How Do You Use Slate Rock For Sweat Lodges?
The most common types of stone used in a sweat lodge are igneous or volcanic rocks. The best of these is basalt, which holds heat well and radiates it evenly. However, these porous rocks tend to be fragile and when used for a sweat lodge or sauna need frequent replacement. An alternative is slate, which is a sedimentary metamorphic stone. Like igneous rock, it radiates heat evenly, but breaks down less readily. Dig a hole in the ground at the center of your sweat lodge that is large enough to hold your rocks. Leave enough room around the hole for people to sit. A good size for a lodge is 7-to-8 feet in diameter. Pile your stones outside the lodge. You will want enough rock to build a lot of heat in the lodge and to hold that heat for a long time. Your pile should be about the size of a small campfire. Pile lots of dry, seasoned wood on top of the rocks and set the wood on fire. Keep plenty of wood ready to feed the fire, because heating the stones takes several hours. If you run out of
