Would a Temazcal ceremony offered by a luxury hotel be meaningful?

It’s easy to understand why the Viceroy Riviera Maya has been among the top hotels in Mexico for the past decade, with 41 private villas nestled between dense jungle and a beautiful beach – each villa has its own pool, outdoor shower and soap bar. At Viceroy, the listening staff is able to meet the needs of the traveler. Even the desire for spiritual health.

In addition to fine dining and high-quality spa treatments, The hotel offers many festivals and ceremonies in the Mayan culture, the most interesting of which is the Temazcal ceremony of the Viceroy. The sweat lodge ceremony takes place in a dome-shaped house that represents the womb and dates back thousands of years to the Mesoamerican people who lived in Mesoamerica, who participated after the war and games even during childbirth. The Temazcal is run by the hotel’s spiritual advisor, Julio Cesar Morales. Online reviews and media articles boast that Viceroy has an “inner Shaman.”

The whole process – rich people paying high prices to do real spiritual things with local people in a luxury hotel – seemed like it would be fun. White Lotus B photo. I was there to participate, but I was worried about the consequences of changing the customs of the indigenous people. A type of fastball Eat, Pray, Love for those who are empty and short on time.

On the other hand…who was I to tell people how to live? By working with tourists, they are both sharing cultural experiences while providing life-changing experiences. Shouldn’t they be paid enough for that job? Contemplating whether or not to do it, I floated the idea to my friends. Latinx playwright Christine Quintana, who recently wrote a play about stranded tourists in Mexico, offered a brilliant idea. All I had to do was deal with what happened in a respectful and open manner. That’s the tip of the stick really, really, really good.

When you arrive, Morales’ charm is felt throughout the place. Visitors are treated to smoke made from copal, a fragrant tree resin that is designed to ward off depression and open visitors to a world of peace. Employees are free to contact advisors for advice and suggestions. For guests who want to go deeper, Morales offers personalized advice followed by special treatments, including healing herbal baths and couples massages meant to balance the chakras.

Luxury comes with adventure. During our stay, the Viceroy filled the event with an array of cuisines that showcased the best that the hotel had to offer, with a Temazcal ceremony planned for the final day of the tour. We drank the best tequila in the country, hundreds of bottles of Clase Azul, paired with fresh ceviche. We dined off the menu, offering dishes like white rice with scallops and pulled pork tacos. Afterwards we were given the options of kayaking, snorkeling or a private cenote tour.

While the experience was great, I struggled to relate to how Temazcal – because of my experience – matched my experience. At lunch with Tulio Baruch, the silver-haired George Clooney-esque marketing director who oversees our stay, I thanked him for his hospitality and complimented him on the high-end culture of the place.

I then asked if the Shaman experience was just another tourist box next to ATV tours and indoor yoga. The guide patiently explained that Morales is not a Shaman. His role is more specific than that. He is Máak Bacab, which translates as “Guardian of the Stars.”

Morales comes from a long line of healers and puts a lot of research into Temazcal, massage techniques and cosmetology. The demands of his work help to keep the hotel calm, and make the guests happy. It is built in space, part of the whole experience. Baruch insisted that the place would not be the same without a spiritual mentor. I nodded and thought better. A waiter came and gave him a drink. A small local mezcal with freshly squeezed lime juice.

The next morning when the sun rose, we met the workers playing sacbé games, walking with drums and songs meant to open the mind of gratitude and prosperity. It was not on our tour or advertised on the website. Since there were no tourists awake to watch the journey, I realized that walking was not a good idea.

In preparation for the Temazcal event, I started doing research, looking at online reviews and repeating my own experiences, before researching the academic literature on the subject. Students enter a small building with a low ceiling. Hot stones and a mixture of plants – herbs, basil, rosemary and eucalyptus are often used – are placed in the center and cold water is poured over the stones to create steam.

From there, the participants are guided through the intense heat with a series of songs and songs. This process takes about 90 minutes and is supposed to indicate spiritual rebirth. Although scientists point to the medical benefits of circular steam rooms and blood pressure, the purpose of Temazcal is more complex than the body. I was in it to think for myself.

The day of the ceremony I was full of nerves. After days of junk food and fizzy drinks, was I really game for a spiritual awakening? In all of my work related to how this work is done, there is no foolproof way to do this event. There is steam heat and wherever the process takes you. When I was about to jump, I started to wonder if I was willing to go inside my brain and wander. I decided to pay, go back to my room and look for great answers in the great tequila and not the old spiritual tradition.

Perhaps when he saw that he was hesitating, Baruki offered to be with me and my partner at the event. Sprinkled with rosemary, we entered the cabin. The wind picked up, and I could barely see through the cloud of steam. There was a strong aroma of tea as my heart rate doubled. Someone outside began to sing loudly, the shutters of the cabin were closed, leaving us in darkness, and the Temazcal began.

Describing this tradition is like describing a Dali painting. The Máak Bacab began to beat the drums loudly and called the parents. My nostrils flared, nostrils flaring trying to breathe because of the heat, reaching above 40 C.

In the darkness of the cabin, I began to see colors. My mind went through a Rolodex of memories, images and thoughts. How my father looked when he was young. An embarrassing moment in middle school. Love to my friends. The pain of love was lost. Hospital. On the bed. Forest. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, the rocks were covered with more and we went deeper into the humidity and into ourselves. I took a deep breath and gasped as my lungs burned. Baruch laughed quietly and reminded us that this is what people have done for thousands of years.

That night when I sat at the restaurant by the lake, I didn’t talk to anyone. For a while, I looked at the forest and the water. Then I fell asleep without dreaming at all.

Later, while waiting for a delayed flight at the Cancun airport, surrounded by screaming children and exotic sunglasses, I thought about Temazcal. Being invited to participate in Mexican culture, even through the guise of a luxury hotel, felt incredibly meaningful.

The knowledge I have gained about this culture shows a very different and real picture than the way Mexican tourists are fed. As part of my work, I have had the opportunity to visit many hotels in different countries, and in the end luxury hotels can start to look like they are painting on the same beautiful canvas.

The Temazcal felt like something completely different, a place of high quality definitely outside anything that I have ever met before, and a little taste of the practice was made a long time ago the idea of ​​luxury hotels even exist.

The author was a guest of the Viceroy Riviera Maya, who did not read or approve the article.