One of the restaurant workers was trained to carry this out. She took a whole, uncooked egg and rubbed it vigorously all over my host sister’s body, while saying a prayer in Spanish. This went on for several minutes before she took the egg to the sink, held it under running water and then cracked it, so as to “release” the negative energy, the apparent source of the pain.
People will get various types of cleansings done regularly, to aid with general medical-upkeep, but also as a way to combat physical and mental ailments.
Although Ecuador is only slightly larger than the entire state of Colorado, the mountains running down the middle and the thick jungle in the east have created incredibly dynamic landscapes. Communities can be very isolated, creating distinct dialects, languages and cultural practices. Healthcare looks different across the country. Residents in and around cities practice Western medicine, however, they might combine this with traditional cleansings, rituals or Catholic practices. Indigenous communities may have traditional healers trained in their particular customs. Depending on their location, this may also be practiced in conjunction with Western medicine.
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Articles of interest:
Perceptions of Ecuadorian indigenous healers on their relationship with the formal health care system: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-021-03234-0
Visualization of indigenous medicine from the perspective of Kichwa: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042817300411
