Benjamin Aguilar Zepeda, Curandero

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Benjamin Zepeda is the in-house Curandero at the One&Only Spa at One&Only Mandarina, where a range of treatments inspired by indigenous and pre-Hispanic culture welcome guests to retreat, reset, and totally transform, inspired by a principle of ‘oneness’ with nature and self. As a Curandero, or someone who heals with either natural methods or rituals, but is not a physician, Benjamin leads guests in Temazcal Healing, a ritual practiced since pre-Hispanic times with a therapeutic ceremony combining medicinal herbs, heat, steam, indigenous chanting and copal incense to stimulate detoxification, heal the body and purify the mind.

“Around 10-15 years ago, I was invited to a Temazcal and the shaman who was leading the ceremony asked me to help prepare the fire,” says Benjamin Zepeda, Curandero at One&Only Mandarina. “He said I was the one meant to put water on the heated rocks (grandmothers) for the ceremony and this began my journey of learning how to develop a relationship with the fire. For many years, I would help the shaman set up the fire for Temazcal and Peyote ceremonies where I’d burn myself every time, but also heal myself every time. Here I am now performing these ceremonies and helping people heal.”

At the One&Only Spa, Benjamin helps guests on their spiritual journeys in various roles—whether it be as a reiki master, therapist, yoga practitioner, or curandero—carefully listening to their hidden thoughts and feelings in order to release blocked energy. His practice seeks to help guests flow in their own lives with the tools they already have, acting only as an instrument for them to find answers. In addition to the Temazcal, guests may also discover the art of Mexican folk healing with a Spiritual Cleansing “Limpia Ceremony,” where he will use an herbal bouquet to rub the entire body free of negative energies while chanting to restore the body to its natural state of wholeness and wellness.

One&Only Spa, situated in a natural volcanic rock garden, features a collection of six secluded treatment rooms, all cocooned beneath the jungle canopy observed through skylights, bringing to life the wild nature surrounding One&Only Mandarina. A large, iconic Higuera tree frames the spa relaxation garden, with treatment rooms and a mud therapy facility positioned conscientiously around its roots. The spa journey is framed by expressions of sacred geometry created by Huicholes, one of the few indigenous communities that have managed to remain untouched by Spanish influence and are prominent to the region of Riviera Nayarit.

For reservations or more information, please visit oneandonlyresorts.com.