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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, and this kind of sweating tends to be pretty specific to doing something with energy and 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 working with an energy healer, meditating, or doing some kind of non-physical spiritual work and you are perspiring, you’re probably experiencing a cleansing spiritual sweat.
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.
Releasing an Issue
My simplest response is that the spiritual sweat is a kind of energy release. Sometimes, the internal intensity builds so hot–literally–that the body starts sweating. 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.
Releasing Issues Intentionally
As the issue breaks down, the intensity and sweating should subside.
What About Stress Responses?
It’s a good point to ask about how stress responses play a role in spiritual sweating. As with most things, the answer isn’t one or the other. It’s often a little of both. For many people when they are feeling something new or are opening to a new level of clarity that feels scary at first, I’m sure that some of the sweating is a stress response. But I have certainly experienced completely non-stressful things (like meditating alone) and have had sweat pour off my body. I’ve also had long-term students who are very comfortable with releasing issues who experience this phenomenon. They’ll be sitting 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 fear issues, the less likely, in my opinion, you’re having a stress response when the waterfalls start.
Relaxing Into a Puddle
As always, I like to encourage you to be okay with being a hot mess. Sometimes, you’ll be a literal hot mess sitting with an energy healer or while meditating, and that is fine. Keep breathing and relaxing. So long as this kind of 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.
11 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.