Due to the Spanish conquest, the vast majority of written knowledge about ancestral medicine was destroyed by the healers of that time as a way to protect it, but it was not lost, since it continued to be transmitted from mouth to ear to subsequent generations. As a consequence (unlike other ancient cultures) we do not have an official university of traditional medicine, such as those that exists in China (acupuncture) and in India (Ayurvedic medicine). However, it cannot be denied that there are efforts by indigenous communities and the current academic community to rescue and legitimize this knowledge.
There are as many types of healing as there are healers in Mexico. Each is guided by their lineage, intuition, and experience. The common connection is the way they conceive health, as explained in the first section of this document.
According to my lineage (see profile), the healing techniques that I perform are the following:
• Mixtec sobada and Mayan sobada: sobadas are a sequence of simple and deep movements that help drain emotions, relax the body, align the bones and restore the health of all the systems of our organism (digestive, circulatory, nervous, etc). There are sobadas that begin with an energetic sweep aided by an tincutre of medicinal plants made by the sobador (the sobada practitioner) in a power ritual, others begin with an energetic harmonization aided by an incense, plants and resins that are placed within it.
The Mixtec sobada works mainly on the emotions and is accompanied by a bark tea that detoxifies and purifies the blood, while the Mayan sobada is aimed at recovering the energetic functioning of the entire organism.
• Herbal rub: it is considered the mother of all medicines, as it is capable of curing all diseases. It consists of rubbing the mixture of eight medicinal plants, as well as other natural ingredients, on the body, starting with the feet, until reaching the head. Aimed at all people of all ages.
• Hot herbal plasters: This technique has three stages. The first consists of making small sacks of medicinal herb preparations (plasters), which are immersed in hot water. Excess fluid is removed and a kind of massage is done with said bag on the body, particularly on the back. The second stage consists of applying a compress with the tea that was formed with the use of the plasters, on the back, while applying a pressure massage. And finally, a massage is performed with smooth and harmonic movements, using oil.
• Ritual temazcal, medicinal temazcal or simple temazcal with massage (individual, in pairs and in groups): it is a steam bath used in traditional medicine. It comes from the word temazcalli, which means “steam house”.
The temazcal represents the womb of Mother Nature. Therefore, taking a temazcal bath means returning to the womb of Mother Nature to be purified by the four elements that act upon the four bodies that make up the human being (physical, emotional, mental and etheric-spiritual body). The ritual temazcal emphasizes the reconnection with the divine and with ourselves, for which pre-Hispanic songs and instruments (drum and rattle) are used. The medicinal temazcal is accompanied by the intake of medicinal teas that help detoxification, as well as a massage with plants and Mixtec sobada inside the temazcal. The simple temazcal includes only the intake of medicinal plant teas.
• Suction cups: suction cups of different sizes are attached to the body. The glasses can be left in place or moved slowly, the latter is known as cupping massage. Generally, the glasses are left for three to five minutes. The treatment is said to improve blood circulation, thereby increasing the speed of healing, reducing pain and relieving muscle discomfort. They are beneficial against chronic fatigue, chronic neck and shoulder pain, as well as to strengthen the immune system. In recent years, it has even been promoted among athletes under the name of myofascial decompression therapy.
• Osteopathy: it is a type of alternative medicine, a method that treats diseases based on massages and on rearrangement of joints & bones. In ancient cultures, healers who practiced similar techniques were known as “bonesetters”. The best of what osteopathy has to offer resides in its holistic vision of the human body. It is a therapy focused on maintaining the overall health of our body. Not only does it treat back pain or a particular muscle or bone injury, but osteopathy also works the whole body together, focusing on normalizing the structure-function binomial. When there is a blockage in the structure, it is reflected in a malfunction of the organs and the various physiological systems upon which well-being depends. It is aimed at people of all ages. It is only contraindicated for people with osteoporosis.
• Reflexology: this is a type of zonal therapy, that is, it consists of stimulating specific points on the area of the feet, hands and face, for that purpose. It starts from the assumption that there are connections between these points and the organs of the body. Therefore, specific stimulation in certain areas can alleviate various ailments and tensions.
• Digitopuncture: through this procedure, pain in different parts of the body is relieved by applying pressure to certain parts of the body (back, feet, hands). Its purpose is to reactivate the energy circulation. It is a therapy derived from acupuncture.
• Dien-Chan: this is a faciotherapy, that is, it focuses on stimulating certain points exclusively on the face, in which special metal instruments are used, although I also use stones (such as obsidian and quartz). It is of Vietnamese origin and is used to alleviate any pathology that causes an energy imbalance without using needles. In general, it is often used to improve muscle and joint ailments, headaches, circulation, insomnia and depression. It is also used to treat problems related to metabolism. It is aimed at people of all ages.
• Aromatherapy: this is a technique derived from herbalism that uses compounds and vegetable oils extracted from aromatic plants, barks, herbs and flowers in order to improve physical and mental well-being through inhalation and / or application of oils on the skin. It is usually used in combination with massages and the therapeutic techniques that we have explained already.
• Music Therapy: this is a procedure in which music and / or the elements that make it up are used (such as sounds, rhythm, melody, harmony) in order to counteract the mental, emotional and psychic imbalance of people; thus improving the state of well-being of the person. I particularly enjoy using musical instruments and pre-Hispanic songs. It is also often combined with the therapeutic techniques described above.
• Bach Flower Remedies: as many know, this therapy consists of the ingestion of natural essences to treat various emotional situations, such as stress, fear, loneliness, anxiety, obsession, depression, etc. Part of its theoretical basis is the assumption that physical diseases have their origin in the emotional. Therefore, by restoring emotional well-being, bodily health is encouraged.