Temazcal in Tulum
If you came to Tulum to experience the spiritual aspects of the place, then you better find yourself at a Temazcal ceremony, a classic Mayan ritual, at one point.
The experience is typically guided by a spiritual leader or sometimes a Shaman. The beginning and the entire ceremony will vary based on where you do it and who is leading it, but it typically begins with you setting an intention - why you are there, what you are looking to achieve, etc. I’ve heard intentions such as healing from a trauma or past relationships, practicing more gratitude or being present, or letting go of what no longer serves you so that you can fully embrace what is to come.
Once your intention is set, you enter a round stone structure that sort of resembles an igloo. I previously did a Temazcal ceremony at Delek in Tulum and their Temazcal structure was VERY tiny. It was six of us girls and we had zero space to move, our backs and necks were hunched up against the wall behind us and we sat in dirt, which later turned to mud from all of the steam and sweat. Note: You should wear a bathing suit, ideally a dark colored one that won’t be affected by sitting in dirt. While I wouldn’t recommend a Temazcal if you are prone to claustrophobia, it was definitely an authentic and truly spiritual experience. It also helped to be with a group of girls I knew (well, knew for about a week). We were all in it together and although I was definitely outside of my comfort zone, I was surrounded by friendly faces who were all in the middle of a similar journey to me - we had all moved to Tulum solo. Our ceremony ended with us all dipping in the sea at sunset and it really felt magical.
About a year later, I entered a Temazcal again, this time at Amansala. I joined this one on my own with a group of strangers that were together for a retreat. Amansala’s “igloo” was much larger and more comfortable. It can fit 25 people. I’d recommend theirs if you are claustraphobic.
Once inside the Temazcal, your leader will guide you through breathing while someone from outside throws extremely hot stones into the middle of the circle you are all sitting around. It’s dark and essentially becomes a sweat lodge. There are typically 4 or 5 “rounds” that you are guided through and each one gets hotter and hotter as more stones are added in. If you need to, you can crawl outside for air, but the purpose of being there is to push through the discomfort both mentally and physically.
A Temazcal experience is meant to be a judgment-free zone. During the first round you are usually asked to speak your intention for the ceremony outloud for everyone to hear, as this puts it into the universe and into motion. Every place is different with how they structure the rounds. I won’t give away the name, because I think part of the experience is about not being prepared and just going with whatever you feel, but in one round of one Temazcal experience we were all asked to sing a song. It could be any song, but you had to sing it individually when it was your turn. For some reason the only song that was in my head was “Starving,” by Hailee Steinfeld, lol. Others sang Happy Birthday, something they wrote, or even a song in another language. You don’t have to stress about preparing that ahead of time, part of the experience is letting go of fears of what the people around you think and just going with whatever feels right at that time.
If you decide this is something you are going to try, you should plan ahead and prepare. This will include drinking a ton of water that day and also clearing your calendar after the ceremony so you can have a relaxing night and an early night of sleep. Ceremonies are typically performed in the evening so it’s wise to abstain from strenuous exercise and also alcohol afterwards. If you can, it’s even better to plan your Temazcal experience around a full moon or a new moon.
Although the idea can be daunting at first, I highly recommend participating in a Temazcal, especially in Tulum. Go with friends or go by yourself, you will be glad you did.
xx Em