The Setting
When preparing to drink ceremonial Cacao, the first step is to set up your space. Making your space clear, cozy, and inviting is just as important as the process of making the Cacao.
We encourage you to feel into what you’re needing in this moment. Do you need some quiet, reflective time to integrate other experiences from your week? Or would you rather dance, stretch, or go for a walk in nature? An overarching question to ask yourself could be, “What would I like to do to nourish myself today?”
Once you feel like you’re centered, you can begin making your Cacao!
The Tools
A tea kettle or pot
A wooden spoon, molinillo, hand whisk, frother, or blender. Hand whisks and frothers are great for single servings while blenders are great when sharing Cacao with friends or family
A cutting board + knife (if using bars)
A scale. Cacao Lab bars have lines to indicate servings, so a scale is not always necessary
A mixing vessel
The Recipe
Ingredients
Ceremonial Grade Cacao
For Meditation: 22-30g
For Ceremony: 40-50g
5-8 oz of hot water
Sweetener to taste (optional)
Suggested non-processed sugars: agave, honey, panela, maple
Vegan milks (optional)
Oatmilk
Almond milk
Hemp milk
Instructions
1. Heat up water to just under boiling
2. While heating up water, begin to chop or grate the ceremonial grade Cacao
3. Mix chopped Cacao with either a tea infusion or hot water using a frother, blender, or whisk.
Quality of water is an important component: filtered water is preferred.
The Boosters
Adding natural boosters to your Cacao can be both healthy and delicious. Here are a few we love:
Blue Lotus | Blue Lotus has been used by many ancient civilizations in Egypt to connect to the dream world in a lucid way.
Cinnamon | Great for balancing flavor. Assists in circulation of blood and the pelvic/reproductive region in women.
Coriander | Rich in magnesium. Aids in digestion and reduces nausea. Anti-inflammatory. Stimulates cognitive function and memory.
Damiana | Acts as a nervous system relaxant, helping you to cope with lack of libido due to stress, depression, and anxiety.
Hibiscus | Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Promotes healthy liver function. Reduces menstrual cramps.
Lemon Balm | Mood Elevator. Good for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Helpful in anxiety, acute stress, and heading off a temper tantrum!
Maca | Increases strength and energy levels without the crash. Heightens libido. The Inca call it a gift from the gods.
Reishi | Helpful in balancing hyper and hypo-immune conditions, including Lyme. Calming adaptogen used for anxious people with stress induced symptoms.
The Enjoyment
You can simply enjoy your Cacao in silent thought or in a happy conversation with a loved one. However, we also love all of the following with our Cacao practice:
Meditate
Drinking a cup of ceremonial Cacao (preferably 30g) before meditating has the potential to help you settle into the practice deeper.
Journal
Another great pairing for Cacao is journaling. Taking time to reflect on your day while writing out your thoughts and feelings allows you to make more space for new sensations to arrive.
Move
Lastly, adding Cacao to a movement ritual is a great way to promote health. The type of movement can range from walking, stretching, swimming, yoga, dance, and much more!
Learn more about the ways these ways to incorporate Cacao into your everyday rituals