I take a deep breath as the puerta to the clay hut in which I sit is closed. Words I do not understand are chanted by a shaman while he douses the hot rocks in front of me with a bouquet of water-soaked eucalyptus, filling the cramped structure with hisses of steam. Soon, every inch of my skin is drenched.
This is a temazcal , and I am about to be reborn. Dating back thousands years, the temazcal is a prehispanic tradition practiced throughout Mesoamerica. The powerful purification ceremony was very commonplace in ancient times and was used for many purposes, from treating illness to preparing for war.
Basically, the ritual involves crawling into a rounded mud hut also known as a temazcal , which symbolizes the womb of Mother Earth. During the ceremony — which can last for hours — the participant will chant, set intentions and not surprisingly, sweat.
A lot. Crawling out of the hut or womb represents returning to the world as a reborn human. Although not as commonly practiced as it once was, the temazcal still exists throughout Mexico and many parts of the Americas, really , though most people today opt to participate in one to experience a release and have a chance to cleanse the body and mind. The high-intensity heat helps the body to purge itself of toxins, while the meditative and intention-setting aspects of the experience help to heal the mind of past traumas and negative energy.
This has become my go-to site for finding unique activities when traveling to new places. Unlike standard tours, these small group experiences are very intimate and allow you to genuinely connect with true local experts. My Experience host, Luis Belmonte, picked me up in Condesa around pm and by the time we arrived at Ectagono , a sustainability-focused farm in southwestern Mexico City, the full moon was high in the sky.
