Temazcal - sweat lodge “traditional Aztec cleansing ceremony” ritual
“It took us an hour and a half from Ajijic, down dirt roads to finally get to our destination. As it turned out, of the twenty some women there, only 3 of us were non-Mexican and I was the only one who didn’t have much Spanish. I also discovered what a privilege it had been to be invited. I was honored. Lucky for me, Barbara Lotito (another friend and excellent Spanish teacher I might add) was kind enough to sit me beside her and translate everything as it happened. I would be understating it by say what an incredible experience it was.
As an aside, I should point out that unlike some of the traditional tesmazcals where you enter naked, we were instructed to wear dresses or skirts (cotton, natural fibers). We could not wear shorts or pants. As women, we were to dress the part.
The point of the temazcal is to sweat out illness and to redistribute energy.
The ceremony took place in a circle enclosure. Before we could enter, Amanda the leader of this event, had a turn round and round while she cleansed us with burning sage. Then came the blessing of the four corners.
Meanwhile in a big fire they piled on huge mounds of different size rocks until they were extremely hot. This took a couple of hours. Only then we could enter the temazcal, blessing the earth on the way in.
The temazcal they used for this occasion was is a large dome type structure made of rocks or beams and covered by a heavy material. (There are a number of variations of this structure, some temporary as this one was and some permanent).
Inside in the middle there was a hole in the ground where the hot rocks are placed. A circle of women surrounded the hot rocks and another circle sat immediately behind the inner circle. Amanda directed four different sessions of fifteen minutes, lasting in total about an hour. You cannot leave during a session, only at the end. I did not think I could last the first fifteen minutes. The last fifteen minutes were unbelievably hot (hell came immediately to mind) as more and more hot rocks are added with each session and more and more water slashed to increase the intensity of the heat.
Each of the sessions had a different purpose, most aimed at women. After the last session we immerged from the structure, showered in cold water (all in the same room in open showers - that was a stretch) and then met in the central hall to share the food that we had all brought. I have never felt so close to the earth; it was a such an incredible cleansing, spiritual and fulfilling feeling.
It was almost 3:00 a.m. before we got back home. I was elated. I couldn’t sleep. It was an experience that will stay with me for life and one I will treasure always. Before moving to Mexico I would never have believed that this practice was still followed nor that I would ever be so fortunate to be invited. Living in Mexico has opened my eyes to get back to the basics and appreciate life as being the precious commodity it really is.”
Marie Dwyer-Bullock, Focus on Mexico
Footnote: Read the Article "Shaman offers up an ancient tribal cure " published by the Globe and Mail to hear first hand healing practices from this ridual.