Latvian pirts ritual is about connecting your body and spirit to nature. Nature that brings our bodies in balance. Our ancestors used pirts as a ritual to heal and reenergise from hard working days and to keep the heart healthy and strong. In the winter months we use the cold elements, like snow and water to refresh and harden our bodies for the cold climate.

           Pirts ritual starts with sipping a herbal tea and setting an intention before entering the pirts room. Now imagine that you first need to take off the dirty clothes for you to be able to put on your new and fresh ones. This is the same ideology when we walk in pirts. First, we need to cleanse from the things that don't serve us physically, mentally or spiritually and then we start to nurture,care, manifest and attract what we need.  To do so we use different tools from nature, like salt, honey, natural scrub, herbs, flowers and whisks.

Pirts whisks are normally made fresh, just before the ritual, from three branches. Each tree serves a different purpose and brings different energy. Therefore, we choose the whisks individually to each person's needs. Most important tree on earth is birch tree,  because of its ability to survive in any climate. But also because birch symbolises powerful, emotion energy,  positive and vital strength. Birch has antibacterial and cleansing properties and also can take away all negative energy. The most popular pirts saying while doing the tapping with whisks is ,, Veselība iekšā, slimība ārā'',  which means - health goes in and sickness goes out. 

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           Pirts, like other culture rituals have a common outlook that is to connect to all four elements that guide and help us through the healing journey. In pirts, earth is all the nature that comes inside, like the whisks, herbs, flowers and the wood. Fire element  is the hot stones that heat up the pirts and our skin and body. Water element is there to  set our desires and manifest them.  At last, the air element is the pirts spirit that guides us through the ritual. We call him ,, Gariņš''.  Gariņš can be very harsh on us, but it teaches us, that in the most difficult moments we can find ourselves, finally listen to our bodies and find that calm state and surrender.  

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