Long before the days of modern wellness trends being posted to social media sites, Mexico’s indigenous communities developed many wellness practices that are still in use today. Most of these ancient traditions involved an intricate, holistic process meant to purify the mind, heal the body and promote spiritual wisdom.

Swipe ahead to learn about a few ancient indigenous wellness practices that are still in use.

Cacao

Cacao held a divine status in Mayan and Aztec societies, where its beans were used as currency and the drink was reserved for royalty and sacred rituals. The original chocolate, or xocolātl, was a bitter, spiced beverage. Ceremonies today honor this legacy, using cacao to facilitate introspection and connection, just as it was used in antiquity.

Curanderismo
Curanderismo is a unique healing system that formed from a blend of cultures. It combines the sophisticated herbal knowledge of indigenous peoples, documented in texts like the 16th-century Badianus Manuscript, with spiritual elements from Spanish Catholicism. This syncretic tradition has been a primary form of health care in many communities for 500 years.

##Limpia

The limpia, or spiritual cleansing, is rooted in pre-Hispanic beliefs about the soul and energetic forces. Indigenous cultures have long held practices to remedy conditions like susto — a spiritual illness caused by a traumatic event. The use of herbs and other tools to clear this negative energy is a direct continuation of these ancient concepts.

Sobada

The practice of sobada, or traditional massage, has been passed down through generations, particularly by parteras, or midwives. This form of indigenous bodywork focuses on the alignment of internal organs and the release of energetic blockages. Its techniques are based on an ancient understanding of anatomy and its connection to overall well-being.

Codex de la Cruz-Badiano

Mexico's tradition of herbal medicine is one of the oldest in the world. The Codex de la Cruz-Badiano, an illustrated Aztec herbal created in 1552, details hundreds of medicinal plants and their uses. This proves a highly advanced botanical knowledge that existed long before the Spanish conquest and continues in practice today.

Sound

Sound has always been a key component of ceremony in Mesoamerica. Pre-Hispanic rituals used the vibrations of instruments like the huehuetl drum, clay flutes and ceremonial rattles to communicate with deities and induce trance-like states. Modern sound healing draws on this ancient tradition of using specific frequencies for spiritual and mental clarity.

Temazcal

The temazcal, whose name comes from the Nahuatl word temāzcalli (house of heat), is an ancient Mesoamerican sweat lodge. Aztec and other pre-Hispanic cultures used these ceremonies for ritual purification, healing warriors after battle and aiding in childbirth. The intense steam bath was, and still is, considered a process of spiritual rebirth.