Temazcal & Sobada: Ancient Rituals for the Sacred Passage of Motherhood
At Soma Shakti, we honour the sacred cycles of womanhood—birth, death, and the infinite in between. In our most recent prenatal circle, we gathered under the full moon to be held by two profound ancestral technologies of healing: the Temazcal (sacred sweat lodge) and Sobada (traditional womb massage). Together, they offered a deeply embodied remembrance of how to prepare for birth, how to be softened, held, and reborn.
🔥 The Temazcal: A Womb Within the Womb
The Temazcal is a traditional Mesoamerican sweat lodge ceremony, often referred to as the “womb of the Earth.” Entering the lodge is like returning to the source—stepping into a warm, dark, elemental space that mirrors the womb itself. Here, we release. We pray. We sweat. We sing.
For pregnant women, the Temazcal can support deep emotional and energetic cleansing (safely practiced in the second and third trimesters with experienced guardians). It prepares the body for birth by softening the mind, opening the heart, and deepening trust in the primal wisdom within. For those in the postpartum window, it is a ritual of closure, purification, and rebirth—a space to shed what was, and return home to the self.
🌸 Sobada: The Sacred Art of Womb Massage
Sobada is a traditional uterine massage passed down through generations of wise women. In our circle, this gentle and intuitive bodywork helped realign the womb, support circulation, and release stored tension or emotional residue. It’s a physical and energetic tune-up for the most sacred center of creation.
In prenatal care, sobada can support optimal positioning of the womb and baby, ease discomfort, and prepare the body for a harmonious labor. In postpartum, it helps the uterus return to its natural position, tones the abdominal area, and supports emotional integration of the birth experience.
🌕 A Circle of Remembering
As women sat in circle, surrounded by fire, cacao, song, and steam, something ancient stirred. These aren’t just treatments—they are remembrances. Rituals that activate the deeper knowing encoded in our bodies. The power of sisterhood was palpable as we softened, released, and returned to ourselves.
This is the medicine of Soma Shakti: to remember that birth is sacred, cyclical, and cosmic. To remember that we are never alone in this journey. That the Earth is always holding us, just as we hold life within.
If you're journeying through pregnancy or walking the sacred postpartum path and feel called to experience these ceremonies, we invite you into this space. A return to the body. A return to the soul. A return to the ceremony of womanhood.
If you feel called to join our next circle, stay tuned and updated via our mailing list email. You can check out a beautiful reel of our previous circle here
With love.