The Benefits of Cacao Ceremonies
The sacred use of cacao goes back centuries but is still relevant in today’s society. It has many physical and mental benefits which are especially helpful with modern stresses. You can attend an official cacao ceremony or indulge yourself at home. Many places perform an affordable weekly or monthly ceremony for anyone to attend. These are enjoyable and you can make new, like-minded friends, focus on where you’d like to focus in life or simply enjoy some peaceful time out from life.
Cacao can be drunk in the evening to relax. If you are sensitive to caffeine you may want to drink it in the morning instead.
Here is how you can create a simple Cacao ceremony at home or with friends
Step One - Creating a Sacred Space
Decide if you will be alone or with a group. If you’re in a group, sit in a circle together, perhaps around an altar you have all created together as a collective offering. For the altar, you can include items from nature, crystals, fabrics, angel cards, Tarot cards, candles, and any objects that hold meaning to you. You may want to play meditative music, burn incense, draw the curtains or dim the lights. You may even like to cleanse the space with sage or palo santo beforehand. Maybe use crystals, Tibetan bells or reiki to energise, cleanse and protect the space. You may want to call upon angels, the light, your guides or any other higher power that you wish to draw to the ceremony if you wish.
Think about the setting of the room, is it clean, neat and tidy, this will bring good energy. You may want to decorate it with candles, an altar in the centre and bring cushions to sit on or chairs.
Be aware of any distractions that may interrupt your ceremony such as noises, smells, hot or cold temperatures, and other people interrupting your space.
You may want to pick auspicious dates or times for your ceremony.
Step Two - Prepare your ceremonial cacao with intention
Prepare your cacao before the ceremony and have it warm and ready to serve. You can develop your own recipe or find a recommended one. It depends on personal tastes. Once ready you may want to bless the cacao with good intentions and positive energy. If you are reiki attuned you may want to use this or crystal blessings.
Step Three - open a connection
Now is a good time to put on some meditative music or something soft and gentle that supports the atmosphere you've created. Close your eyes, relax breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth for five breaths. Allow yourself to breathe in positive energy and exhale any negative energy from the day. With everyone with a cacao in hand, you can take a moment to set a personal intention for the ceremony. This can be something you wish to release like an old wound or something you want to step into and manifest in your life. It can be something you would like to heal and integrate, a desire that you would like to call in, a deepening of your connection to the Divine or your Highest Self. Think about why you're sitting down in the ceremony today, what you desire to receive, or who you desire to be. You might want to close your eyes and wait to see what drops in. Your intuition and the spirit of cacao will guide you.
Step Four - your unique Taste
There are many great recipes for your cacao drink that you may want to try before settling on a favourite. You may want to give people a choice of things to include to enhance the flavour.
Servings per person:
10-15g for a small dose before bed.
25-30g for a focus and creativity boost in the daytime.
40g for a ceremonial dose.
Flavourings can be: Cinnamon, mint, maple syrup, honey, milk, plant milk, chilli, ginger or nutmeg.
Warm the cacao gently in a pan with some warm boiled water, stir slowly. Stir until all the cacao has melted into a smooth drink. Add flavourings, milk or sugar.
You may want to do some of the cacao preparation before the ceremony if you are in a group. Froth if you want, and serve!
Step Five - Relax and receive
As you sip away at your cacao in your own time, be fully present with your mug, the spirit of cacao and your true self. It's not about finishing it, so take your time. Take another sip and feel your heart space expand, grow, and open as you send cacao and your intention throughout your body. You may want to spend some time sipping your cacao. Take note of any physical sensations you experience in your body and any thoughts that arise for you as the cacao moves through your body and into your heart space.
Once you've finished your cacao, it's time to allow the magic to work its way around your physical body, your energy and your mind. During integration time, I like to put my headphones in, lie on my back, and play a guided meditation or beautiful meditative music for at least 10 minutes. This allows whatever comes up to come up and come through, relaxing into the experience as much as possible. Make sure you’ve brought maybe a blanket and a pillow to keep warm.
Step Six - Write, reflect, and let your energy guide you
Once you feel you have received what you need, it is time to slowly sit back up and journal on anything that came through during your integration period. Take the time to write down what you just experienced, reflect on your physical, emotional, mental, and energetic reactions, or even plan your next month. Refining, expanding, or creating something new are all great ideas. Write down anything that you saw, any signs, images, inspirations or good ideas that came to you. You may want to deliberately focus on answers to problems, questions or ideas that you are already forming. Write down or draw anything that comes to you. Feel free to stay in this space as long as you need.
Step Seven - Ceremony closing and Gratitude
You may want to regroup back into the circle and formally close the ceremony. The host may want to speak a few words of gratitude and people may join in if they wish. Personal gratitude and thanks can be expressed in your journal or internalised silently. You may want to thank your guides, angels or other entities that you may asked to support you.
End the ceremony by doing some grounding work such as taking five deep breaths, sending our energy down to our feet and grounding back into our physical world. Make sure you feel ‘back on the ground’ and not spacey. You may notice sensations of the ceremony arise or moments of intention come back to you in the days following your cacao journey.
Physical and Mental Benefits
Cacao has over 40 antioxidants for optimising the body’s immune system. The antioxidants in cacao and cocoa may affect how your body responds to insulin, which could lower your chances of diabetes.
It is a high source of iron that the body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. Your body also needs iron to make some hormones.
Cacao powder is packed with flavonoids, which have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to your brain and heart, and help prevent blood clots. A specific flavonoid in cacao called epicatechin may help with some parts of your brain health, including cognition and blood flow, which could lower your risk of getting dementia.
Cacao also has been shown to lower your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and reduce inflammation, both of which may lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
It contains a good source of magnesium for heart and brain health and encourages the flow of blood to the brain (due to high theobromine content as opposed to caffeine)
Cacao contains more calcium than cow’s milk, so it is great to include within a vegan diet or those who are dairy intolerant.
It is high in fibre and contains 7g per cup which is great for gut health.
Cacao’s relaxing nature can make it promote better sleep which brings both physical and mental rejuvenation.
It can help with reducing tiredness and fatigue and stress relief.
Cacao is a great hydrator for the skin and contains many nutrients to nourish the body.
It is a natural mood enhancer and anti-depressant. It contains several chemical compounds to give you a boost including serotonin, tryptophan and tyrosine.
Ways to include Cacao in your diet
Here are a few ways to start enjoying cacao:
Add cacao powder, natural peanut butter, and maple syrup to plain Greek yogurt for a tasty treat.
Follow a recipe that combines raw cacao powder, eggs, brown sugar, almond meal, and butter to make a flourless cacao fudge cake.
Crumble walnuts in a food processor, then add dates and raw cacao to create three-ingredient energy balls.
Blend raw cacao powder, water, almond butter, cinnamon, banana, and ice for a delightful banana cacao smoothie.
Sprinkle cacao powder over a bowl of fresh fruit.
Look for a recipe for healthy chocolate bread using ingredients like raw cacao powder, spelt flour, eggs, coconut milk, raw honey, and pistachios.
Add cacao nibs when you make a smoothie or granola or sprinkle them on top of your oatmeal.
Add it to a pot of chilli for a deeper flavour.
Warning advice and when to not indulge
• Those with heart conditions, especially fast heartbeats should avoid cacao
• Pregnancy, especially early on or where the pregnancy has been unstable or prone to spiking blood pressure
• When taking anti-depressants (SSRI-s). Cacao has a similar effect and can interfere with the medication’s effects.
• Stop taking cacao if you have an adverse reaction the first time or find out that you are caffeine sensitive.
Cacao is very powerful on the central nervous system and eating large quantities can interfere with calcium retention. Don't consume more than 40 grams (or four to six heaped teaspoons) of raw cacao a day. Especially if you are a regular cacao drinker.