Death and Rebirth: Transform Through A Temazcal Ceremony

by Kimberly Trefilek (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Mexico

Among the pristine beaches, historic Mayan ruins and blog-worthy restaurants in Tulum Mexico, you will find Temazcal sweat lodges where you can undergo a total transformation. I came across this spiritual ceremony at Yaan Healing Sanctuary, which just happened to be held on the same night of a new moon. Being a health and fitness professional, I always jump at the opportunity to participate in anything that involves healing, so I eagerly signed up ready for whatever healing my mind, body, and soul needed. The Temazcal is mainly used for fertility, however, we were told that in this ceremony we were going to work with the new moon energy to heal any area that needs it, balance our chakras and bring us back to our truth. That we will go through 4 steam sessions in honor of each element; earth, wind, fire and air. Through this process we were going to metaphorically die and be reborn. Each session consists of different types of rituals that are meant to cleanse all ailments, impurities, and illnesses healing us on a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. Before entering, our Mayan healer took turns blessing us while we were engulfed in the smoke of copal, a tree resin incense used in ceremonies. In order to enter, I kneeled in front of the Temazcal, bowing my forehead to the ground and repeated the words Oma Taot. We all lined up side by side sitting against the wall of the small dome facing a big fire pit in the center. Volcanic rock heated by fire called abuelitas were put into the fire pit while we performed a Mayan chant that we learned. Once all the rocks were in place, she shut the door leaving all of us in total darkness. She then doused the hot volcanic rock with water causing an overwhelming amount of steam to hit my face. As people were taking turns setting their intentions, I reacted in a way that I had never expected. I started to panic, I mean really panic. I looked at the door and thought to myself "I can just crawl out. I don't have to go through with this. I can't do this". I was having a panic attack, which surprised me because I'm not claustrophobic and have done many healing methods such as flotation tanks, cacao ceremonies and new moon ceremonies. I had no idea how I was going to get through 2 hours of this, but I refused to give in to my fear. I took a couple of deep breaths, closed my eyes and asked for help from my higher self to calm down and release this feeling so that I can enjoy the full experience. The cleansing steam must have been working its magic because within minutes, I was feeling calm and peaceful despite sweating buckets. Once I regained composure, I realized that my bad habit of being emotionally reactive had resurfaced reflecting through my panic attack. I thought I had worked past it through consistent meditation, but this dark hot sweat lodge brought me face to face with it once again. The spiritual steam from the volcanic rocks was swirling around me unearthing any underlying issues. Luckily, as quickly as they surfaced, they were released. The rituals performed during each session consisted of different types of prayer, chanting, breathwork, movement & positions. At one point we even scrubbed our faces with a natural exfoliant to cleanse ourselves of any masks ensuring we reveal our true nature. Then our Mayan healer had us kneel and bow our heads while she went around slapping our backs with healing herbs to heal any ailments. By the 4th session, I was in such a deep meditative state and fully immersed in the moment. I went from trying to escape to flowing with ease through every ritual. I left there feeling lighter, clearer and completely renewed. The days following the ceremony, I felt healthier and noticed more positive changes in my mind, body, and soul, such as was craving healthier foods, having more clarity, less back pain & being more mindful. I challenge everyone to step out of their comfort zone and into a healing and transformative Temazcal ceremony.