Cacao is considered a superfood and is full of vitamins and minerals. It is at the top of the list for antioxidant content as well as magnesium; regular use of cacao has also been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease.
Theobromine, an alkaloid and the main stimulant in cocoa, is easier on the nervous system and more stimulating to the heart than caffeine.
Cacao seeds (aka Cocoa beans) come from the fruit of Theobroma Cacao (latin for 'Food of the Gods') a tree native to Central America.
Sacred to the Mayan and Aztec cultures, cacao was used extensively in ceremony, it's healing properties so highly valued that the seeds where even used as currency.
When the Europeans discovered this super-food-medicine they created a highly processed commodity, added excessive amounts of sugar, and called it chocolate. Derived from the Nahuatl word xocolātl meaning 'bitter water', chocolate was not always consumed in a candied form. In fact, Cocoa beans were originally made into a bitter, spicy drink and used in ceremony for communing with the spirit realm, for healing, as well for increasing health and vitality.
Cacao Facts:
Book A Ceremony Near You:
Sacred Cacao Ceremonies
with JoJo Silverman
Vision:
Before the advent of commercial chocolate, cacao seeds were prepared as a ceremonial drink within the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica. When used in ceremony cacao acts as a gentle, yet effective, assistant to activate the pineal gland and open the heart, thereby increasing sensitivity to subtle energies. Using chocolate in this way while sitting together with intention, holding sacred space, is a powerful way to transform our reality and to feel the love and support that is always present within us. It is of great importance these days to take time out-even for an afternoon-and to remember this place of sweetness and alignment. Going home to this place together, as a group, amplifies the experience and can have a deep, lasting effect on our consciousness. This experience, of allowing ourselves to fill up as we sit in the company of our reflected truth, is called Satsanga. Medicine of the Heart employs the ancient remedies of Cacao and Kirtan as our faithful assistants to help create a powerful vibration to assist us in reconnecting and remembering who we truly are. The combination of reclaiming chocolate as medicine and bringing voices together in praise of our own divine nature, while feeling one anothers presence throughout, creates a truly magical journey!
Details:
~This Heart-Activation journey includes a potent dose of ceremonial grade, hand-peeled, heirloom cacao from Guatemala.
~Chocolate, as it is commonly called, is a safe and legal plant medicine that can be an amazing assistant and catalyst in our Awakening and Self-Realization.
~Journeyers will learn more about chocolate as medicine and how to use it in this way. Ceremonial grade cacao formulas will be available for purchase following the ceremony.
~Fasting for the day or for a few hours before hand is highly recommended to allow for rapid absorption and easy a of Cacao. (Cacao consumption is not required to participate).
Contraindications!
Do not use these formulas if you have a major heart condition, if you are taking antidepressants (esp. Mao inhibitors), or if you are pregnant. Do not mix with alcohol or other stimulants. Cacao is toxic to Dogs, Cats, horses and other animals. Keep away from your pets!