I’ve done a few temazcal — traditional Mexican sweat cleansing ceremonies — in different locations in Mexico, but the one I attended in Isla Mujeres was by far the best. I was invited to take part in a special ceremony to enjoy a temazcal with Ixchel, a Mayan goddess. Ixchel is in a prime location on top of the headland in Isla Mujeres’ statue park in Punta Sur, at the southernmost tip of the island.
The lush, verdant landscape is contrasted by the blue of the Caribbean , making for a perfect location to meet a goddess. When you travel through southern Mexico and the Yucatán, you will encounter the beautiful Mayan culture all around you. Vibrant street murals depict Mayan warriors, gods, and goddesses.
Smiling locals wear t-shirts adorned with Mayan deities. They are proud of their heritage. The islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are tied to Ixchel.
As the Mayan goddess of fertility, healing, childbirth, and medicine, she’s a part of everyday life. On Cozumel, I had a life-changing experience. I connected with the goddess in a temazcal.
We were the only foreigners. My friend and I joined Mexican and Mayan women at Pueblo del Maiz. It was a special temazcal honoring the goddess Ixchel.
Not to be confused with mezcal, the delicious drink, a temazcal is a sweat lodge. A small stone structure where people place hot rocks in a pit in the middle. Herbed water is then splashed onto the rocks to produce steam.
It feels like aromatherapy in a sauna. Mesoamerican people ha.