A night at the temazcal

Last Saturday I went to my first Temazcal with Kenali and Mario. It was set in the middle of the jungle, close to a cenote. I didn’t really know what to expect from it, but what I can tell you is that I loved it and can’t wait to do it again.

The fact that it was set in isolated wilderness (as opposed to a luxurious Spa in one of those 5 star hotels) made it really special. It was like returning back in time and embracing the path of our forefathers.

For me it was a very impressive evening, surrounded by friends, by good spirits and by beautiful nature. It was a night to remember.

A Temazcal is basically a Mexican Sweat Bath which is, in many aspects, very similar to the Lakota People (one of the seven related Sioux Tribes) rituals.

Vestiges in the Mayan world have been found in Palenque (Chiapas) and in Piedras Negras (Guatemala). However “temazcal” it’s actually not a Mayan word at all, it’s Nahuatl (the ancient language of the Aztecs).

A temazcal is a round hut, built with 16 vertical poles (representing the 16 sacred spirits of the Lakota People) and covered with leaves or even the skin of animals. The 4 bands of branches that cover the bath represent the 4 worlds: mineral, vegetal, animal and human (and by correlation the physical, mental, spiritual and sacred worlds).

In the center of the Temazcal there is a hole, representing Earth’s belly button, where you place the hot stones (volcanic usually). And where in ancient times an image of Temazcalteci, the goddess of the sweat bath would be placed. This was a Nahuatl culture goddess, regarded by them as the Mother of the Gods, or also referred to as “our grandmother” or Mother Earth. It was the principal of all Nahualt deities. The cult of this goddess extended all through Mesoamerica, and parallel cults can be found among Mayans, Zapotecans and even Mixtecans.

The Temazcal wasn’t only a religious ceremony. Cosmology played a broad role, not only on the way the bath was constructed, but also on the way it was used. There are 4 distinct steps on the rite (also called “doors” as at the end of each, the temazcal’s door is opened to allow for more hot stones to be placed at the middle of the bath). These are: earth, wind, fire and water.

A Temazcal should in fact be oriented taking into account these four elements. The fire which heats the stones has to be placed towards the east (the sun raises from the east), as the Temazcal it’s in fact the representation of Mother Earth's womb (and Father Sun is the light that fertilizes Mother Earth's womb). The temazcal’s door has to face south (or right of Sun’s path) which is the way of the dead, that begins at birth and ends at death.

All starts with the Man of Fire, heating up the stones on the sacred fire, over four logs placed east to west and south to north. The women usually enter before the men, but before that, they are all purified by Copal's smoke (represented on my first image, at the top). After the purification, mud can be applied to the skin, to help the sweating (as in my second picture, at the bottom). Before entering the temazcal a little bit of tobacco or other herbs are burned on the fire and offered to the four cardinal points.

When you enter the Temazcal, you are returning to your mother’s womb. As such, the entrance is small, low and dark, and the interior is warm and humid. Temazcaltoci, or Mother Earth, should be placed in the middle, as she’s our beloved mother, worried about our wellbeing and health. She will receive us inside her womb to cure us (spiritually and physically).

Upon entering the temazcal, each person must ask permission to enter (for himself and for all his relatives), as you can never enter the temazcal alone. Why? that's easy! Because you always carry within your heart all those people that are, or have been, an important part of your life.

Inside the darkness, the prayers, the songs, the music of the drums or the perpetual reverberation of the metal “cuencos” will assist you in your journey to heal yourself. Our ritual lasted well over 3 hours, but it didn’t seem long at all. It was like time stayed still, like if we were out of time and in another dimension.

Finally exiting the temazcal represents to be born again, and abandon the darkness, while leaving our worries and illnesses behind.

We ended up by jumping into a gorgeous cenote. I couldn't possibly imagine a better ending...

You may be asking yourself if it did work for me. Did I leave all my sorrows behind me? The answer is positive. Yes I did feel much better after the ritual.