This past spring was my first introduction to Ceremonial Cacao. Another amazing bodyworker (Nicole Stratis, check her out at https://www.theanointedvessel.com/) shared her practice with me, and soon after I participated in a group ceremony at Wellness Hot Yoga (https://www.wellnesshotyoga.com/events) right down the street from me! It was peaceful, lovely, and felt very sacred to me. Cacao is especially gifted as a heart-opener, and I could feel the warmth and energy spread through my chest with each mindful sip.
Ceremonial cacao is cultivated specifically according to ancestral tradition as a way to honor the energy/spirit of the cacao plant. I bought my block of cacao from Sacred Genius, from Suchitepequez Guatemala. The label shares “This cacao is grown on family-owned fruit forests. It has been fermented, then fire roasted and peeled with love by Mayan women’s collectives. Each seed carries the prayer that these people and lands will continue to be healthy and fruitful”.
In July I committed to a 21-day Ceremonial Cacao “challenge”, where I would make the cacao first thing each morning and meditate with it. Each morning, I thanked all of the elements that helped to grow the cacao, including Mother Gaia, and the women who cultivated and prepared it, along with all who brought it from Guatemala to my altar. I also thanked my teachers, including Nicole, as well as the Mayan ancestors for passing along this sacred and beautiful ceremony/practice. Then I gave gratitude for the blessings in my life. I smelled the cacao before each sip, and then would gaze upon what was left in the cup at the end for any intuition/messages that might be there.
I truly felt connected to my heart throughout the process, especially given that I was going through a challenging time in my personal life. I am grateful that I explored this lovely ceremony and plan to continue to practice it going forward. I am mindful that this ceremony has been brought from another culture and try to be respectful of the sources of it.
There are many resources online for how to do a cacao ceremony, and I encourage you to make it your own. I did purchase a small enamel milk pot to heat up the water for the cacao and then a milk frother to help blend it, and those tools helped me get over my usual resistance of “it’s too much work/time to put this together” – by the end, I was a pro and had it ready (even doing it mindfully) in under 5 minutes! Reach out if you have any questions, and happy heart opening!