The sweat lodge ceremony is used for purification, healing, seeking guidance, prayer, and giving thanks.  The sweat lodge ceremony is conducted in a dome-shaped structure made from willow branches and covered with blankets or canvas.  A firekeeper transfers heated rocks from a firepit into the sweat lodge.  The ceremony is often led by a spiritual leader.

According to lakotaway.org, the ceremony itself is divided into four parts representing  different spiritual challenges. The sweat lodge is a special place that  engenders introspection and communion with the Earth, as well as a  renewal of social and cultural bonds.