The 4 doors, a Temazcal Journey

At our last retreat in El Salvador, we were welcomed by MIZATA…one of the coolest retreat centers in Central America I’ve been to. Treehouses, beach treehouses, hammocks, infinity pools, surfing, 2 outdoor shalas…and their own Temazcal. What is that you might ask? Well, we didn’t know either, but I knew we had to add it to the agenda, because this retreat was all about the wanderers heart…coming back to hOMe deep inside yourself. I knew we had to do some prep before our experience 1/2 way through our time together…but let’s first talk about what we were preparing for.

A Temazcal is part of an ancient Mexican healing tradition…a large brick dome that mimics a sweat lodge. Inside this beautifully crafted dome in the middle of the retreat center is a large circle for the mother stone, lava rock, from the volcano just a few hours away. With a cooling pool to usher you out…and the ceremony performed inside is with a local shaman who guides you through a journey by heating the rock and pouring treated water (with herbs) to provide steam.

Let’s just say there was BUCKET of sweat when we left.

So, back to this preparation…in order to be open for what is coming or going…we have to loosen up some energy. So our first night, we threw a temper tantrum…which we do in yoga Nidra sometimes to work out the stuck energy in the body. And is it one of the best ways to get energy moving. We envoked the energy of the goddess Kali…who is both love AND destruction. We use her energy to break through walls and patterns that hold us back. So a few times in our yoga classes leading up to the Temazcal, we danced, punched, yelled. Providing the body and nervous system a chance to realize it was ok to let it go.

When we joined the Shaman on Wednesday afternoon, none of us knew what to expect, but we were curious enough to embrace what was coming. He called on his ancestors through the tradition he learned from the north, south, east, west and then center of Mother Earth. Using herbs to purify the space and body…he came to each of us, said a blessing and doused us in smoke. Once we were ready, we went into the dome and took our places.

He led us through 4 doors, each about 10 minutes in duration.

Door 1- setting the ego mind straight…and coming back to the mantra- I am happy here, mind behave (this will come back in our classes later that week). Intense heat and steam encases the dome and we all start sweating…some of us more than others (hello runs hot all the time!). This door was 1 month of “gestation” in the womb (our dome).

Door 2- healing our own bodies, and inviting our friends/family/pets to join us in spirit to heal with us. We moved through our physical form, organs and subtle energies. Welcoming healing for ourselves and for others. Here the heat gets a little more intense, and the work really starts. So much sweat. So much release. Here in this door, we went through 3 months of “gestation”.

Door 3- healing for a situation/person that we have held onto. He invites us to picture the moment we can remember where the pain begins and then starts drumming. The acoustics in the dome prove to envelope you in this sound and vibration. Creating enough momentum that any crying, screaming or releasing can happen without feeling awkward or out of place. We left with the Mother Earth in the center all our pain. I can honestly say, this was one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had…and what came up for me was something I thought I had released many years ago…but quickly realized I was using it still as a reason to not open up. More on this one day…In this door, we went through 6 months of “gestation”.

Door 4- healing and rebirth. Calling in our intentions/dreams/desires. 5 minutes letting all that settle and then a rebirth out of the dome through the cooling pool to the outside. Here, we embark on 9 months of gestation. I do believe a lot of what happened in that dome will continue to show itself for the next 9 months.

Now, it’s important to call out that between each room, we opened the main door and were able to dip in the cooling pool to keep yourself able to keep going and calming the mind. Some chose to just be and others needed that to be able to keep going…that dome was hot and Mother Earth had a lot more to do with us within each door. Most of the group made it all the way through…a few did need to leave and guess what? There was no judgement from any of us on that. Because we all need different things and at that time they needed to take care of their body and mind.

Experiences like this change us. Retreats change us. Holding energy and space with others, changes us. Being in community with the local people change us. They change us for a version of us that is more compassionate, understanding and open to differences of opinions and ways of living/being. If you’ve ever thought of coming on a retreat, I’d love to welcome you. You never know where we’ll go next, but 2027 has some amazing options coming your way. Stay tuned for save the dates soon…we’ll explore the world, experience local healing traditions and share space and time with other amazing humans.

Come heal with me…one retreat at a time.