CACAO CEREMONY
With Sara Ambrósio
For millennia, the Maya revered cacao as sacred medicine, a symbol of feminine energy used to navigate internal conflicts and face difficult emotions.
Celebrated as a top superfood, cacao not only supports physical wellness - benefiting our cardiovascular health, relaxing muscles, enhancing lung capacity, and providing a powerhouse of antioxidants - but also nurtures our mental and emotional well-being.
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By crossing the blood-brain barrier, cacao regulates neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, bringing a sense of happiness, clarity, and presence to daily interactions.
"According to Maya tradition, cacao is one of the rare gifts capable of touching the spirit, awakening empathy, deepening our connection to nature, and healing us from within."
For Cacao to be considered Ceremonial it must:
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Come from a farm without monocultures or chemical fertilisers.
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Everyone involved in the production needs to be cleansed before coming close to the medicine and have profound respect for it.
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Be hand made
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Spiritual leaders are involved in the process -traditional music is played during the process of preparation, sitting in nature surrounded by Mayan altars
Throughout the retreat, there will be two Cacao Ceremonies, each lasting approximately 15 minutes. Before each ceremony begins, we will engage in a brief breath practice called “Breath of the Heart,” designed to release muscle tension, release attachments, and open the thoracic cage.
Following this breath activation, everyone will be invited to spend a few minutes practicing gratitude and setting intentions before savouring the sacred cacao.
Each of the session will conclude with a short guided heart meditation to invite and expand love, all accompanied by music to enhance the energy of the experience