A TREMENDOUS HEART OPENER
Cacao is known as ‘food of the gods‘ and is an incredible transformational tool for spiritual shifts as well as a medicinal superfood, one of the most powerful superfoods ever found. Cacao is a tremendous heart opener and it is this stimulation of the heart chakra that makes it so powerful; it is through connection to your heart that you remember who you truly are. By activating your heart portal cacao helps you to connect to your true soul self which thereby connects you back to God and the Divine. Cacao has been used in Sacred Ceremonies for centuries by many cultures such as the Aztecs and the Mayans, dating all the way back to 1900 BC in Central America. We cannot say for sure in what way the ancients used cacao during a ceremony, but in a modern-day ceremony, cacao is paired with spiritual practices intended to elicit reflection, self-discovery, creativity, joy, and love. Ecstatic dance, sound healing, meditation, and journaling are just a few examples of powerful practices to combine with cacao. Cacao is connected to the heart-centered power of the Divine Feminine and facilitates vulnerability, sensuality, and passion. For women, due to its mood-balancing properties, ceremonial cacao consumption is a beautiful way to honor the yin menstruation phase of your cycle. I believe woman’s craving for chocolate during their cycle is truly a subconscious craving for cacao in its raw medicinal form. Commercial chocolate is over-processed and full of ingredients like sugar cane and milk that rob cacao of its natural physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. When drunk with intention 100% raw cacao creates space for deep emotional healing. As soon as you sip this magical drink you can feel the heart power, you may notice an expansive feeling in your chest and a flush as your heart warms.
THEOBROMA CACAO
Theobroma Cacao is the scientific name and therefore one of the most active and compelling ingredients in cacao is theobromine. This is a cardiac stimulant that relaxes the blood vessels and makes absorption of the medicinal properties possible. Unlike caffeine, which is a nervous system stimulant, theobromine keeps the heart and brain activity in a way that is beneficial to the body. Theobromine translates directly to god-food and it is this ingredient and the heart-brain connection that makes it such a profound heart opener. In addition, theobromine is proven to lower blood pressure, remove toxins from the body, aid in sleep, and fight inflammation.
ADDED HEALTH BENEFITS
Cacao promotes the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, creating feelings of bliss, motivation, stress resistance, and pleasure. Cacao is the highest naturally occurring source of Magnesium, which is a key mineral in relieving stress and anxiety, and also replenishes many other vital minerals to the body including chromium, copper, calcium, manganese, zinc, sulfur, iron, potassium, B-vitamins and phosphorous. Cacao also has an oxygen radical absorbance capacity antioxidant score of 95,500, which is more than three times higher than the infamous Goji Berry!
WHEN TO DRINK CACAO
Use cacao as an opportunity to be still with yourself and dip into a meditative and heart-centered state, whatever that means to you. However, although drinking raw cacao is ceremonial you do not have to be at a ceremony to consume it. As you may have heard me teach before, true intention is all it takes to create healing. Your ritual with cacao could be as complex as a full-blown ceremony with your community with meditation and dancing, but it can also be as simple as taking a minute in the morning to set an intention for your day and then sit and sip your cacao in peace. In fact, replacing your coffee ritual in the morning with cacao is the perfect way to start. This will not only lead to healing but to increased mental clarity, heightened energy throughout the day (without crashing), and a more joyful, creative outlook on your life. I have three times when I personally reach for cacao the most when I am menstruating, when I am feeling anxious, or right before bed to help lull me into a deep and peaceful sleep.
SHOP CACAO – RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERS:
CACAO BLISS (CLICK TO PURCHASE HERE)
For an easy to prepare ceremonial grade cacao this is your go-to!! Sometimes having to prepare a perfectly balanced drink from scratch can be overwhelming and bring added stress. Having the ability to quickly whip up a batch of delicious superfood cacao versus melting your cacao chips down is better for a lot of people, myself included. Cacao packs a potent punch of ceremonial grade cacao that’s as easy spooning a scoop of the decadent powder in with hot or cold, water or milk (any type of milk!) When founder, Danette May, discovered the importance of Cacao to the ancients she knew she had to make it readily accessible in its purest form to the masses. These ancient tribes believed that raw cacao has special powers. They believed it enabled them to tap into higher mental and physical highs and clarity and even solve problems more clearly and confidently. Danette named her product Cacao Bliss because of a naturally occurring chemical in cacao called anandamide. The root word of this chemical is Ananda which is a Sanskrit word for bliss, happiness, pleasure, joy, and delight. Scientists call this chemical the “bliss molecule” because it helps promote feelings of pleasure and wellbeing. The raw cacao she sources for her Cacao Bliss™ formula is VERY rare and in short supply. It comes all the way from Peru, Peru has some of the greatest biological diversity on the planet. It contains the IDEAL growing synergy of plant species, soils, and climates for cacao. When you smell and taste Peruvian cacao, it’s truly exquisite and incredibly aromatic… and that makes it an incredibly valuable resource too.” Cacao Bliss is dairy free, gluten free, soy free, USDA Organic, and Keto Friendly. Cacao Bliss is also readily infused with 9 superfoods:
Turmeric – fights inflammation related to physical exercise, improves digestion, provides pain relief, dissolves stubborn fat and soothes anxiety and stress.
Black Pepper – to maximize your results by increasing the “bioavailability” of the Turmeric by up to 2,000%.
MCT Powder – to help you feel satiated longer, making it easier for your body to release stubborn fat deposits.
Cinnamon – improves your body’s ability to digest glucose, and reduce your desire for sugary treats.
Monk Fruit – satisfies your sweet tooth as well as sugar, with zero calories and no ill effect on your blood sugar.
Coconut Nectar – acts as a prebiotic and feeds the healthy gut bacteria in your lower intestine.
Lucuma – adds a hint of caramel-like flavor and has wound healing properties.
Mesquite – a sweet and nutty superfood that doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes, and helps boost your immune system.
Himalayan Salt – contains over 84 minerals and trace elements, while helping to balance your pH levels.
FIREFLY CHOCOLATE (PURCHASE HERE)
If you are interested in crafting your own sacred cacao potion, Firefly Chocolate is for you. All of their ceremonial cacao paste naturally includes cacao butter, which is one of the highest-grade fats and is the most effective carrier of cacao’s medicinal benefits into the body. Firefly cacao is all organic, vegan, lightly toasted, paleo and keto-friendly, soy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO. They source their beans directly from indigenous farming families in Belize, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Tanzania. Their ceremonial cacao is grown only in the most pristine areas of the earth, often bordering extensive protected lands, so the cacao agroforestry acts as an ecologically diverse buffer to the protected lands and benefits from pure water and uncontaminated soils. The pods are hand-harvested when perfectly ripe and brought to cooperatively owned artisanal fermentation facilities, where the flavor of the cacao beans develop for 5-7 days in fermentation boxes before being sun-dried (not gas dried) for one to two weeks. All of the cacao is hand sorted before being shipped to Firefly in large burlap sacks, and then hand-sorted again when it arrives at the chocolate studio. Firefly’s cacao has been lab-tested for safety and meets comprehensive EU standards for the absence of heavy metals. Last but not least they have a true passion for ceremonial cacao and maintain the high healing vibration energy level of this plant medicine intact!
FIREFLY OFFERS INCREDIBLE VARIETIES AND FLAVORS OF CEREMONIAL CACAO…
THEY ALSO HAVE A SAMPLER SO YOU CAN TASTE OUT ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES!
CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW!
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR OWN FIREFLY CACAO
There are various recipes and preparation styles online to peruse, but this is how I prepare my cacao and what supplier I recommend. I suggest playing around with the ratio and see how your body responds to the effects of different doses. My general rule of thumb is that I use fewer cacao discs for daily use and increase the cacao quantity for special or ceremonial purposes. Finding a company that supplies discs is important for ease in prep, otherwise chopping and melting a large block of cacao butter can be difficult, This is another reason I recommend Firefly for purchasing for making your own cacao (click here to shop). With discs, you can use this simple recipe and a blender to make a single cup without tedious preparation.
- 1 cup of hot water (170 degrees, do not make the water too hot, boiling water can reduce the medicinal properties of the cacao) or milk alternative (I love almond milk)
- 10 – 20 cacao discs
- honey, coconut nectar, or 1 pitted date to sweeten
- dash of cinnamon
- mix in a blender and tada!
Many people add other medicinal ingredients to enhance and compliment the power of cacao; such as rose petals, turmeric and pepper, peppermint, Himalayan sea salt, cayenne, medicinal mushrooms, maca, and the list goes on.