What I Loved About Tandava
In a nutshell, here’s what I absolutely adored about Tandava.
They Welcomed Me With Open Arms
I had been voice-noting with Victoria so much before I landed in Mexico that when I arrived at the center, it felt like I was visiting a best friend that I hadn’t seen in ages, even though we hadn’t met in person yet. Knowing that we had both grown up in small oil and gas towns and eventually landed in the plant medicine space allowed me to open up more and feel comfortable.
I had a lot of trust in Joel too because I had listened to a podcast he had been featured in, and it was clear that he was one of the few thought leaders in the Five space.
The Location
Tepoztlan reminded me of Pisac, Peru. Gorgeous red rock mountains surround the small town, holistic health shops line the streets, you can never get bored of the artisan market, and the locals and nomads were extremely inviting.
Tandava sits on the outskirts of town, about a 20-minute bumpy Uber ride through the cobbled-stone streets.
I arrived in the evening. There was a warm, glowing walkway to the door, and string lights twinkled and dangled from an ancient-looking tree that stood in the center of the property.
In the daytime, Tandava transforms into an oasis. You can soak in the pool, relax on the sun beds, or steam in the Turkish sauna. Flooded with natural light, the ceremony room has high beamed ceilings and sliding glass doors that give you a delightful view of green grass, blue sky, and sunshine. A giant altar is set in front of the back glass wall showcasing diverse, lush jungle plants.
Ultimate relaxation? Mmm yes please.
They Curated My Experience Specific to My Intention
After my first ceremony (which was incredibly humbling and beautiful!), I had a private integration session with Joel and Victoria. I explained that I wanted to go deeper in the second ceremony and that I felt like I needed to release blockages in my root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras. They listened carefully to my needs, and I was blown away by the amount of care and attention invested into my second ceremony.
In the second ceremony, “smaller” doses are given. Of course, there isn’t really such a thing as a small dose of Five, but you get the jist. The reason for not doing full doses is so that you can dive into your intention more directly.
After grounding into the space, Joel played root chakra music. He had me remind myself of my intention, and then spoke about the root chakra and what it relates to. He gave me a mantra to repeat if navigation got rocky. I remember him saying: “remember, the root relates to safety and security…”
I buckled up, smoked six milligrams of vapor, and laid down for take off.
As difficult and challenging it was working through each chakra, smoking three milligrams the second dose and one milligram for the last (since the doses stack), I was so grateful that my experience was specifically and uniquely catered to what I needed. I felt so safe, so comfortable. Words still cannot express how grateful I am to have had these two humans hold space for me.
Without going too deep into it (that’s a story for another article), I was able to clear and process years of packed away trauma and self-limiting beliefs.
I finally understood how one ceremony could be 10 years of therapy. To say I feel like I had a weight lifted off of my shoulders would be an understatement.
I felt re-born.
