Ceremonial Cacao Explained.
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What is ceremonial cacao?
In its rawest form, Cacao is found as bean-like seeds within the rip orange or yellow fruit pods of the Theobroma cacao tree, native to Central and South America. The three main varieties of cocoa plant are Forastero, Trinitario and Criollo. The first is the most widely used, producing a common and hardy bean that makes up 80–90% of cocoa's world production - or what we know as conventional chocolate and even store-bought cacao powders. The Criollo plant's cacao beans are much rarer and considered a delicacy, and ceremonial cacao comes from this variety. However, for this rare cacao bean to be considered ‘ceremonial grade’, it must also be grown, dried, fermented and prepared in a way that preserves it’s biochemical and energetic qualities. This means it should be fair-trade, sustainably sourced and lovingly produced by the local community, who treat both the plant and the land from which it grows with the utmost respect and reverence. Ceremonial grade cacao is minimally processed and undiluted with fats or sugars; it is as nature intended.
What is so impressive about cacao’s biochemistry?
Cacao is profoundly nourishing on a physical level, boasting a list of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and chemical compounds so robust the line between food and medicine becomes blurred. Fermented or ceremonial grade cacao has the highest concentration of antioxidants found in any food source on earth, 40 times that of blueberries. These small Criollo beans are packed with magnesium, chromium, manganese, calcium, zinc, copper, iron (the highest plant-based source), and potassium, as well as vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9, omega-6 fatty acids and honestly, the list, goes on. They also potentiate the effects of other superfoods you may have in your diet, like fungi or spirulina. Cacao has cardiovascular health benefits due to the abundant concentration of flavanols and the ability to significantly increase blood flow to the heart and brain, which creates heightened mental agility, awareness, and focus. Cacao is effective for lowering high blood pressure and has been used to help treat high cholesterol, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and many other conditions. It stimulates the liver, detoxify our physical (and emotional) bodies - but we’ll get to the spiritual part in a minute, first more on the brain…
When it comes to neurotransmitters, cacao is an absolute powerhouse. It triggers the release of dopamine, the chemical compound responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. It is the only food source on earth found to contain anandamide, also known as the ‘bliss chemical’ for the feelings of joy it elicits. Anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid that fits into the cannabinoid receptor sites of cells in the nervous system, directly affecting our mood. Furthermore, it contains the precursor to the ‘happiness hormone’, the amino acid tryptophan, which provides the essential building blocks for serotonin production. And I’m not even done yet, cacao also contains oxytocin, the ‘bonding hormone’ and phenylethylamine (PEA) known as the ‘love molecule’, this is the chemical compound responsible for that wonderful lust-filled honeymoon stage and its associated ability to overlook or reframe all those red flags.
For more on the science and benefits of cacao, see this video from David Tomen of Nootropics Experts, a website and YouTube channel dedicated to examining optimum cognitive functioning.
Why is cacao considered a sacred plant medicine?
Cacao has been used ceremonially for thousands of years and is deeply rooted in Pre-classic Mayan civilisation, as early as 600 BC. The first evidence of cacao cultivation comes from the Olmec tradition around 4000 years ago in the region known today as Mexico. Later, for the Maya and Aztecs, the cacao tree would serve as a metaphorical conduit by which souls could travel between worlds. The drinking of frothy cacao played a central role in the rituals of birth, death and rebirth. Warriors also used it for sustenance, courage, and fortification before battle. Cacao was associated with the gods, as well as with healing, fertility, and ecological harmony. Some of the spiritual names of cacao from various cultures include: ‘food of the gods’, ‘rainbow medicine’, ‘medicine of the heart’, ‘wisdom keeper’ and ‘sacred seed’. Knowledge of how to prepare, ferment and press the beans was originally entrusted to women, and the spirit of the plant was often considered feminine, associated with the goddess Ixcacao. There are many myths and legends surrounding cacao, but they all have a common thread telling how: when man becomes careless with nature, cacao helps restore balance.
Though the sacred use of this incredible plant was almost forgotten, it is returning. This concept of animism seems foreign to most adults today. Still, many ancient and indigenous cultures considered plants to have spirits or consciousnesses associated with them, referred to as devas in Sanskrit. Certain plants with strong medicinal benefits were known to be master or teacher plants (now often referred to as entheogen) and included Ayahuasca, Chacruna, San Pedro, Peyote and Salvia. These plant devas were respected and approached with humility and offerings by shamans seeking their healing and divination. Cacao is one of these plants, and when it is respectfully consumed with the intention of self-transformation, it can have beautiful spiritual effects. It can act as a powerful heart-opener, connecting us to our intuition, the natural world and unseen guidance. Its unique alchemy can awaken powerful creative energies and reconnect us to our highest human potential. It can show us how forward when we’re feeling stuck; it can transform fear, help us recognise and release blocks, patterns, and limiting beliefs buried deep in our subconscious, restoring emotional balance. Ultimately, I believe cacao’s greatest lesson is balance - of living in complete alignment with one’s authentic self and one’s environment.
Given the meditative, introspective space provided during Yin yoga, it is easy to see why the two are incredibly complimentary.
References
Garti, N. & Widlak, N. R., (2012). Cocoa Butter and Related Compounds. Netherlands: Elsevier Inc.
McNeil, C. L. (2009). Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao. FL, USA: University Press of Florida.
Sathyapalan, T., Beckett, S., Rigby, A. S., Mellor, D. D. & Atkin, S. L., ‘High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome’. Nutr J. 2010 Nov 22; 9:55.
Wilson, P. K. & Jeffrey Hurst, W. (2015). Chocolate, and Health: Chemistry, Nutrition and Therapy. Royal Society of Chemistry.
Wolfe, D. (2008). Naked Chocolate: Uncovering the Astonishing Truth About the World’s Greatest Food. CA, USA: North Atlantic Books.