Honoring the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Séc-he means "the sound of boiling water" in the Cahuilla language. It is the name the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians gave to the hot mineral spring that has been central to their community for over 12,000 years.
Long before Palm Springs became a destination, the ancestors of the Agua Caliente people were stewards of this landscape. The mineral spring provided water for drinking, irrigation, bathing, and ceremonies. Its underground passage, traveling 1.5 miles from 8,000 feet below the surface, was understood as a link between the physical and spiritual world.
The water emerges at 26 gallons per minute, absorbing calcium, magnesium, and sodium along its journey through ancient rock. These are the same minerals that make the soaking experience so deeply grounding for the body.
A tradition of sharing
The Agua Caliente people have a long history of sharing access to these sacred waters with visitors. In the 1800s, they welcomed guests to experience the healing properties of the springs. Today, The Spa at Séc-he continues this tradition. It is owned and operated by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians as part of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, which also includes the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and the Oasis Trail.
In 2024, The Spa at Séc-he was named one of TIME's World's Greatest Places. But for the Agua Caliente people, this place has always been great. It has been a site of healing, ceremony, and care for millennia.
When we gather at Séc-he for Summit Savasana, we do so as guests. We are honored to be part of a lineage of healing and care that stretches back thousands of years. We approach this space with gratitude, respect, and the understanding that the land and water hold stories far older and deeper than our own.
"The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has protected and shared these sacred mineral springs for over 12,000 years. The Spa at Séc-he is a living expression of tribal sovereignty, cultural continuity, and the enduring belief that water heals."
To learn more about the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and their cultural heritage, visit aguacaliente-nsn.gov.