Tulum! Does wonders for your soul.”
Angeline Hayling
Over the years, I’ve traveled to Tulum, but always for work ( fashion shoots, production-check in, retreat planning, etc.) However, when the time came to leave, I always had that dreaded feeling. I did not want to leave. I craved for more; I wanted to experience Tulum from its core, especially the Mayan Healing culture.
The stars aligned in the Fall of 2019. What was meant to be a two-week trip, turned out to be a season of spiritual enlightenment, and cultural growth. I opened my eyes three months later and realized not only was I living in Tulum, I was free again living in the wild, above the “clouds’ in Treehouses and Tipis tucked away from the tourist hot spots.
During my stay in Tulum, I became fascinated with Copal. Whenever I entered a sacred place, there was always a burning pot of smoke strategically place near the entryway. “What is that burning pot over there?” I asked.
Copal, the Blood of Trees: Sacred Source of Maya and Aztec Incense
Copal is a powerful sacred plant medicine derived from tree saps that were used by ancient North American Aztec and Maya cultures in ritual ceremonies. The Mayans light copal incense as an offering to the Gods and Goddesses. Lighting the incense in their honor invites intuitive energy into your space and allows you to tap into the power of creativity. Copal incense elevates, connects, and harmonizes the energy within your universe.
You can smudge it by burning small portions, in burning coal, or inside an incense burner. This creates a dreamy white smoke of aroma, that uplifts the spirit to a higher dimension, just by smelling it.
Copal incense is a wonderful energy tool to use during your meditations. It is linked with the crown chakra, deepening your awareness and encouraging pure thoughts during meditation. Copal also helps to strengthen the auric body (intuition or aura), removing all energy blockages. It is particularly useful in times of stress or even for alleviating feelings of depression because it helps you to shift your mindset.
Adventures through Tulum and discovering the magic of copal, I left feeling like I had loosened my grip on life.
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- Cover Photo Wearing: Island Tribe – Marfa Kaftan