The ancient Mayans had a complex healing tradition that blended physical, mental, spiritual and herbal remedies. Their tradition survived the Spanish conquest through oral teachings across generations. Key aspects included viewing illness as imbalance that could be addressed through herbal remedies, rituals, and balancing the flow of life energy. Mayan healers called shamans and ah-men used plants, ceremonies, bloodletting and other techniques based on principles like hot/cold balance to treat ailments while respecting nature's cycles. Though their writings were destroyed, the Mayans' sophisticated approach to holistic healing lived on through community practices.

1. The Ancient Mayan
Healing and Medicine
Abhishek Verma B10101
Akash Patel B10103
Ashish Singh B10007

2. Survived! How?
Arrival of Cortez in 1519.
The Roman Catholic priests who followed
conquistadors outdid themselves in trying to destroy
Mayan culture.
Bishop Diego de Lande burned 100,000 of writings.
Consisting art, architecture, mathematics, astronomy,
history, etc.
But Healing tradition was survived because it passed
down orally from generation to generation.

3. Features of Healing
Tradition
Medicine practices among the
ancient Maya was a complex blend
of mind, body, religion, ritual and
science.
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.
Maya equated sickness with captivity
of one’s soul by supernatural beings,
angered by some perceived
misbehavior.
Medicine was only practiced by the
selected one’s who inherited or
perceived extensive education.
These people were called shamans,
were acted as medium between the
physical world and spiritual world
and ah-men, the ‘disease thrower’.
SHAMAN

4. Features of Healing
Tradition
The ancient Maya perceived health as “balance”, whereas illness
and disease were “imbalance”.
Maya medical texts are devoted to the treatment of symptoms based
upon objective observations of the effects of certain plants on the
human system
Herbal remedies were ingested, smoked ,snorted, rubbed on the
skin, and even used in the form of enemas.

5. The Six Principles of
Mayan Healing

6. Introduction
The ancient Mayan civilization, was a sophisticated
society that had made significant discoveries and
advance in many fields.
Much of Mayan writing were lost during Spanish
conquests.
But their medical practices and knowledge survived
from generation to generation

7. Life Force
Mayan believes that Life
force is present in
everything, everywhere and
are connected.
It mobilizes from living
organism to non-living
things.
Like people, houses, fire,
mountains, bones etc
Healer tries to direct &
balance life energy from
other sources

8. Body & Soul
Derived from “Life Force”
that all things are
connected.
There is no separation
b/w the spiritual and
physical realms.
Different ends of a same
continuum

9. Natural Cycles and Plants
Mayan believes nature
has remedies and
treatment for diseases.
Plant chooses healers
and a special relationship
develops which allows the
healer to utilize the plants.

10. Healing is a comprehensive
approach
All components of
healing, the patient, the
healer, their spirits, the
plants, prayer, are equal.
It requires the
participation and
cooperation of all
component to get
patience healthy quickly

11. Status of the Blood
Pulses are used to
determine imbalance and
whether an illness is
physical or spiritual.
This is turn determine the
course of treatment.
For this bloodletting
which was a medical
practice as well as a
ritual one.

12. The Hot & Cold
The hot and cold concept
decides variety of
ailment.
Hot in Mayan culture
includes fevers,
indigestion, diarrhea and
vomiting.
Cold in Mayan culture
includes cramps,
constipation, paralysis
and asthma attacks.

14. Healing Medicines &
Practices
Mayan territory incorporated three different ecosystems,
the Guatemalan highlands, the Central area of Petén and
the limestone lowlands of Yucatan.
Ah-men - the doctors or physicians in their society
ah-men, literally meaning “he or she who knows” were the
only ones equipped with the “curative properties of the rain
forest and the spiritual tools needed to use it.”
Ah-men had to constantly keep track of nature because
nature and religion were connected in their eyes. Studying
astronomy was one of the ways that they did this.

15. Healing Medicines &
Practices
Mayan territory incorporated three different ecosystems,
the Guatemalan highlands, the Central area of Petén and
the limestone lowlands of Yucatan.
Ah-men - the doctors or physicians in their society
ah-men, literally meaning “he or she who knows” were the
only ones equipped with the “curative properties of the rain
forest and the spiritual tools needed to use it.”
Ah-men had to constantly keep track of nature because
nature and religion were connected in their eyes. Studying
astronomy was one of the ways that they did this.

16. There were then eighteen months in a year or Tun,
and each year ended with five unlucky days called 5 .
This was all in order to predict events and give the
best advice on things such as when crops should be
planted and harvested and when religious
ceremonies should take place.
Satsun- sas meaning “light” or 6 “mirror” and tun
meaning “stone”)
Ritualistic artifacts such as awls, needles, perforators
and pins were, as well as censers, candeleros, and
figurines that represent Mayan ideology or show
indications of medical practices performed in a
ceremonial way.
Hot and cold healing approach .

17. Differentiation of plants
Red plants - treat blood disorders, rashes and
burns because they too are red. Blue plants
Blue plants were used to make sedatives in order
to treat conditions of the nervous system.
Yellow plants were used for infections and
ailments of the liver and spleen, because yellow
is the color of bile and pus.
White plants were seen as a signal for death, so
they were avoided because they were oftentimes
poisonous.

18. Chili-peppers ( Capsicum
annuum )
Remedies
Chili peppers can be used
to rid the body of intestinal
worms and parasites.
They are also useful in
many cold and flu
remedies and are believed
to ward off evil spirits.

19. Healing Medicines &
Practices
Psilocybin Mushrooms (Psilocybe
cubensis)
Usage
The Mayans were also
known to use mind altering
religious substances such
as psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms
were distributed and used
sparingly by trained
shamans for ritual
purposes in ancient times.

20. Healing Medicines &
Practices
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
Usage
High quantities to induces
visions and mind altering
experiences.
Good amount of snuff
tubes also been found.

21. Healing Medicines &
Practices
Morning Glory
( Convolvulaceae)
Usage
can produce visions
and mind-altering
experiences.

22. Healing Medicines &
PracticesJade:
The name Jade is derived from
the Spanish "Piedra de Ijada",
loin-stone.
Usage
Art and architecture.
ornaments and jewelry.
Recognized by Mayans for
healing kidney ailments.
Dental filling and
decorations.
Iron pyrite is also used for

23. Healing Medicines &
Practices
SAUNA(Sweat bath or
'temezcal)
Usage
New mothers who
conceived a child
recently.
Cleansing technique
used by Mayan rulers.
Purification method of
physical and spiritual
body of sufferer.

24. Healing Medicines &
PracticesEnema
Procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via
the anus
Usage
Enemas can be carried out as treatment for medical
conditions, such as constipation.
To force rapid absorption of substance into blood stream.

25. Other Healing Practices
The Maya sutured
wounds with
human hair.
Improvement in facial
features.
Reduced fractures.
Archeologists found
bones which were
broken, realigned and
healed.

26. THANK YOU!