If you come to Tulum and want to get into the Mexican spiritual and religious culture, you should not miss the temazcal ceremony. This ancient and local Mexican communitie’s ritual is a steam bath, one of the most popular traditional medicine methods in Mesoamerican cultures.
The word temazcalli comes from the Nahuatl language and means “steam bath house”.
Although today its most common use is for therapeutic purposes, in its origins, the function of the temazcal was religious. In fact, most of the remains of temazcales have been found within ceremonial centers of archaeological sites.
It is a custom in some parts of Central America and Mexico such as Palenque, Chichén Itzá, Piedras Negras and Teotihuacan.
The practice of temazcal, which has certain similarities with Finnish baths, has come to us thanks to the oral tradition of indigenous communities. Its goal is the purification of the mind and body . This is achieved by causing the body to sweat through medicinal vapors. The person responsible for directing the ceremony, known as a “temazcalero”, “curandero” or shaman uses a bouquet of fresh leaves to conduct and direct the steam, while guiding the course of the ritual with songs and meditations.
This ceremony allows us to connect with our center, with nature and our ancestral spirits (the grandmothers or the hot stones that are introduced to the temazcal). An attempt is made to recreate the return to the womb or mother earth.
The ritual has four stages or “doors” that are approximately 20 minutes long. Between each door, you can and should go out to cool off, drink water, and breathe fresh air.
Its practice works as a guide for the path of spiritual self-realization, eliminating toxins and alleviating the negative emotional charge.
It also has the ability to generate positive, physical and spiritual energy in the person who practices it.
The temazcal is one of those places where intimate dialogue with the hidden, sacred parts of life is allowed through symbols.
