Mayan Medicine: Ancient Holistic Healing Hope Gillette - Saludify
go to original July 28, 2013

Mayan medicine is still a proud practice among Central Americans today. (Patryk Kosmider/Shutterstock)

When you hear “Mayas” you probably think of pyramids or even end-of-the-world prophecies. But the Mayan cultures are actually so much more complex than that.

All of Latin America is steeped in the lore and traditions of those who came before our generation, and so revered are ancestral beliefs and values — many still practiced  today. One of those ancient traditions is Mayan medicine, a holistic approach to healing that focuses on both the spiritual and physical aspects of wellbeing.

“Mayan medicine considers man as an integral and interactive part of the cosmos and of society, which is why his actions all have their own repercussions. Any change or action of nature, community or family, affects man, causing health or illness,” explains Anabell Castañeda of Yucatan Today. “So health is the result of living according to the laws of nature and society, and illness is the result of the transgression of those laws.”

Most recently, Mayan medicine was discussed globally when Rigoberta Menchu told the press she was performing Mayan ceremonies to help Hugo Chavez heal.

“This is not something folkloric. We focus our energies from the wisdom of our Mayan ancestors,” Menchu said at the time, reported AFP news agency.

Read the rest at Saludify

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!