Yesterday I did a #temazcal ceremony at @botanicatulum .
Part sweat lodge / part sacred ritual, our bodies were saged before entering the igloo-like structure in a clock-wise fashion. Crammed in tight, we sat shoulder-to-shoulder, knees-to-chest. Our backs to the wall with another row of people in front of us.
As I sat there waiting for the ceremony to begin, I could feel my chest tighten. My low back seized. Panic began to rise.
I remembered I'm a bit claustrophobic, but usually only in caves.
Fuck, from the inside this looks like a cave!
I had two choices. . . panic & run OR use the skills I've honed during all those hot / cold plunges at @sauna_house to calm my own nervous system. I chose the latter.
As the ceremony began, we were guided to scan our bodies to see where we might be holding tension & to release any tension to the Earth. And just like that, my back relaxed & the pain disappeared.
For the next two hours, as water was splashed on the hot stones & sweet-smelling steam enveloped us making it impossible to see, we were guided through four ceremonies. . .
. . .To bring forward & integrate (1) The ancient feminine energies. . . (2) The ancient masculine energies. . . (3) To balance both in support & service to Gaia / Mother Earth. . . & (4) To release the need for power & control over others, seeing each person as a reflection of self regardless of race, color, gender or riches.
Sharing in this ancient tradition, I felt a deep sense of connection to this area. It's why I keep coming back here, over & over again.
I could feel the lifetimes I've served as a teacher, healer & medicine (wo)man.
I could feel the deep wisdom of the wild woman that lies within & has been working her way closer to the surface.
Some look to the stars & planets for inspiration. I feel most alive when I'm grounded & connected to Earth & her humanity.
My job: To balance my feminine & masculine energies with my wild & civilized sensibilities. . . and to show others how to do the same.
As I exited the womb drenched in sweat, I felt lighter. . . clearer. . . with a deeper sense of purpose. In a sense, re-born.
The rest of the day was magic, including seeing these #coati .
So I looked up the spirit meaning of the coati (white-nosed Mexican raccoons) & found this. . .
"Looking after others, being generous with your time and space, foraging, finding wisdom in unexpected places, being highly adaptable, sniffing out the truth, accepting the imposing presence of others, integration and assimilation, physical play."
That sounds about right.