LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas man is teaching workshops on the egg limpia, a traditional healing practice passed down through generations in many Latino families, as part of a broader effort to preserve cultural traditions for immigrants and their descendants.
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Justin Gomez, a curandero who immigrated to Las Vegas from Belize as a teenager, said leaving his home country also meant leaving behind traditions that had long connected him to his family’s roots.
‘Culture heals’
“Being an immigrant, sometimes you can feel a little bit lost,” Gomez said. “And through doing curanderismo and doing traditional healing, I’ve been able to connect with so many people like me, who have had to leave their countries for whatever reason and are now looking to reconnect with that culture. Because at the end of the day, la cultura cura or culture heals.”
Nearly two decades after arriving in the United States, Gomez said he still felt caught between two identities. “I never felt fully Belizean. I never felt fully American. I always felt like I was walking in this in-between,” he said.
About the practice
The egg limpia involves passing an egg over the body during moments of emotional distress. “You might be feeling a little bit anxious. You might be feeling nervous or maybe even upset. And so we use an egg and we pass it over the body. And the belief is that the egg helps to absorb that energy. And we essentially give it back to the earth,” Gomez said.
Preserving what remains
Workshop participants spent time learning about the history and symbolism behind the tradition. Gomez said his mission extends beyond personal practice.
“Through the years, as generations have passed on, a lot has been lost. And so, but there’s also a lot that has been preserved. And so my mission is really to learn it, not just for myself, but also to learn it and be able to share it with other people,” he said.
Gomez said his goal is to create a space where immigrants and their families can reconnect with a part of their identity that may have faded over the years. He holds regular workshops in the Las Vegas Valley.
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