Cacao ceremonies have been used for centuries and are revered as one of the greatest heart-openers. Cacao ceremonies are a wonderful way to bring your awareness inward and open up the pathways to receive exactly what you need at this moment. Cacao also delivers vitamins and minerals in addition to increasing blood flow to the brain which may help strengthen awareness and focus.
Let’s not forget about cacao’s superfood ability to help detoxify, boost immunity, and aid in overall wellness. It’s no wonder why this delicious superfood has been used for ages by some of the most wisdom-filled cultures on earth. It is said that a cacao ceremony may also assist in energetic realignment and gaining clarity in the areas of purpose, love, intuitive abilities, and career and personal growth.
Without further ado, here’s how to set up your own sacred cacao ceremony at home.
STEP ONE – CREATING THE SACRED SPACE
Create a relaxed space where you feel comfortable and undistracted.
This will help you fully settle into the present moment. Some common items include pillows, a blanket, incense, crystals, a pencil and a journal. If you are comfortable, you can smudge the area with sage or palo santo.
STEP TWO – PREPARE YOUR CACAO
Begin the Ceremony by Opening the Space
Now that your space is ready and you’ve prepared the Boku Coco Love cacao, it’s time to begin!
The first step of every cacao ceremony is to “open the space.” You do this by following these steps:
- With a straight spine, sit on your chair, blanket, or cushion.
- With both hands, lift your cacao up to the center of your chest and gently close your eyes.
- Set the clear intention of letting go of all outside thoughts that might pop up over the next 10 minutes during which you’ll be holding your ceremony. Give yourself this time to be fully focused on the ceremony.
- Take a deep five-second-long breath in, hold that breath for five seconds, and then release it in a five-second-long breath out. Repeat that process two more times for a total of three breaths.
- Mindfully smell your cacao, breathing it in deeply.
- Mindfully lower your cacao cup back to the center of your chest and take a moment to be aware of all of the different sensations you may feel.
State What You’re Grateful For
In this calm state, keep your eyes closed, hold the cacao with both hands at your chest, and take a deep breath. Then say what you’re grateful for aloud.
You can say this with a phrase like “I am grateful for X,” “I feel grateful for Y,” or “I’m so thankful for Z.” Feel each phrase deeply and say it sincerely.
There might be 25 or 3 things you’re grateful for that day. The amount doesn’t matter. What matters is that you only say things that you truly feel gratitude for in that moment.
Set an Intention for the Day
After you’ve said everything you’re grateful for, set your intention for the day.
Simply put, setting an intention is the act of coming up with a specific phrase that reminds you of something you’d like to embody during the day.
The more specific you can get, the higher your chance you will succeed. For example, your intention could be to keep anxiety to a minimum that day. In that case, you could set the intention to “take 3 deep breaths when I start to feel anxious.” Or, your intention might be to nourish your body throughout the day. In that case, you could set the intention to reach for something healthy and nutritive when you are hungry.
Drink your Cacao!
Mindfully bring your cacao up from your chest and delight in the aroma (in the same sense that you would with a cup of coffee or your favorite wine.
As you take your first sip, focus completely on the experience. Close your eyes. Taste it fully. Feel the liquid travel from your mouth, down to the rest of your body, bringing nourishment and heart-opening properties along the way.
Once you’ve fully embraced that first sip, enjoy the rest of your cacao however you please. You may choose to read a passage of a book that incites feelings you enjoy. Or, you may choose to journal. Whatever you do is up to you as long as it doesn’t involve your phone, doesn’t distract you from the main purpose of this exercise, and incites joy!
Remember, the more we love ourselves, the more we can radiate out that love and make conscious choices for the greater good.