Temazcalli Information/Registration Form

The Temazcalli is an indigenous house of purification, used for healing, prayer, purification, and strength. The name comes from the Nahuatl words temaz (steam) and calli (house), literally meaning "steam house." The Temazcalli is also known as the "house of hot stones" or Xochicalli, which translates to "house of flowers." In a temazcalli ceremony, participants sit inside a structure made of organic materials where steam is generated by pouring water over hot volcanic stones. The heat and steam help cleanse the body and mind, promote healing, accompanied by singing and prayers. This ceremonial practice has deep roots in our traditions throughout the Anahuak ( Turtle Island ) cultures.

Getting To The Root: Community Guidelines & Code of Conduct

By participating in our community, you agree to honor these values and practices:

1. Community Respect

   • Treat all participants, the land, and the ceremonial spaces with respect.

2. Ceremonial Integrity & Indigenous Leadership

   • We believe in and support Indigenous leadership, encouraging those from lineage or tradition to share sacred plant/animal medicines, and ancestral ceremony.

   • We honor the lineages and tribes that provide these medicines, recognizing that by doing so we are preserving sacred language, song, cultural practices, and ancestral teachings, not just the medicine itself.

   • Ceremonies are shared with reverence and are guided by those who hold ancestral knowledge and have gone through proper initiations, teachings, and responsibilities within their lineage or tradition.

3. Cultural Appreciation, Not Appropriation, & Reciprocal Relationship

   • We approach cultures outside our own with humility, respect, and care, taking time to learn, listen, and understand before engaging or sharing.

   • We invite reflection on reciprocity: How are we giving back to the peoples, lands, and lineages whose traditions we practice or learn from? True cultural appreciation includes building reciprocal relationships that honor Indigenous communities as living peoples, supporting their sovereignty, daily realities, and ongoing efforts to preserve their ways of life.

4. Land Acknowledgment

   • Most of our more consistent gatherings occur on occupied Ohlone Territory.

   • Learn more about the land you are on at Native-Land.ca.

5. Anti-Oppression & Accountability

   • Take responsibility for repairing harm and holding yourself accountable.

6. Sacredness & Confidentiality

   • What is shared in ceremony is to be held with care, confidentiality, and reverence.

7.  Children & Family Presence

   We believe a circle is not complete without the presence of family. Our gatherings are family-friendly, and children are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

   We simply ask that caregivers remain attentive and present, ensuring children are supervised at all times and that their participation supports the safety, focus, and respect of the ceremonial space, the land, and others’ belongings.

   Children are welcome as long as their presence does not disrupt the ceremony or the experience of others.

8. Sobriety & Sacred Plant Medicine

   The Temazcal ceremonies are strictly sober gatherings. We honor plant medicines as sacred, each with their own time, place, and ceremonial context. The use of cannabis, alcohol, or any other mind-altering substances before, during, or after ceremony (in the ceremonial space) is not permitted. Participants are asked to remain sober for the entire day leading up to ceremony.

   Anyone found to be under the influence will not be permitted in the ceremonial space.

Ceremony Leadership

This ceremony is carried by Lizette Oxochitl, who has been initiated through various rites of passage and ceremonial processes over the past twelve years to carry and share this prayer in a good and integral way. Honoring her lineage within both Nahua and Wixarika traditions, she carries the teachings of toltekayotl and medicine rooted in ancestral understandings of right relationship with the land and the sacred elements. She is a Tlachichihuastli (Sacred Tobacco Pipe) carrier and a Sun Dancer, and has the support and endorsement of the Council of Elders from Koakalko to share these teachings and ceremonies with proper preparation, responsibility, and respect.

Contribution & Reciprocity

The suggested contribution is $30–$80, which helps cover firewood, herbs for tea, temazcalli upkeep, contribution to the land steward, and general logistics. Contributions also support the ongoing studies, initiations, and preparations our guides undertake to continue sharing these ceremonies with our communities.

We do not charge for prayer or ceremony. However, we live in a reciprocal world, and these gatherings require shared resources, labor, and care to come together in a good way.

Because space inside the temazcalli is limited, contributions are required in advance to hold your spot and for you to receive the follow up email which contains the location address. In the past, confirmed attendees who did not show up have taken space that could have been offered to others. Sending your contribution helps us honor the container and the community.

No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If finances are a barrier, please let us know before registering or attending, so we can make arrangements with care and clarity.

Ceremonial Space Agreement

By submitting and completing this form you agree to abide by the following rules of the Ceremonial space and property:

By submitting this form, you agree to uphold the following agreements for the ceremonial space and property:

• Sobriety – Refrain from the use of alcohol, drugs, or other medicinal plants for 24 hours prior to and during the ceremony, for your safety and the safety of others.

• Staying on the Property – Remain on the property unless participating in an arranged and approved excursion, for collective safety.

• Respect & Conduct – Treat all participants, guides, elders, the land, and the ceremonial space with respect, care, and consideration.

• Punctuality – Do your best to arrive on time in order to support the integrity and flow of the ceremony.

Terms & Conditions

By submitting this form, you (“the Participant”) agree to the following:

1. The Organizers reserve the right to accept or decline any registration and to ask a Participant to leave if these agreements are not honored.

2. The Participant agrees to release and hold harmless the Organizers, Elders, Ceremony Leads, and property owners from liability for injury, loss, damage, accident, or delay occurring during or in connection with participation in the gathering.

3. The Participant agrees to remain sober throughout the duration of the ceremony and while on the ceremonial property.

4. The Participant agrees to respect the land, property, and all people present, and to act with courtesy, accountability, and dignity. Any behavior that causes harm, disruption, or violates these agreements may result in removal from the ceremonial space without refund.

5. Submission of this form indicates consent to these agreements for this and future gatherings, ceremonies, and events hosted by Getting To The Root Inc.

Submitting this form covers the participation of past and future gatherings/ceremonies/events

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