). I probably should have taken it a little easier because of my back but I couldn´t let the team down! Birna´s dad and I won round one... while Birna and Myrkvi won round two... so the world cup final will be on soon! However Birna and I were like the walking wounded after... Birna with her sore knee and me with my bad back.

I got the CT scan results back today... I have a protuding disk between L3 and L4 and this is putting pressure on the dural, which is the film that encloses the spine. The Doctor said that my existing back diagnosis / condition, Spondylolysis (which is a crack / fracture on a portion of my spine at L3) may have contributed to the current disk problem as it increases the movement in my lower back area and leaves it more vulnerable to other problems. So as per Doctor´s orders... I have to avoid lifting heavy things... avoid sitting (where possible)... lie down with pillows underneath my knees to take the pressure off my back... and no stretching. But walking is good for it, so I´ll try to do lots of that.

So anyway... something else I´ve been meaning to blog about for a while but didn´t get around to... Birna and I recently took part in a spiritual cleansing and enlightment session called “Svett” (meaning “sweat”). It was supposed to be a spiritual cleansing of the body, mind and soul... and it was... well, how shall I say it... an interesting experience!

The session was facilitated by two older gay men at their home (which looked and smelt more like a hippie commune) and there were about ten of us participating in this experience (or maybe ´ordeal´ is a better word for it).

It began with one of the facilitators going around the group giving each of us a mini psychic reading and highlighting the colour of our aura. Then we all went outside and stood around a big fire which was made to heat up about 30 rocks, each weighing about 5kg... these rocks were being prepared for the sauna bath to be held later. We watched the fire through coloured lensed sunglasses. The facilitators chose a different pair of glasses for each person, with the colour of the lense chosen to reflect the colour of each person´s “aura.”

Following this, we went inside a small room, where we were each feathered and fluffed with some sort of smoking vine... which smelt a lot like marijuana if you asked me! After this we participated in freestyle dance with the aim being to “let go” of all our inhibitions. I´m sure we were all a little stoned by this stage as I found myself and others dancing to some african bongo music with my eyes closed! But I must say... I did enjoy that bit! We danced for about an hour, and after every couple of songs we were given different oils to rub on our hands and wrists – all part of the cleansing process. (At this point, I was wondering when “mumma rose” was going to appear... ´Home & Away´ buffs would know what I´m talking about!)

So anyway, after the dancing... we prepared for the main ceremony. We stripped into our swim suits, went outside and crawled into a small round tent which was about one metre high and about four metres in diameter. The tent was held together with sticks and cloth. Whilst we sat in a circle, the facilitators placed the burning red hot rocks in the middle – and we had to “welcome” each rock as it was placed in the centre by saying “velkomin!”

There were five separate sauna bath sessions (each up to 20 minutes), where the facilitators would completely enclose the tent so that it was pitch black with no ventilation. They then poured water on the hot rocks so that the tent filled with steam. Then we commenced chanting to the Gods... to bless ourselves... bless our loved ones... cleanse our body and minds of negativity... and ask the Gods to fulfill our wishes for health, well-being and many other things!

It was really hard for me to get “in the zone” as everyone was speaking Icelandic, so although Birna was translating a lot of it, I just couldn´t get into it or feel the vibe. And not only that, it got so damn hot inside the tent that I really had to focus hard on breathing so that I wouldn´t pass out or have an anxiety attack. (I definitely would not recommend this for anyone who is claustrophobic!)

So anyway, after our sauna sessions... where we were now cleansed and free from all our negativity... free from all our toxins... blessed with good health and well-being... and apparently feeling on top of the world... the facilitators put on a nice meal. Birna and I however, couldn´t wait to get out of the place as we felt nauseous and in need of a good shower... so we ducked out early and on the way home got big greasy hamburgers with fries! (So much for ridding our body of toxins!)

All in all though, it was an interesting experience. The facilitators have been conducting these sessions for 16 years now. They first heard about “Sweat” in America (of course) and have been conducting these sessions ever since. “Sweat” is apparently quite well-known in the States (of course it is) and there has even been a reference to it on the Will & Grace TV show. I can´t say I would go again as it wasn´t for me, but a lot of the women in the group really enjoyed it and some had actually already done this a few times previously and had come back for more (torture!)