CEREMONIAL CACAO & CACAO CEREMONIES
I attended my first cacao ceremony 2017 when I was living in LA and it changed my life forever. Tata Pedro Cruz- one of the few surviving members of the Mayan Council of the Elders of Tz'utujil and his daughter Nana Marina Cruz who is a spiritual leader, was visiting town and we were a group gathering around a sacred fire in Venice beach. We learned more about the sacred fire, cacao, tobacco and we got to sing some traditional songs. My mind was blown away and my heart was wide open by their teachings and by this sacred plant medicine cacao. A fruit that like so many other sacred plants like tobacco and the coca plant has got abused and processed into toxic products like cigarettes, chocolate and cocaine- The plant spirits are not happy about that!
I bought a few blocks of their magical cacao and started to drink it on a daily basis, creating my own mini ceremony in the morning before going to my stressful job. In a few days I wasn't craving coffee anymore which was one of my big addictions. I felt I got all the energy I needed from the cacao but opposite of coffee, cacao does not affect the nervous system so I didn't have the big energy dips and my jitters improved as well. Like that wasn't enough my hormonal acne disappeared within a month of drinking ceremonial cacao, just like that. I had been working for years to balance my hormones with no good result and here it was, so easy, so delicious and such a powerful healer.
I was surprised not more people knew about this pure cacao translated "food of the gods" and all wonders it can do to our physical and mental health. I decided I wanted to learn everything about this medicine and bring it to my friends and family in Sweden and have since then been on a mission to create and spread my own blends with different adaptogens, superfoods, herbs and spices to make it easy for you to incorporate this medicine into your life.
I have lived in the jungle in Cost Rica where I got to experience the entire process from harvesting the fruit, to fermenting, roasting, peeling, grinding to making a cup of delicious well earned cup of cacao and I am excited and passionate about educating about this entire process, the health benefits and the difference in both process and benefits of artisanal/ ceremonial cacao vs processed cacao powder or chocolate you buy in the store.
You can read more about it in Swedish on my blog or in English further down on this page (Coming soon).
Today, I still drink at least a cup a day and my skin is glowing, my hormones are balanced, I have energy, a calm nervous system, my cravings are no longer existing, and my heart is open which makes it easy for me to follow her direction. I am forever grateful for this medicine and all the magical people that makes it possible for me to drink her in and make it possible for me to share this medicine with all of you.
I am bringing 2 different kinds of ceremonial/ artisanal cacao to Sweden from the sacred Lake Atitlan from my friends at Lavalove and Ruk’u’x’Ulew.
And for those of you who don't have the time or energy (YET!) to make your own blends, you can purchase my own handcrafted adaptogenic blends supercharged with healthy mushrooms, superfoods, spices and herbs.
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Ruk’u’x’Ulew Cacao
Is a 100% Mayan owned, all indigenous women’s collective producing artisanal Guatemalan grown ceremonial Cacao.
They are such amazing woman and their cacao is so healing and delicious and I am proud to be their authorised reseller in Scandinavia..
They source all their premium ceremonial grade cacao from Alta Verapaz, Guatemala and process it in San Marcos La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Each bean is fermented, sun-dried, lightly roasted and peeled by hand. It is milled in small batches and is such unique, artisanal cacao with a traditional chocolate flavor and some hints of blackberry. I love just sitting around their collective, smelling the cacao getting roasted and watching the beans get peeled with love and laughter.
I ship only to Europe at the moment.
Every purchase of this heart opening cacao supports Mayan indigenous people through ethical direct trade, and helps them preserve their spiritual traditions and values.
LavaLove Cacao
Thanks to Cacao, Izaias & Izabel are lovers, parents and healers, following the path that was meant for them. Their calling is to educate people from any background to connect with the origin of cacao and make good use of this sacred heart medicine, making the knowledge of its values available as well as the physical benefits that has to our bodies. I absolutely love their very potent ceremonial cacao and to sit with them in ceremony is something I wish for everyone to get to experience.
Lavalove's cacao is harvested on the Pacific coast of Guatemala and their blend is the result of a selection from various local farmers who preserve their Criollo cacao trees, who look after their cacao plantations organically (without chemical fertilizers).
The aroma of their cacao is soft in the mouth, with floral notes and powerful earthy flavours in the end.
Lavalove Cacao is committed to providing ceremonial cacao and treating it as a sacred food and a medicine. Its production is aligned with respect for the environment, including roasting, grinding and biodegradable packaging.
Coming soon in the shop so email for inquires and purchases. I ship only to Europe at the moment.
SOME AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF CEREMONIAL CACAO
HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Ceremonial cacao has possibly the highest amount of antioxidants of any food- more than Acai and blueberries and can help you boost your immune system.
INCREASES ENERGY AND FOCUS
Cacao increases the blood flow to the brain, creating more mental agility, awareness, energy and focus but without making you jittery like caffeine can do for some including myself.
MAKES YOU HAPPY AND RELAXED
Drinking ceremonial cacao on a regular basis can have therapeutic health benefits, including creating new neural pathways that change our daily experience to include more joy, love, and connection. How amazing? Cacao helps boost our serotonin and dopamine levels and also helps release some other dope joy and bliss molecules. A natural anti depressant with no side effects that can also help relieve emotional stress.
BALANCING TO HORMONAL HEALTH
I personally got rid of my hormonal acne in less than a month of drinking cacao and reduced my PMS symtoms, menstrual cramps and bad mood around my moon time. Need a say more?
IT'S AN APHRODISIAC
Phenethylamine is a chemical, which occurs in small quantities in cacao and it stimulates the nervous system and triggers the release of pleasurable opium-like compounds known as endorphins. It also activates dopamine, which is associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. Cacao actually promotes the brain chemistry of feeling in love- in yourself, a partner and in life.
CONTAINS MANY BENEFICIAL MINERALS
Consuming cacao can replenish minerals vital to our body that many of us in the western world are deficient in i.e magnesium that helps your body relax as well as iron, zink, copper and calcium to name a few.
CACAO CEREMONY
Different to the chocolate most of us are accustomed to, cacao is used as a potent beverage in ceremony for healing, heart-opening and connecting more with who we truly are.
I truly recommend attending a traditional Mayan cacao ceremony facilitated by Izaias and Isabelle or Nana Marina. They are both touring the world and have virtual ceremonies that I will happily help you sign up for if you are interested.
I want to inspire you to bring the element of ceremony into your everyday life by starting the day with making a cup of heart opening cacao, lighting a candle, maybe burning some blessing herbs, writing a page in your gratitude journal, singing a song, shaking off yesterdays worries, bringing out your inner child and dance for a few minutes not caring about what it looks like, just caring about what it feels like. Or whatever you need to do to start your day in the best way possible. It doesn't have to be a big thing, 5 minutes of me- time is better than no time at all.
I love to gather in a circle sharing cacao, telling the stories of where it comes from, to give gratitude to everyone who made it possible for us to drink this powerful heart medicine, to share songs, dance, breath, meditate, journal and connect.
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