The Huaqua of Health

by Kassie Maurer

Health: The West Huaqua

In a world focused on youth, appearance, and quick fixes, what does true Health look like? As apprentices, we are called to cultivate a healthy relationship with our bodies through every stage of life, including aging, disability, and physical challenges. By listening to our body's wisdom, we develop resilience, stability, and trust in the vessel that carries our spirit.

Health is the first of the 15 Faces of Wealth because our bodies make every other form of wealth possible. True health is more than the absence of disease—it is living with vitality, clarity, and balance. When we care for our bodies as sacred gifts, we create a strong foundation for our spirit to express its purpose.

This path also asks us to release the illusion of scarcity and trust the natural cycles of life, death, transformation, and renewal. Healing comes through aligning ourselves with these rhythms rather than resisting them.

In the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path tradition, healing is not about curing someone but creating the space for them to heal themselves. Those seeking healing are not “patients” to be acted upon; they are “apprentices” who have free will in discovering their own balanced way of being, by deepening our relationship with the West Spirit Shield: "I am my own healer."

Health has all of the west energies. But we can also seek balance through the 5 Elemental Aspects of emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and sexual within Health, and we might create personal affirmation statements or contracts for daily prayer.

Emotional Health is: Giving to yourself the time for healing and caring for your body without being too hard on yourself. You feel kindly towards your body through its strengths and limitations.

“I love my body and care for its unique physical expression.”

Mental Health is: Being receptive to the present and the now, the ability to laugh at your mistakes and confront your “sacred cows” searching for truth, and releasing burden making thoughts.

“I co-empower my health with flexibility, clarity, and humor.”

Physical Health is: Being decisively and intimately attentive to your body, knowing just how much food, sleep, exercise, and sex you need. Ride the changes and rhythms of what you think and feel in your body. Know your boundaries: recognize and choose the way you work best. Seek security from within.

“My confidence is served by my self-care: knowing I need water, daily qi-gong and quiet time.

Spiritual Health is: Determining bottom-line principles that guide and expand your spirit. Be engaged in a spiritual practice that nourishes your spirit. Know you are headed towards your vision without being lost in fantasies. Be fascinated with the everyday world and bring that sparkle to your relationships.

“My essence nourishes my path and my expands health.”

Sexual Health is: Seeking high energy soul sexual engagements with self-and/or others. Your sexuality is free from shame, blame, guilt, dogmatism, and jealousy.

“My health is rejuvenated by my soul-fulfilling sexual engagements.”

I once worked with a health coach on our path who said to me that the first step in changing my weight was to be aware that I needed and desired a change and that the first Light Arrow of Awareness was the first step. I was not pretending that my weight might not be a problem in my recovery. Walking at that time was painful and damaging, but I could swim. So my task was to swim every day in one of my local lakes in Michigan in the 3 months before my surgery. I used the Principle of Accommodation and started slow at 3 days a week and built from there as I grew endurance with my determination.

Recently I was reminded to review and reconstruct my self-care in a ceremony exploring the west She Thought of Prowess & Strength and Brotherhood Sisterhood Teachings of Beauty & Blessing in the Women’s Hoop Circle. I gained intimate awareness that the Huaqua of Health is determined by my ever evolving quality of self-care.

Thanks goes to Kelly Clampitt for her guidance towards the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path Teachings of:

Sacred Law Book Volume II, Part 3, The Eighth Ecological Balance Law, Elemental Aspects of the Five Huaquas, pages 390-397

Shamanic Wheels & Keys, (The Green Manual), The Shields in the Luminous Egg Cocoon

Healing the Sweet Medicine SunDance Way, DTMMS.wordpress.com

Community Purification Lodge August 29, 2026

As our lives get busier and busier with many demands on our time, energy and attention, we may find it hard to FOCUS on what it takes to achieve our soul's desires.

What is a "soul's desire"? Why is it important? And how do we navigate the reality of our busy lives to make progress? We are hosting apurification lodgeceremony to examine and pray about exactly this! Wanna join us?Sat, Aug 29 at 10:00am (if this is your first purification lodge with us - 11:00 am if you are not new to this ceremony) outside Linden, MI.

This event is open to everyone and people who have never been in purification lodges are our guests of honor!!🥰

We look forward to being in ceremony with you!

RSVP: Tara Hawk Dives Deeply

39th Eagle Dance Ceremony Weekend

The Eagle Dance is our annual community celebration of life. As we dance to the Tree of Life, we renew our connection to Grandmother Earth and all her children, asking Spirit to guide our lives in the coming year. Our collective prayers contribute to healing the many challenges facing our planet at this time.The ceremony takes place on our ceremonial land outside Grand Rapids, in northwest Michigan. Tent and trailer camping sites are available. The Dance concludes with a catered feast. A complete Information packet, including specific supplies needed by each dancer, will be sent upon receipt of your registration. Eagle Dance is August 7-9, and the week prior is Vision Quest & Ceremony on August 1-7. Contact Debbie at Flowering Tree Lodge for more information and registration.

Shamanism for the Fifth World

Shamanism for the Fifth World Session 3 on Wednesday, September 2 features the Luminous Egg Cocoon. Don’t miss this opportunity to be with Debbie Mast, RN MSN is a Lodge Leader and an A-Roadperson. She is a qualified instructor for all years of Red Lodge and Bravo White Lodge, and a certified Healing Paradigm Trainer. She is the founder of 3 Arrows, and the Women's Hoop, a ceremonial program for women now in its 34th year. Register NOW.