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One funny phenomenon of spiritual shifts can be the arising of sweating as an issue comes to light. (As usual, this isn’t medical advice.) There is a kind of sweating that can be specific to doing something with spiritual work. If you’re sweating at other parts of you day, then we’re probably not talking about the same thing.
But if you are meditating or doing some kind of non-physical spiritual work and you are perspiring, you’re probably experiencing a cleansing spiritual sweat. More specifically, you’re feeling some kind of stress that needs to be released.
There’s nothing inherently wrong or bad with this. It’s just that spiritual sweats can be surprising. Some of my students can be amazed at how just sitting in a space of connection while physically doing nothing can leave them partially soaked. This certainly doesn’t happen to all my students, but it happens on occasion.
So what is this spiritual sweating about? Here are some quick thoughts.
Kundalini Awakening and Kundalini Experiences
Releasing an Issue
My simplest response is that the spiritual sweat is a kind of release.
A stress release.
I used to talk a lot more about “energy,” but I invite you to realize this:
Energy is a placeholder word for sensations and emotions we don’t understand.
On the path to realizing spiritual freedom–freedom from suffering, we WANT TO UNDERSTAND.
Sometimes, the internal intensity of old stress and certainly trauma builds so hot–literally–that the body sweats. If you can get a sense of what is arising for you, then you can help release the issue by drawing your focus towards the issue and towards any potential area of the body associated with it.
Surrender to the experience.
Releasing Issues Intentionally
As the issue breaks down, the intensity and sweating should subside.
This should not be a long-term issue.
If you need help learning how surrender and release issues from your body (that’s where all the ego attachments are), I offer one-on-one sessions.
Normalized to Internal Stress
I already mentioned it, but I’ll repeat it.
Yes, this is a stress response.
The surprising part is how normalized a lot of old tensions and wounds are in the body that you didn’t notice how much suffering and pain you lived in.
This always shocks people. We can be so ignorant and numb to the reality of the body we inhabit.
There’s also a fear of the unknown that tends to be involved here that makes the body react.
I certainly experienced completely non-stressful things (like meditating alone) and have had sweat pour off my body. However, when I look at 2008 Jim and what he was experiencing, I’d say that I was in an immense amount of stress. My mind had no way to understand all the inner and outer changes I experienced at that time.
I’ve also had long-term students who experience this phenomenon. They’ll sit peacefully as an issue rises up and their inner thermostat turns on the sweat-machine.
The best way to know what is going on is to pay attention. Learn about yourself and how you work. The more you work through the fear of the releasing process, the less likely you’ll have a stress response when the waterfalls start.
How to Find and Release Physical Pain During a Spiritual Awakening
Relaxing Into a Puddle
As always, I encourage you to be okay with being a hot mess. Sometimes, you’ll be a literal hot mess, and that is fine.
Keep breathing and coming back to awareness.
So long as this experience is limited to spiritual work, you should be able to trust this is just another of the many physical experiences that can arise as you shift and go through spiritual transformation.
Spiritual Awakening Help and Tips Guide
13 Comments
this has been very helpful, I have been using reiki for over 30 years and only since I have began teaching reiki I've been soaked at every session
Thank you! I’ve been meditating with reiki a lot and I’ve noticed that I wake up drenched sweat in the morning. I don’t feel when is happening. Only when I wake up in the morning. Thank you again. It is good to know that is part of my healing process.
Finally someone who could answer this question. Omygoodness i get hot hot sweating top part of my body gets so hot i wanna take of all clothes and jump in water.. Thank Youuuu
You're welcome!
Omg I’ve struggled with this, and always thought that it came from a place of nervousness. I started to noticed that I’m not fearful of this, I more driven because once I have clarity on anything in my life I take action! So as I’m meditating this morning something gave me the thought to search sweating bad spiritually meaning! Knowing how the universe works, while reading this it confirmed sooooo much! Not I can stop feeling bad about it n accept it!! Thanks sooooo much!😍
You're welcome. I am glad this post can help you!
Thanks for this interesting post, Jim! I'm curious whether night sweats can fall under this topic – I was having vicious sticky soak-the-sheets sweats almost every night for YEARS, no doctor could figure it out, etc etc. I've been going through a spiritual awakening for the past year, and they suddenly stopped a month ago when I had a breakthrough with my heart-connection. Wild!
Lots of things are possible. I can't rule anything out. I am glad you had a breakthrough with your heart. Keep going within!
I have been struggling for a week with neck sweats and sweats on the top half of my body. An obese friend I've been working out with has hypothyroidism. I have been meditating actually and dabbling in some Qui Jong/tai chi, interval training and cardio with him. He's been helping me to clear my mind and focus on my outer goals whereas I have been working out with him on a morning and reflecting each day with him. We keep each other in check.
I've been having these sweats for a week now. I just hope it's nothing serious.
I Googled “Spiritual sweating while awake”. Here you are!! 😂 this has been happening since the very first search I made “spiritual teachers” over a year ago on our calendar. I just got through processing a ton of repressed emotions and began sweating so bad. Shaking too. I’m always grateful for being led to you. Google knows! 😉 😂
Just discovered your website – this is all reassuring to read. I have been waking up in the middle of the night absolutely drenched in sweat after dreaming or processing a subconscious fear during sleep. It becomes worse if I panic as I also experience very weird physical sensations falling in and out of sleep. I also get it when I think about spiritual things too when I'm awake but its not as strong as in the night. It just feels like a lot of energy is moving in and out my body which I'm sure is just part of the process.
Hi
Im very spiritual, I always have been.
I am very intuitive shall we say, but I had been married to a narcacist for 16 years and im an empath, it was an extremely abusive marriage. Im 4 months out and im over the fight or flight and ive conquered all anxiety whilst awake and dealt with the trauma. Usually my sleep was my safe place, a place I could control but now I cannot control it and for 3 months straight I wake up screaming and absolutey drenched in sweat! My watch goes off alerting me that my heart rate has jumped from 50 rbm to 120! Ive had every blood test possible, nothing is wrong with me. The physchologist thinks im having panic attacks when im asleep, the thing is I can’t remember what im dreaming about and usually I always have been able to. I know im on a spiritual journey as ive finally listened to God and learnt my lesson. How can I stop this please? Its quite hard in spring where I live having to wash and dry bedding daily.
Thank you
God bless
Thanks for sharing, Gemma.
There’s a lot to unpack here, and there are a lot of things that need to happen to stabilize you. I recommend 30 minutes of meditation before you go to sleep at night to get started. Please feel free to reach out, and we can have a session to discuss more.