Temazcal is a Mexican sweat bath used for therapeutic purposes to heal the body, mind, and spirit with the help of herbs and a trained healer. The bath is prepared according to the healer’s instructions with specific herbs and levels of heat and humidity that the healer feels are appropriate for the person’s condition. The tezmacal is believed to be highly effective in treating a variety of medical conditions.
A temazcal is a Mexican sweat bath that originated in ancient times in the Mesoamerica area, a region that includes Belize, Mexico, and Gautemala. The Aztecs favored this type of sweat bath, and the term temazcal is a Nahuati word where temaz means bath and calli means house. The word effectively translates to bath house and is also known as a temascal or temascal. It is mainly used for therapeutic purposes to heal the body, mind and spirit with the help of herbs and a trained healer. A person bathes by entering a closed circular dome that is prepared by the healer, who oversees and administers the bath.
An authentic temazcal is built from volcanic rocks and factors from ancient cosmological ideas, both in its physical structure and in its use. Entering the dome is similar to returning to the mother’s womb; The interior is dark, humid and warm, and the entrance is designed to be narrow and small. The fire pit inside the structure is oriented towards the rising sun in the east because the sun represents the fertilizing male element. The person enters the structure through a south-facing doorway, which represents the journey each soul makes from birth to death. The Aztecs believed that there were several levels in the sky, and this is represented by the temperature differences that exist at various levels of the structure.
For those who go to this sweat bath, leaving the temazcal is like being reborn from the darkness and comfort of the womb. Steam is generated in the dome by using volcanic stones heated to a high temperature on which water is sprayed. The heat can be increased by adding more stones to those already present in the pit. A temazcal differs from ordinary sweat baths used for relaxation or general health and well-being: its primary purpose is therapeutic, and it is designed to have various healing properties. The healer, also known as a temazcalera, examines the person and reaches a diagnosis of their condition.
The bath is prepared according to the healer’s instructions with specific herbs and levels of heat and humidity that the healer feels are appropriate for the person’s condition. The healer plays an active role in the bathing process by raising or lowering the heat level by changing the ventilation or fanning the person with a fan made of healing herbs. They can skillfully manipulate the array of herbs to direct currents of heat to certain areas of the body that require them. Some healers may tap the fan on any part of the body to improve blood circulation in that area if necessary. A person coming out of the bath is made to lie down for a certain period of time, wrapped in a sheet, until completely rested.
The patient usually falls asleep during this period and is allowed to leave only after the sweat on the body has completely dried. The tezmacal is believed to be highly effective in treating a variety of medical conditions due to the healer’s ability to adjust both humidity and heat to treat the patient efficiently. Second, the herbs and vapors obtained from herbal teas are specific to the patient and the condition being treated. This bath is used to treat everything from relieving sinusitis to helping pregnant women to curing chronic conditions like arthritis. The amount of time a person spends in a temazcal depends on the general health of the patient, the disease or condition being treated, and the heat levels.
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