to create the sweatbath and prepare the hot
beverages and food. The patient usually does not
pay for services as the community unites to assist
in this process. In the circumstances of a woman
who has given birth to her child, her husband and
his family usually bring the materials needed for
her sweatbath. They usually build her sweatbath
near her home or in her backyard. Her co-madres
will provide her with food and medicinal plants or
herb based tea drinks to help her recover. Their
community unites to help the patient and each
other.
Spiritually, there are steps that must be
completed to gain access to enter a sweathbath.
Prior to entering the sweatbath it is necessary to
obtain the spirits permission. Sweatbath spirits are
especially dangerous and easily offended (Bade,
2012). It is believed
The indigenous people, and people from
other cultures, believe there are illnesses not
known to the biomedicine world that exists. These
illnesses include kasi and latido. Kasi occurs when
coldness is trapped in the woman’s womb. A
woman who has kasi may have longer delivery
time and pain. Kasi can be felt by a midwife via
pulse. The woman is given hot beverages to
include the medicinal plants tranadora, chichinole,
and hot chocolate (Trujillio, 2012). Latido occurs
when the tendons are delicate and the pulse is not
normal. The woman may be very sensitive to
noise which can be dangerous if it goes to her
head. The specialists would determine these
illnesses. Hot medicinal plant and herb tea
beverages such as ruda are given to aid the patient.
These are a few examples of illnesses that are not
treated in the biomedicine world that are treated
in Mexico and other Mesoamerican cultures.
Prior to exiting the sweatbath, it is vital to
have blankets and mats available immediately for
the patient. The person who is departing the
sweatbath can easily become ill from not
maintaining heat outside the sweatbath. The
blanket must be wrapped around the body
immediately after exiting the sweatbath. It is then
required for the person to lie down on the mats
and be wrapped, warm, and relaxed. Hot tea
beverages made from medicinal plants are usually
given in-between these sweatbath sessions.
The indigenous people of Oaxaca,
Mexico do not have doctors and medical facilities
close to them and heavily rely on this practice.
The majority of the Mesoamerican region is aware
of the sweatbath practice and its treatment. It has
been passed on from generation to generation
with experienced knowledge and specialists.
Sweatbaths are effective sources of treatment for
those who desire a natural remedy to prevent and
maintain
their
healthcare
needs.
luxuriousmexico.com
that failure to perform the sweatbath rituals
correctly can result in the spirits to react
negatively. People can become ill if they neglect
the rituals. The illness found for those include
soul loss, danger, skin ailments, severe
rheumatism, neuralgic pains, and paralysis of the
thumbs. It is important to respect and understand
this spiritual connection.
Work Cited
Alberto Valdes.
La Construccion Social Del Bano de Temazcal en dos comunidades de la Mixteca Oaxaquena: Santiage
Yolomecatl y San Andres Chicahuaxtla. Universidad Autonoma Indigena de Mexico. 2008. pp 191-197.
Bonnie Bade.
Contemporary Mixtec Medicine: Emotional and Spiritual Approaches
to Healing. Professor of Anthropology, Cal State University, San Marcos. pp 61-64.
Maestra Angelina Trujillo, Mixtec Specialist from Oaxaca, Mexico. Class Lecture 10/05/12
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