InTheTemazcal

As I write, the wind blows fiercely through the trees outside the home of my guests. I recall the Oso Mario telling us, in the temazcal, that in the wind whispered the "ancianos," or the "ancient ones." Sometimes, the wind, especially on days when I need something to motivate me, reminds me of the importance of mindfulness. I try to think of it as calling to me to tell me, "Listen, Shunka Wakan." I try to imagine it as the voice of the ancianos. Often, on these windy days, I recall the vision quest. Having had recently separated myself from my family ... my wife, at the time and my daughters, Aliric and Sunny ... for an answer to my situation with my daughters. It was one of those wordless questions, which, put into words, would perhaps translate to, "What should I do to be closer to my daughters?" or "What can I do about this situation with my daughters?" The morning had been still, or so I thought, and, at that moment, a gust o

In short, I don't know how often one should participate in temazcal ceremonies. I go about once a week when I'm in a city where I know the temazcaleros . But, how often should I go? How often should you go? I don't know. My First Thought on Temazcal Ceremony Frequency If I think about it ... which I did today ... it depends. I was talking about it with my sister, Margarita, today. Margarita's a fellow temazcalero from moons ago. I met her in the Temazcal de los Osos of Durango, Dgo., Mexico , where I, myself, joined the  temazcalero family. Although I have thought about the question before, when we asked each other the question, neither of us knew the answer. She said that she would ask a friend. I decided to think about it. When we spoke, my reflexive response ... not always my best answer, but not bad this time, ... was, "Well, I think that I should go about once every moon phase." I explained, "That's seven days. It's a natural per

For temazcal guide, Cesar Salazar, of the Centro Holistico Casa Mágica (Magic House Holistic Center), in Acapulco, Mexico, the temazcal, or steam bath, comprises one of several components of the center's holistic methods. He commented that the temazcal is part of the Mexican heritage and noted that it has been practiced throughout the Americas. In a previous post, entitled, " Temazcal at Casa Mágica, Acapulco, Mexico ," InTheTemzacal , we talked about the center's mission and philosophy. Aside from serving as a source of income, Salazar described it as ... ...  the beginning of a spirituality ... to bring ourselves closer to our creator. That is our goal, more than anything ... showing people the way. He went on to describe his philosophy of the temazcal : In the  temazcal  we have the philosophy that we die to be reborn. This they do in all of [the  temazcales ] ... die to rise again. What does this consist of?  We mean dying not physically, but consc

The Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon Her should be as a prayer. Black Elk in The Sacred Pipe (1971) I have seen the use of affirmations and affirmative prayer among the temazcaleros . "Affirmations," wrote Dr. Kathryn J. Lively (2014),  Associate Professor of Sociology at Dartmouth College and  co-author of Selves, Symbols, and Social Reality , " are simply statements that are designed to create self-change in the individual using them."  Both inside and outside the  temazcal  affirmations can help us, as  caminantes  (those who walk the path, or Red Road) focus attention in our lives and promote behaviors we value. Oso (Bear) Mario, my brother in the  temazcal  of the  Circulo de los Osos  (Circle of the Bears), in Durango, Mexico, suggested to me the use of affirmative prayer and practicing gratefulness when we talked about coping during a period of anguish. Although I frequently look to l

One of the things that really kept me returning to the temazcal,  was the acceptance of diversity inside the circle. Our visitors included people from all walks of life, different races, different religions, and others without religion. A ceremony tied to Native American roots, the temazcaleros accepted me, a non-native, open-heartedly. Likewise, they have shown respect my beliefs and disbeliefs. A few years after coming back to the U.S., from Mexico, I heard something that reminded me of that attitude among the temazcaleros. I heard the song, " All is Welcome Here ," ... a recorded version by Deva Premal and Miten, I believe. German-borne, Deva Premal , a meditative spiritual new-age musician, who drew from Buddhist and Sanskrit mantras, sang it with Miten (Andy Desmond), a Brittish folk singer. It goes like this: All is Welcome Here Broken hearts and broken wings... bring it all; bring everything. Bring the song you fear to sing. All is welcome here. Eve

Our ancestors observed vernal, or spring, equinox when the sun's path across the sky fell midway between its lowest winter path and its highest summer path. It marks the Northern Hemisphere's first day of spring and the Southern Hemisphere's first day of autumn. Each year, by this time, we observe, in the Northern Hemisphere, earlier sunrises and later sunsets. In the lower latitudes, of the Northern Hemisphere, we already see plants sprouting and trees leafing out, as the spring's longer, warmer days wake the plants from their winter rest. Our brothers and sisters to the south of the equator, begin to see the days shorten and feel the cool autumn air. In both hemispheres, one sees the migration of our winged relatives, away from the equator, in the north, and towards it in the south. Wildflowers begin to pop their heads above the snow or leaf litter, celebrating the beginning of their growth seasons. Major Equinox Celebrations Vernal equinox customs and c

The caminantes at Centro Holistico Casa Mágica ( Magic House Holistic Center ), in Acapulco, Mexico, have taken the temazcal a step beyond the ancient Mayan steam bath ceremony, integrating it into a modern holistic health center. The center provides temazcales, through its Circulo de Mujeres   Mariposa (Circle of Butterfly Women), and also offers yoga, massages, meditation, reiki, vegetarian food workshops, transpersonal therapy, hypnosis, tai chi, drawing, zumba, painting, acupuncture, and other services.  Cesar Salazar talking about the copalero, or copal burner, at Cása Magica. Photo Source: © Jeffrey R. Bacon, 2017 Hidden away, next to a bustling bus station, just a block from the Playa Hornitos beach, on Acapulco Bay, and just a few hundred feet from the  Parque Papagayo Acapulco , m y duality, Berenice " Gatuño"  Martinez , and I visited   Casa Magica last week. There, Cesar Salazar , Gilberto Chavez , Miriam Lucero , and a youngster named   Alex g