In the North American Indian tradition, the lodge is built using willow bark that is placed in the ground in a circular shape and then covered with blankets. The heat inside is generated by hot basalt stones that are placed in the centre and doused with water and medicinal herbs. “The spirits of all of our ancestors are believed to dwell in the stones,” explains Roland Torikian , a Maya healer who runs sweat lodge ceremonies in Kent. “Roused by the heat of the fire, they proceed out of the stone when water is sprinkled on them. Emerging and mingling with the steam they enter the body… driving out everything that inflicts pain. Before the ancestor spirits return to the stone, they impart some of their nature to the body. That is why one feels so well after having been in a temescal .”