Aarti Aziz and her husband Moosa are locked inside a pitch-black concrete dugout in Mexico , sweating in unbearable heat . With them is a shaman who has been chanting ceaselessly for the past two hours as strange vapors swirl around them . It may sound like a harrowing ordeal , but it 's one the couple volunteered for . This is the world of Temazcal , a practice dating back centuries to when Mexico 's Mayan Riviera was wilderness and the Mayan civilization was at the height of its power . Temazcal entails entering a stone igloo with little or no clothing on and sweating it out to the sound of chanting and the fragrance of herbs . Typically carried out for small groups by a shaman who 's usually a member of one of the Mayan communities in the surrounding area , the process lasts two hours . It can be a tough experience . Anyone with diabetes or heart disease should forget it , while those susceptible to claustrophobia or skepticism , might think twice . Even skeptics , however , can rest assured that they 'll come out from their two-hour session feeling refreshed , invigorated and a probably a few pounds lighter . During the session , rosemary , basil and peppermint and other scents waft over a vapor created by the shaman as he or she gently throws water over a pile of hot rocks in a pit in the middle of the floor . Visitors are kept hydrated with herbal tea and are permitted to lie down , walk around , or sit still -- whatever it takes to cleanse body and mind . But once they check in , they ca n't check out . `` I did freak out a bit when the shaman covered the dugout 's door with a thick blanket , '' says Aziz , who experienced a Temazcal in Tulum , on southeastern Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsular . Inner child . Her eyes soon adjusted to the darkness and she enjoyed a comfortable two hours . `` The only light we ever saw were the brief sparks from the rocks when the water was poured on them , '' she adds . Her husband says he found the shaman 's constant chanting -- urging him to direct his woes and pains toward the smoldering rocks to rid his body of hatred and lighten his mental load -- a tad hokey , but the ambiance eventually caught up with him . When the shaman told him to `` let his inner child out , '' he laughed loudly as directed , carried away by the mood . The couple emerged from their session feeling refreshed and lighter -- physically and mentally . `` My skin felt amazingly soft , '' adds Aarti . `` The ancient Maya respected the steam bath 's efficacy and power for treating both physical and spiritual diseases , '' says Rosita Arvigo , author of `` Spiritual Bathing : Healing Rituals and Traditions from Around the World . '' A doctor of naprapathy -- a science similar to chiropractic manipulation -- who 's trained in Central American traditional medicine , Arvigo says steam bath buildings made out of stone were a part of every major Maya ceremonial center . Some are still intact in various parts of Mexico . Hallucinogenic drugs . While technically the word Temazcal is not Mayan , but Aztec , ancient Mayans -- athletes , priests , kings -- regularly engaged in these sweaty detox sessions and took hallucinogenic drugs such as peyote to further enhance the experience . Visitors are unlikely to be offered any peyote today , but just about every hotel in the touristy cities of Cancun , Playa del Carmen and Tulum offers a version of a Temazcal . Many actually have a stone dugout , or sweat lodge , on their premises . They 're the main attraction for most travelers , says Barbara Varicchio , head of sales and promotion for Dos Palmas Eco Tours , an organization that arranges Temazcals and works closely with Mayan communities in the region around Playa del Carmen . Varicchio attests that the physical benefits are many . She says the vapor created by the mix of essential herbs clears the digestive tract , improves blood circulation , energizes tired muscles and clears the skin . And finally , partaking in the experience helps develop tourism , in the best way . `` By keeping the ancient steam bath practice alive , we are encouraging sustainable tourism and enabling traditional communities to earn their livelihood by doing what their ancestors did , '' she says . Where to go for a Temazcal : . Cenote Encantado , Cenote Encantado , 1320 Tulum , Quintana Roo , Mexico ; +52 55 1991 4266 ; 4,200 pesos ( $ 320 ) total , the company prefers a minimum of 10 persons per Temazcal ( cost can be split ) Dos Palmas EcoTours , Playa del Carmen , Mexico ; +52 984 1116 3403 ; $ 65 per person , which includes the Temazcal as well as a visit to and a meal with a Mayan community . Temazcal Cancun , Carretera Cancun-Merida , Km . 302 , Calle Flamboyan 8 , El Ramonal , Quintana Roo , Mexico , +52 998 168 8252 or +52 998 147 5723 ; call for pricing information .
The two-hour ancient Temazcal experience involves sweating it out in a stone igloo . A shaman chants and uses hot rocks to release pungent vapors to rid the body of hatred . Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 2 / 6