Facing the Fire: Embracing Discomfort for Healing

Some months ago, I embarked on another transformative journey as I attended my first Temazcal, an ancient pre-Hispanic indigenous tradition known as a sweat lodge. Here, souls gather round a stone fire in a dome tent to sweat and purify their bodies while uplifting the mind. Curiosity tugged at my spirit, yet trepidation lingered: would I endure the intensity of the fire's fierce embrace?

As a newcomer, I was offered a seating place in the outer circle, furthest from the fire. Our divine facilitator orchestrated the ceremony with rhythmic drumming and chants, while her assistant tended to the fiery stones and passed around drinking water. Every so often, wafts of plant aromas would release and awaken even more senses. We underwent four rounds of scorching heat, each round being guided to address parts of ourselves, creating spacious moments to nurture these parts, to heal them. Each new round meant the door would open to allow the hot coals to be passed in from the outside fire. This was a team effort and was done with such grace and ease. The intensity eases off as soon as the door opens, and light comes in. It was then I got to see that the earth I was sitting on had now covered my body; it thrilled me to feel the earth on my body, we had become one.

I had imagined that the fire would awaken the deep-seated rage coursing through my blood and bones. I anticipated its intensity to be so overwhelming that I would scream out in agony, releasing it all to Mother Earth. Instead, I softened into the loving arms of my sisters and our Mother, feeling at one with these feminine energies, so forgiving and soft. I felt cocooned in the heart of Gaia, journeying together with fellow sisters, proud to journey to the depths of my soul, knowing that we were united in meaningful sacred acts of feminine reclamation.

Together, we embarked on self-discovery, delving into the echoes of ancestral pain, each sister working through their own hurts, nobody gave up. It was such an experience that made me feel proud even as I lay naked, not caring about how my body looks, feeling past pains, grieving my losses and purging my heavy load. Emerging as warriors of vitality, united in meaningful purpose.

After the fire ended, we were greeted with fresh water herbal baths. I was filled with love at this point, so relieved that I survived and yet so mesmerised, all that was left to do was surrender to the mystery of it all. I felt a profound shift within—a blossoming of hope, a whisper of joy as I bathed in the sun, being with our Mother in oneness.

Later, as we all sat together, swapping stories and listening intently, I realised when life throws us its toughest challenges, it's like we're prepping the soil for something beautiful. From those struggles, we grow stronger, overcoming hurdles, and blossom into something amazing.

A truly magical experience, a journey not for the faint-hearted, but a journey I would gladly go back to time and time again and encourage others to experience. I came away and realised that joy was closer, pain subsided, and healing completed. I was reborn.