A temazcal in Tulum Private temazcal ceremony

1. 01

   The fire and the stones

   The fire is lit hours ahead and heats the volcanic stones until they glow red. Meanwhile the altar is prepared and the herbs are cut.

2. 02

   The breathing meditation

   Outside, in a circle, we do a breathing meditation that travels through the seven chakras. It is how you arrive: coming down from the day, letting go of the rush, and going in with your body present.

3. 03

   The four doors

   Inside, the temazcal opens and closes four times. Each door faces a direction and carries its colour: east yellow, south blue, west red and north white. Between one and the next the entrance opens, fresh air comes in, and the circle breathes again.

4. 04

   The closing

   You come out, you rest, and there is water, fresh fruit and seeds. That time afterwards is part of the ceremony too: it is when the body finishes settling what happened inside.

Length

Two to three hours

Counting the chakra alignment beforehand, the four doors inside, and the closing with tea, fruit and seeds.

People

From 1 to 6

The ceremony is private: only the people you invite come in.

Cost

$10,000 MXN

For the whole ceremony, not per person. Whether one comes or six, the price is the same.

What to bring

Swimsuit and towel

Also water, a dry change of clothes, and an open heart.

What to leave outside

Jewellery and contact lenses

Metal heats up inside and can burn. Contact lenses come off before going in.

Before you come

A health survey

Every guest fills one in: heart, circulation, pregnancy, claustrophobia, recent surgery, medication and allergies. It is what lets us accompany you properly.

The 24 hours before

No alcohol, no drugs

It is the one condition we ask of everyone, and it is about the body: it gets very hot inside.

Photographs by Ashley Gauthier