Hello!
Earlier this week, I was invited to participate in a traditional temazcal, a pre-hispanic sauna ritual. The adobe hut is circular and heated with volcanic rock. The ceremony is usually guided and the guide takes the participants on a journey of release and purification. The combination of the medicinal herbs in the water used to create steam, the visioning, the chanting and drumming, and teas sipped to hydrate create a powerful experience.
Ours lasted almost 2 hours. Divided into 4 parts, we set intentions during the first quarter, then chanted and released during the second, rejuvenated/integrated during the third and called in love and our visions for the 4th.
The second section was the most intense for me. The heat intensified, the steam was thick with the scent of the herbs and our sweat, the drumming and chanting vibrated my cells and the exertion made me light-headed. At one point I wondered if I could make it to the next break and thought about stepping out early.
However, that was the only time I was aware of my mind wandering. Every other moment was fully devoted, commanded even, by the experience.
When the guide finally called for the door to be opened, the light felt momentarily blinding. I felt my cells tingly as the coolish air caressed my skin and my lungs rejoiced as they filled with oxygen.
A cold-brewed herbal tea was passed around. We were instructed to take a sip and swish it around in our mouths before swallowing.
“Now notice the sensation in your mouth,” said the guide. “How does it feel to drink this liquid? What is the significance for you and your body?”
I was struck in that moment with the importance of mindfulness. Of how I was having this exquisite multi-sensory experience – my senses truly heightened. I felt the cells in my mouth receiving the hydration, the medicinal properties, the tastes, the temperature.
I immediate thought about the work we have committed to here – to Drink Less and Be More.
What if we brought this level of awareness to every sip that entered our body – alcohol or not?
It was one of the most powerful reminders that came to me during this Temazcalli experience. I left feeling recommitted to inviting this mindfulness into my daily living.
To sip with intention. To tune into what I am experiencing at any given moment.
Now, obviously we don’t all need to jump into a super hot sauna every time we want to experience that heightened presence and awareness 😉
As Jon Kabat-Zin, one of the leaders in mindfulness research and awareness, writes “mindfulness is about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.”
It’s about asking yourself, what do I really want or need in any given situation?
What is in the interest of my best self?
What does my body/mind/soul really crave right now?
What are some ways that you can bring more mindfulness into your daily life?
How can you use mindfulness as a tool for moderation?
I’d love to hear!
xoxo,
