Holistic wellness is rooted in the idea that
there are five aspects underpinning our health:
physical, emotional, mental,
spiritual, and social.
All of these areas form the delicate balance of our
wellbeing, and forsaking any one of them for too long will eventually lead to
unbalance and disease.
How can Cacao help? Let's explore.
Cacao and Physical Health
Theobromine for lasting energy
Ceremonial Cacao is packed with theobromine—a chemical relative of caffeine. However, theobromine delivers a much more even, long-lasting energy than its jittery cousin. What would happen if you cut out the coffee and enjoyed your morning boost without the mid-day crash?
Learn about theobromine's action in the body
An antioxidant powerhouse
Ceremonial grade Cacao is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on Earth. Fight aging and disease while enjoying a delicious cup of Cacao? It doesn't get any better than this.
Incredible nutrient density
Ceremonial grade Cacao is among the greatest vegan sources of calming magnesium and circulation-supporting iron in the world.
Emotional Processing with Cacao
A Cacao practice, whether daily or occasional, can serve as an important forum upon which to truly sit with ourselves. Life can be overwhelming, and we may find ourselves not paying attention to the feelings that bubble up constantly inside us, or worse, we never allow ourselves to feel certain things at all. These are deep emotional blockages that are often difficult to move past simply by meditating on them. For many in our community, sipping Cacao while also paying attention to these emotional phenomena– not judging them or even trying to “correct” them– can make the processing easier.
In addition to a mindfulness practice around Cacao, journaling with the plant to be tremendously helpful. Do not attempt to process the moment– simply allow the thoughts and feelings to come through the pen and live on the page. A natural opening that comes along with Cacao makes this process flow a bit better for many. On another day, revisit the journal and reflect, or just let any negative emotions wilt there on the page, now bound to the paper and not to your psyche.
Spiritual Practice with Cacao
Perhaps no human experience is more unique or profound than the relationship we have with that which is beyond vision. For some, spirituality is an intensely individual experience – something that may be more about our internal connection to a grounding force. For others, it is necessarily a group activity – spirituality is about the Oneness of without, rather than the eternal connection of the within. For a multitude, it is somewhere in between.
How Cacao may guide you on your spiritual path is dependent upon your connection with the nature of the plant and your identification with the years of ritual and ceremony that link you to those that have found wisdom in it before you. However, one thing is for sure: whether your Cacao ritual is a solitary moment of reflection or a joyous meeting amongst loved ones, there is always room for spiritual growth through Cacao.
Cacao for Mental Support
Mental wellness is the optimal support of our cognition. How do we keep our synapses firing so that we’re present and capable? As we have all experienced, general physical illness usually translates to poor mental wellness, so the dietary benefit Cacao provides to our whole body is an important aide to our brain balance. However, Cacao has some molecules that aide our mental processes, particularly. Cacao is packed with tryptophan for serotonin synthesis, tyramine and phenylethylamine (PEA) to support dopamine regulation, and endocannabinoid system supporters like anandamide to aide in mind-body homeostasis. Couple these benefits with evidence that theobromine increases oxygenation of the brain’s gray matter, improving mental clarity and acuity, and Cacao can have big impacts on our mental wellness.
Get Social with Cacao
As mentioned previously, a Cacao ritual can be a solitary practice for some. But there are equal and often greater joys to be found in sharing a cup in community. This is the concept behind the Cacao community circle—a place to be open and share ourselves with our peers. Both supporting others and being supported is vital to our holistic wellness, and in these times of earphones in, heads down, it takes intentional space-making for our social needs. So, we invite you to take a little time for your friends.