In this blog post I will share my top 5 spiritual experiences in Tulum. I spent more than 2 months living in Tulum and traveling around the Yucatan area in 2021. I went back for a week 6 months later because I loved the area so much. It is one of the places I will always hold dear to my heart.
#1 Cacao ceremony with ecstatic dance
Cacao was perceived to be more valuable than gold amongst the pre-hispanic Mesoamerican culture. Cacao served as a monetary currency and a natural plant used for spiritual rituals and ceremonies amongst the Aztec and Mayan people. It was perceived to be a gift from the Gods, a sacred plant and a royal drink for the rulers.
The ceremonies are ancient and perceived to be heart opening. It is a mystical ceremony that connects you to the divine. Cacao is considered as a superfood and full of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. This has a strong health effect on the body. Not only did I feel lighter, happier and more compassionate afterwards. Cacao also strengthens your immune system, increases blood flow to organs like the heart and the brain as well as bringing heightened awareness of the present moment.
Living in the area of Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico I soon joined one of these ceremonies. The Cacao ceremonies are experiencing a renaissance with locals and foreigners participating in the rituals of drinking hot, raw, clumpy cacao supplied with intention setting, prayer and gratitude to the Universal Consciousness.
After drinking, the rhythmic music started and the ecstatic dance could go on for hours. In ecstatic dance, we let go and let the body move as it pleases. There is not performance, just play and spontaneous movement. These events surely helped me surrender, give in to the joyful moment and shake off some of the Scandinavian stress I had been carrying for years.
#2 The Mayan Ruins
The Mayan Ruins are to be found all over the Yucatan Peninsula and beyond and I got to visit Chichen Itzá in Cobá and the ruins in Tulum. They are ancient monuments and pyramids built as temples, sacred sites and astrological monuments. They are said to have healing abilities and assists humans on the journey towards higher consciousness.
The Chichen Itzá pyramid in Cobá is considered to be on of the 7 wonders of the world. The Mayans developed advanced mathematics, astronomy, herbal medicine, architecture, science and their famous Mayan Calendar. Their wisdom of the Universe is represented on the walls inside of the pyramids.
The pyramids are said to be energetically charged and carry a higher frequency. This can catalyse spiritual insights, healing and a cleansing the energetic body. The one thing I noticed the most was how extremely tired I felt after my day at Cobá. I couldn’t really explain why as I had made sure to cool off in the shadows and drink plenty of water. All I knew was that I felt so exhausted in my entire being. I needed to rest the whole day and night afterwards.
#3 Temazcal
Temazcal is the third of my top 5 spiritual experiences in Tulum. This is another one of the ancient Mayan ceremonies. Temazcal is a sweat logde Experience with several physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits. The Temazcal are typically lead by a shaman inside a circular clay or stone hut with steamy hot rocks in the centre and the participants sitting around in circle.
It gets really hot and as we chant and sing together traditional songs, we are breathing deeply in the steamy air. This is a cleansing ritual on all levels and I felt peaceful and calm after my experiences with Temazcal. During the ceremony, especially towards the end, I felt feelings of panic and intense fear of dying. It got really, really hot inside the hut and I struggled to breathe. I remember the shaman put my head down to the floor when I desperately gasped for air and tried to get out. Luckily it was the last round and I felt intensely present, grateful and at peaceful afterwards.
Some general benefits from Temazcal ceremonies are decrease in depression, mental purification, transcendental consciousness and profound connection to the other participants. It can also contribute to benefits like cleaner skin, weight loss and detox. The hut is shaped round, small and dark and is meant to represent a mothers womb which makes the experience appear like a rebirth.
#4 Cenotes in the jungle
There is no trip to Tulum without visiting the magical and beautiful cenotes in the Mayan jungle. The nature is magical on the Yucatan Peninsula and exploring the cenotes in the middle of the jungle is a must when you are in the area. It is peaceful, calm and relaxing to float inside a cenote.
The cenotes are colder than the ocean, filled with fresh water and connected underground around the area of Tulum. Some are found above the ground with mangroves. Others are inside caves and some are somewhat in between underground and above.
Spending a day discovering cenotes and dive with the rich flora and fish underwater is a perfect day in Tulum. It is a much more tranquil and relaxing experience than going to the beach. Some claim the water is healing and refreshing for the hair and skin.
#5 Ayahuasca
I saved the best one as the last on the list of my top 5 spiritual experiences in Tulum. I did my first plant medicine trip in the jungle outside of Tulum in 2021. It was the single most life altering experience I have ever had, except being born. I tapped into a non-dual state where I realised my true Self. It was be the One that ever is and had ever been. It was the biggest aha-moment and most obvious experience I could remember. Finally got some first hand understanding or wisdom around my existential questions that arose during the time of my initial awakening.
Ayahuasca is a sacred drink originally from the Amazonian jungle. Additionally, its use is spread around Latin America and also around the world. Peyote is another substance that has Mexican origin and comes from a cactus grown in the northern desert in Mexico.
I will make sure to add another blog post about my Ayahuasca experience. Due to space limits, I want to go deeper into it in a separate blog post. For now, you are welcome to read a channeling I had right afterwards. The effects and divine connection was still strong when I wrote the message down. I did the trip at a beautiful, calm and sacred place called Portal Xibalba. Inside the temple I met my twin flame while laughing and crying as the One.
Let me know which of these experiences calls you the most or if they have been experienced by you as well. Maybe you have been exploring the magical area of Tulum? Also, Check out my program, Awaken You! to work with me on a personal basis.
Much love and namaste,
Julie