The heart-opening power of cacao
Morning ritual involving unprocessed beans is said to ‘ignite a creativity and energy’
If you’re anything like me, the past year may have been one of deep self-reflection as a result of the pause the pandemic has provided. In hopes of exploring new ways of getting grounded, I decided to take part in a cacao ceremony.
I reached out to Judy Machado, a cacao ceremonialist and founder of the Goddess Temple Cacao, a line of cacao products.
We booked an hour-and-a-half online ceremony. She hosts one-on-one or group sessions on Zoom, which range anywhere from $33 to $77 (she offers a “pay what you can” option), but she offered it — and the cacao — to me for free, for an honest review.
Cacao ceremonies have roots in Mayan culture, but many cultures have adopted traditions around mindfully and ritualistically consuming cacao.
Cacao are seeds (also known as beans) that come from Theobroma cacao trees, mostly grown in West Africa and tropical regions. The unprocessed beans are said to offer health benefits.
“It helps to begin your day with a sacred ritual and also helps to create a calmness within you while, at the same time, ignite a creativity and energy,” Machado said.
She says she helps those on a spiritual journey release their conditioned beliefs and raise their consciousness through a daily “Cacao Master Plant Medicine” morning ritual.
“It’s a sacred event where you drink the ceremonial cacao and connect to the plant’s higher consciousness to open your heart, bring yourself into a higher awareness and experience unconditional love.”
I made the drink by mixing the ceremonial paste with cacao powder that Machado provided, with half a cup of water over the stove on low. I stirred the liquid for 10 to 15 minutes, as per her instructions. She had an optional instruction to bless, sing or chant to your cacao while brewing. I decided instead to silently say a mantra that I learned years prior in my yoga practice: “May all humans be happy. May all humans be healthy. May all humans be free.”
I clicked the Zoom link Machado provided and her infectious smile filled the screen. I returned the smile and felt a strong connection immediately.
She guided me through some breath work, invited me to set an intention for what she referred to as the “sacred ceremony” and shared some insight into the history of cacao.
She says there are so many conditioned beliefs that can hold us back from exciting new journeys. “Most of what we think, say and do is simply a repeat of the past. This is how conditioned we are,” Machado said.
She says that when we can grasp this understanding, we can begin to question all of our beliefs.
“A cacao ceremony can ignite a powerful peace, love and feeling of harmony,” she said.
My intention came to me suddenly: to realize that I’m deserving of the love I give to others. Since childhood, I have conditioned myself to think that if I don’t go with the flow and don’t speak up for myself, that I will be discarded or, as they say in therapy, abandoned. This isn’t based on any facts, but for much of my life I convinced myself speaking up, or what I saw as being difficult, would push others away. In short, I was a people pleaser afraid to rock the boat. I realized it was time to say goodbye to that way of thinking.
With my intention set, I listened to Machado’s soothing voice with my eyes closed, hearing the sounds of frogs and insects from the pond outside her open hotel window in Tanzania.
With my focus on my breath, my mental state changed. I was no longer thinking about to-do lists or stressing about anything.
Machado instructed me to pick up my mug and to mindfully observe the contents inside. I found myself in a deeply meditative state. I was deeply present and was looking to find shapes within the drink, as if looking for patterns in clouds in the sky.
“The cacao is not a psychedelic, unlike some other master plant medicines and, for this reason, many dismiss it and feel it’s not a consciousness-altering medicine,” Machado said. “When in fact it’s so powerful at helping us gently to expand our awareness and allowing us to see things from a higher perspective.”
She says it can alter your state without making you “high” like some other plant medicines, and that you can experience an elated state.
And I did.
In the room with me, on a screen, doing the exact same thing as I was from halfway across the world, was Machado. Both of us sitting in near-silence, sipping, breathing and swaying to the soft sounds of music she had put on in the background. We spent about 10 minutes slowly sipping the liquid from our mugs. I took small sips, as the liquid was quite bitter and strong, but I enjoyed each sip and the taste of dark chocolate. Next time, I’ll use oat milk instead of water.
As we sat there sipping, I became aware of the power of shared energy and that remained with me as the ceremony continued. How truly healing it is to experience something like a shared hour and a half with a stranger! To take the time to be aware of my thoughts without passing judgment, and to take time in my day to focus solely on sipping the cacao and then being open to its effects. This “me time” allowed me to feel more connected to myself, my mind and the intimacy we shared. It’s easy to escape to avoid looking within, but knowing I dedicated time to this session and for myself, I honoured it.
As Machado guided me through a visualization with music playing in the background, which she sometimes sang along with, I sat cross-legged with my eyes closed with a heightened awareness of who I am, what has held me back and how I’ve grown in spite of it.
I thought about a devastating breakup I was blindsided by 10 years ago and how, at the time, I didn’t think it was possible to cope with the loss. I was so vulnerable in that relationship and loved so purely that the loss made me feel that I’m undeserving of real love.
What a difference 10 years makes — looking back, it seems like a different life; I don’t recognize myself.As I sat there I played a montage in my head of what I’ve accomplished as a result of that loss and I felt fulfilled. I thought about all of the love in my life, and my heart felt so full and complete in that unexpected moment. I realized, for the first time maybe ever: I am happy with what I have, in this moment.
“Pause is your best friend,” she said. “When we acknowledge, we bring it to life. From there, we can create a whole new belief.”
When our session ended I went about my day more mindfully, motivated by the energy from the cacao, a stimulant. I went to bed at peace and had a vivid dream of reuniting with my late bubbie Lola, where we caught up and shared secrets.
I was convinced this was thanks to the cacao. In a followup email to Machado, I asked if this was possible.
She wrote back: “Cacao is such a powerful heart-opening medicine and when we bring presence and intention and honouring to the ceremony, the cacao works with us in unbelievable ways!”