I Tried a Traditional Temazcal Sweat Lodge. Here’s How It Went.

As a lifelong athlete and yogi, I’m the first to jump at a new wellness experience. But I’ll have to admit the idea of a sweat lodge was always intimidating; there are too many tales of practitioners doing it wrong, and the results can be downright dangerous. But when I heard that Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort was offering a temazcal experience with a legit local curandero, I knew I had to give it a go.

Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort

Naviva is an adults-only sanctuary situated on 48 acres of pristine coastline in Nayarit where guests can engage with the local culture in many ways, including a transformative temazcal ritual that combines physical cleansing with spiritual healing. The property works with local native practitioners to facilitate a grounding meditation before entering the adobe dome where participants sit in a circle around hot coals ritualistically steamed and stoked with copal while the practitioner leads prayers and intentions of ancestral healing and gratitude through prayer and song.

To start, a maximum of six guests gather at a ceremonial fire pit in the center of the lush jungle where hot stones are heated, which will later be placed in the center of the adobe sweat lodge. The aroma of copal and fresh herbs fills the air, and there’s a tranquil sense of quiet and peace. The pre- and post-ceremony gathering space includes an outdoor shower area, a seating area with stools made by local artisans that are inspired by the design of traditional Mayan chairs, as well as a clawfoot tub that can be filled as a cold plunge for after the ceremony upon request. Once everyone has settled in, the spiritual leader of the practice guides participants in an intention-setting, such as gratitude or inner peace.

Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort

Then, it’s time to get hot. Heading into the egg-shaped dome, whose form represents the womb of Mother Earth, is a bit nerve-wracking, even for someone like me who frequents infrared saunas and is obsessed with cold plunging. The calm, healing energy of our curandera soothw my nerves, as does her nurturing voice, guiding us through each of the seven 10-minute long sessions, each of which gets hotter and hotter as more rocks are placed on the fire pit. (The word temazcal is derived from Nahuatl language meaning “house of heat,” and boy does it deliver.)

During each of the segments, we are confronted with big life questions from the curandera that we are welcome to share or internalize: emotions or patterns we want to release, people we are grateful for, elements of nature we want to harness, and ancestors we want to show gratitude for, to name a few. They serve as a powerful mantra to home in on as the heat cranks up; it’s said that your internal body temperature can reach up to 104 degrees during a sweat lodge, and the theory is that participants are sweating out impurities and past traumas, being reborn in the process.

Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort

There were several times where I consider opening up the blanket door and quitting, but I think of those I dedicated the practice to, as well as the practitioners around me that the blast of cool air would disturb, and persist. The curandera’s chanting prayer and song in both Spanish and Nahuatl is ethereal and entrancing, and using deep breath work, sheer will, and likely some old fashioned Catholic guilt, I push through.

After what feels like an eternity, the ceremony is completed, and we exit the dome. The jungle seems alive, pulsing with energy. The curandera’s assistant hands us each a glass of water with salt and lime to replenish our electrolytes. I’ve been to some fancy Michelin-starred meals in my time, but I’m convinced this is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I’m overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude and accomplishment, and yes, feeling reborn.