the adventures of dos tortas

Moving to Bacalar, Mexico has meant that I haven’t had the resources of the healing community found in my hometown of Austin, Texas, or so I thought.

Let me back up. I have had a series of health challenges that have snowballed due to the use of antibiotics to treat a recurrent urinary track infection. From there, I began having red raised welts all over my body that came and went. Next was the abdominal pain that kept me awake at night. There is nothing more maddening than symptoms that come and go and can’t be pinned down. I have been to four doctors and had numerous tests, blood, urinalysis, CAT scan, ultrasound, even a colonoscopy. Nada, nothing, zilch, nary a polop was discovered. I’ve also had lots of prescriptions, more antibiotics, steroids, creams, and intestinal drugs. We won’t even talk about the expense.

It’s so easy to blame health problems on living in Mexico. After all I was never sick in the US. Ha, I was too busy to be sick and I refuse to fall into that rabbit hole.

This week Lisa made an appointment with our friend and health practitioner Irlein. She and her husband Marcos moved to Laguna Bacalar about this time last year. Irlein has trained for years with a Mayan healer to learn traditional herbs, massage and ancient healing treatments. The experience was amazing.

Soaking in a hot herbal bath.

The day-long process began with lots of preguntas about my symptoms, my self-assessment, what I’ve tried etc. We moved on to a limpia, cleansing with herbs, smoke and chanting. I soaked for hours in a hot herbal bath and periodically jumped in the laguna. Irlein scrubbed my body with course sea salt. The time was spent listening to my inner wisdom, to the messages on the wind and from the laguna. The sense of peace I experienced was deep and profound.

Massage room with a view.

When I was finished soaking Irlein gave me a relaxing massage. The day was filled with love and connection, silence and prayer. A voice told me that I try too hard. It’s time to let life unfold and not push it. Hmmmm.

So how am I feeling three days later? Natural healing is not like taking a pill. The body takes time to right itself. The rash has disappeared ninety-five percent. My stomach is lots better. I am also on my second week of a juice fast, but that’s another blog. I am happy to find a natural healer in Bacalar. Sometimes it takes a village to think outside the medical box. Thank you Irlein for moving to Bacalar.

Sunrise of the week on Laguna Bacalar.