The temazcal is a dome, similar to an Eskimo igloo, built of stone and adobe, to take steam baths for therapeutic and spiritual purposes. It is a pre-Hispanic ritual, which consists of a steam bath of herbs used in the traditional medicine of #MexicoPrehispanico.
How is the ritual performed?
Prior to the ceremony, the volcanic rocks are heated red hot in a bonfire outside the structure, then placed in a central well, and sprinkled with water infused with aromatic herbs, to maintain a moist and warm atmosphere inside the small facility that is in total darkness, which emulates a mother’s womb. During the process, a temazcalero or shaman chants and guides the participants to purify their bodies and souls.
What was our experience in the temazcal like?
Significantly, a few days after the spring solstice last year, at the eco-hotel Spa Natural Love, near Guadalajara, we spent an evening contemplating the sunset and the starry sky. The next morning, for the ceremony of the four doors, we entered the Temazcal, settling around the well. To the sound of chanting, the rumbling of the tamborcillo, and under the guidance of the chaman, we gradually internalized and then the emotions came to the surface. It was liberating to remember events from our childhood that marked us and limited our personal growth. This ancestral practice is a unique experience of relaxation and introspection, which makes you feel renewed and happy.
