My experience with an ancient Temazcal ceremony.

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My experience with an ancient Temazcal ceremony.

The heat is unbearable, breathing into my hands because the air is too hot, shoulder to shoulder, I’m rocking back and forth listening to the loud chants ringing in my ears while making sure not to pass out.

I had no expectations as we organised to do a Temazcal ceremony in San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca. Hell, I didn’t even know what a Temazcal was. I’d heard that it was like a sauna and we would be doing some sort of ancient ceremony. It sounded like a great chance to experience an ancient tradition that has been going on for hundreds of years.

As we made the 30 minute trek through the forest, we arrived at the small house literally in the middle of nowhere. A few others from Spain, Argentina and Mexico arrived and the 10 of us were nearly ready to start.

After a small introduction we walked down to the concrete brick looking igloo about 3 meters wide and 1.5 meters high with a tiny entrance and a fire along side it cooking the rocks to a glowing red.

I was told to bring some shorts along, but as we were preparing for the start, it was looking like clothes were optional. Half of us were totally naked, men and women, some topless, and me, well I was in my board shorts not really comfortable enough to strip off in front of people I had just met.

We gathered in a tight circle in front of the entrance and our leader Paco began to recite some words that he had said a thousand times before. Then came some loud chants, as we repeated after him, following his lead. Although my Spanish at this stage wasn’t as good as now, I was starting to understand that this wasn’t going to be the relaxing type of sauna I had imagined.

One by one Paco was saying something to us, then people responded, we were asking permission to enter, by what I presume was to the gods. For a reason I’m not sure of, we had to enter backwards.

As we gathered inside on the pine needles around a small pit, it was tight, body to body. I was already starting to feel warm. Paco entered a few times with the rocks he had been cooking outside and placed them inside the pit.

It was pitch black, but you could feel the presence of everybody. Some scented water was poured onto the rocks and things really started to heat up. It was getting hard to breath. Then with a bang inside my chest started the bongos. And the loud chants from our leader. And again, we followed his lead.

Some silence, it was time to give our reason for being here. It was a cleanse. As we passed a small bunch of herbs and flowers around, we had our chance to speak. This was intense. There were a lot of tears. People were opening up about things they had held onto for so long. They were letting go. The feeling was strong. We were as one, together as total strangers.

Every time I got comfortable with the heat, more water was added to the rocks with the flowers. Another wave of suffocating air entering my lungs. My hands over my mouth was the only was to cool down the hot air I was breathing. I was feeling like I was going to black out, and at the same time I had an urge to run out the door. I needed some fresh air. We’d been inside for nearly an hour, which felt like an eternity.

A small cup of cold tea was handed around to sip. I wanted to skull the lot, and more. I was sweating litres.

The bongos started up again. There was more singing and chanting to come. The powerful energy inside the Temazcal is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I had been taken back hundreds of years. I was a believer.

This went on for 1.5 hours, with emotions running wild. From chanting, to hardly being able to take a breath, to chanting again. As it ended we left one by one, asking for permission to leave. I couldn’t get out quick enough. I wanted some fresh air, to breath.

This Temazcal ceremony was one of the hardest 1.5 hours of my life. But once I was out, you couldn’t get the smile off my face. I felt happy, exhausted, free, relaxed, clean, fulfilled and a close bond with strangers I had only just met, and will never meet again.

Everybody was hugging and embracing each other without saying a word. We knew that we had just experienced something together and it felt amazing.

Would I do it again?? Definitely.

If you get a opportunity to do this type of Temazcal, go for it. It doesn’t even come close to anything I have ever done before and something I will never forget. One of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Have you done the full Temazcal ceremony?? Let me know how it was for you.

I’ve also got a full write up on San Jose del Pacifico where the Temazcal was in Oaxaca.

Happy Travels!!

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