Hebe Johnson

I’m curled up on the ground, sweating profusely and reminding myself to breathe. I need to breathe deeply enough to avoid passing out, but not so deeply that I bring on a coughing fit by inhaling the thick, herb-soaked air surrounding me.  Believe it or not, this process is supposed to be healing.  I’m in a temazcal, a kind of spiritual sauna, in San Jose del Pacifico, a small mountainous town located around 2300m above sea level in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. The temazcal originates in Mesoamerica, which covered much of modern-day Mexico before Spanish colonisation in the sixteenth century. The name ‘temazcal’ comes from Nahuatl, an indigenous language of Mexico, and means ‘house of heat’.  This temazcal is nestled in a pine forest, partially camouflaged by the surrounding foliage, and made from mud bricks and volcanic stone. It’s dome-shaped – fitting, because it represents the womb of Mother Earth, and the ceremony is thought to be a journey of rebirth. The temazcal entrance | Photograph: Hebe Johnson for Time Out Before the sweating begins, nine other backpackers and I gather around a wooden table for a cacao ceremony. Our ‘shaman’ – a ripped surfer dude from Colorado – tells us about the significance of cacao in indigenous Mexican cultures. Historically, pure cacao was considered a medicine. It was used in rituals to align the mind, body and spirit.  After our shaman pours out the cacao and passes the mugs around, he asks us to set an intention for the session. Some