are always looking forward to having heart-to-heart
experiences with people from the community.”
According to McDonald, the spa menu is designed
to represent the Tree of Life, the sacred symbol of
Mayan cosmology.
Upon arrival, spa-goers are invited to enjoy the
spa’s hydrotherapy circuit, which includes a vapor
steam room, a dry sauna, a salt room, a Jacuzzi, and
a cool plunge pool. Each treatment begins with a
consultation and an opening Mayan ceremony. The
ceremony takes place in the Caracol Maya (mean-
ing snail or shell in Spanish), a stone sculpture
found at the entrance to the spa that represents the
connection between the human being and the cos-
mos. The space is also referred to as the seashell
due to its spiral shape. As guests enter the seashell
prior to their treatment, a therapist follows behind
with a burning mix of herbs that are grown on prop-
erty. The therapist then performs a Mayan chant
acknowledging the four cardinal directions and
energetic alignment while additional staff mem-
bers outside the seashell play traditional Mayan
instruments, such as the conch shell and drum.
The treatment times are staggered so each guest
can experience the ceremony.
According to Montelongo, guests often gravi-
tate to one of three Spa Journeys: Fountain of
Youth, Tree of Life, and Heaven on Earth. Each
provides a different energy and aesthetic outcome
based on guests’ feelings and life stage. The temza-
cal, an ancient Mayan sweat lodge tradition, also
takes center stage with each of the journeys featur-
ing its own temazcal experience.
Inspired by Mayan traditions and the life-
changing role shamanism plays, the treatment
menu is thoughtfully infused with both cultural
and natural elements. The most popular treatment
is the Balance Healing Ritual ($340, 2 hours),
which is one of the Tree of Life services. It was
originally created to relax tight muscles and provide
tension relief. However, it is often requested for its
ability to balance emotions and remove blocked
energy. Connecting to the healing properties of the
earth, it features a Mayan Herbal Compress Mas-
sage with Sound and Stone Healing and a nour-
ishing head and scalp massage. “We were aiming
to create an authentic representation of Mayan
healing traditions from the region and to honor
the sacred healing environment, and to help with
this, we invited Bonnie Baker, a strategic consul-
tant for Under a Tree in Mexico, to work with us,”
says McDonald. “We knew that the cenote around
which the spa was built was a deeply revered
space, and we wanted to highlight the timeless-
ness and connection that the traditional cultures
had with the natural environment and the cosmos.
We wanted to create a luxury experience that felt
effortless and genuine, providing treatments and
activities to balance the body and inspire wellness.”
In choosing the product lines for the spa, Mon-
telongo and her team focused on selecting organic
brands with clean actives and natural and sustain-
able ingredients, such as AgaveSpa, Body Bliss, Mar-
garet Dabbs, Naturopathica, and T’zikal. “Behind
each of these brands is a story that we want to share
with the world,” says Montelongo. According to her,
it was important to partner with brands that share
the same beliefs and philosophy as the spa.
continued on page 102
The treatment
rooms are
centered around
the spa's sacred
cenote (above).
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