The temazcal: a pre-Hispanic ritual cross-culturalized by alternative spiritual networks

Abstract

The ritual sweatlodge (temazcal or inipi) has been transculturalized: is now present in multiple spaces, promoted by alternative spirituality groups. We describe ethnographically three cases, where the most influencial currents in the transculturalization of this ritual can be appreciated: Mexicanidad , New Mexicanidad and Red Path movements; the alternative pschotherapeutic circles; and the new age comercial network of holistic health and wellbeing products and services. During the ethnographic work we focus our attention in the body experiences, since the body is constituted as the locus of re-connection with a cosmized and sacralized nature. Through comparison with its features as a traditional practice in the rural Indian communities of Mexico, we approached to the typical orientations of its resignification in order to distinguish the meaningful elements and ritual modalities specific to the contemporary spiritual networks.