Temazcal, or Not Temazcal?

Upon arrival, we saw that the temazcaleros had not finished raising the fire. The rocks, about the size of our heads, were piled under tinder and bramble, absorbing biting heat that would eventually heat us beyond breathing inside the temazcal. Smoke rose slowly from the fire pit, newly scarring the lush green grass amid the tall mango trees.

One tribal bedecked man fanned the flames, another beaded, bearded man erected the tent nearby. The temazcal ceremony would start an hour later than planned.

I love my hippy friends and am quick to sink deep with them into the benefits that connecting and cleansing rituals such as a temazcal ceremony brings.

But why are my hippy friends never on time?

Slightly irritated by having lost an hour of productivity and needing to wait for the fire, my busy friends and I remembered that the ocean was just a few minutes’ drive away. We decided to be grateful for the extra hour of unplanned time and headed to the sea instead.

As we entertained ourselves on the sand, the sky grew dark behind us, and rolling, dark clouds began to creep over our heads. Over the next hour, the foreboding change in weather incited doubt.

What if we had rushed through our workday to arrive on time for the ceremony, only for the temazcal…