Oct 22

Oct 22 My first experience at a cocoa ceremony

A few weeks ago I spent five days in Mallorca at the BJJ & Yoga Festival and I’m still full of bliss and gratitude from this trip. My friend Nela (you can actually read where and how WE met in this article here :) came with me and we both had no idea what to expect when we took off in Berlin.

In the end, we experienced the most relaxing days, filled with fun and interesting workshops, lots of yoga and brazilian jiu jitsu classes (lead by internationally renowned teachers), sun bathing and meditation. Not only did we have the beautiful 5-star Gran Melia del Mar Hotel to ourselves - as it was closed to the public during the festival - we also got to experience our first cacao ceremony!

Read my complete journal of the cacao ceremony below…

…The ceremony is lead by Maywa and Steffen, also known as ALUNA, a lovely couple who travels the world together to share their medicine music and tools for transformation, conscious awareness and spiritual evolution.
The positive energy in the room has me excited about what’s to come. And as soon as we enter the space, I feel comfortable and at ease.

All the participants get comfortable on pillows and bolsters on the floor creating a circle around their hosts. After an introduction round, we learn more about the benefits of the cacao. Apparently, raw organic cacao is full of antioxidants, iron, magnesium and calcium, and it works as a mood elevator and anti-depressant.
There is increased blood flow and nutrition to the brain, heart and skin, the whole body is nourished, awareness and focus is heightened and sensations are intensified. You guessed it..it’s considered a superfood!

The brew is served out of a huge pot which is kept on a heating plate to keep it warm. We learn that raw organic cacao paste is melted in warm water with a mix of traditional spices for this ceremonial drink. Once we pass the cups around we close our eyes and we're guided through a short meditation “to re-connect and harmonize with the earth and all it's beings”.
I must admit…It takes me a little while to let my thoughts go and relax fully. The delightful smell of chocolate distracts me and makes it hard to resist the urge to take a sip right away - lol.

But then Maywa begins to sing. She encourages us to follow along. I don’t remember the exact words, which are Spanish, but the name of the song is Mama Cacao and the sound of her voice puts me in a deeply relaxed state right away.

Then, finally it’s time to drink! The brew tastes good, but due to the fact that we had to hold it in our hands so long, it’s now cold. But we're allowed to have as much cocoa as we want during the ceremony and I enjoy the second cup a lot more. It tastes nutty and rich and is quiet filling.

We’re asked to lie down on our backs spread out on blankets, and we’re taken on a meditative journey by Maywa. It’s a mix of her singing and guiding us to become one with nature.
I find myself in a deep meditative state (maybe even snooze) when Maywa takes us back to reality and asks us to sit back up. It almost feels like the unwanted sound of my alarm clock.

The next part of the ceremony is lead by Steffen. I like the fact that we're about to get our energy back up with some playful exercises. We’re asked to create a circle and hold each others hands. I can tell that some people feel uncomfortable by the thought of having to dance alone in that circle while everyone else is watching. But as soon as the first person goes in, we're all cheering, laughing, shouting and encouraging. The positive vibes and sense of community are inspiring and help overcome the last bit of insecurities. Nela and I go in together and I come up with the idea of running around high 5-ing everyone. Some other people perform their funniest and silliest moves and I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time.

We move on to more expressive dancing and physical contact exercises…like holding each others hands and massaging the person next to us. I guess being a yoga teacher is an advantage here as I find it quiet normal to touch strangers and give adjustments;) But I'm sure that some people feel uncomfortable with this excersice at first.

The ceremony is coming to an end. As my heart is still racing from all the dancing and jumping I let my body drop onto one of the day beds (the ceremony is held in the pool area) for the last sound meditation. Maywa is singing over some downtempo rave tracks that Steffen is playing with his DJ equipment.
I close my eyes and listen. Its said that cacao can also act as an aphrodisiac…I can confirm that. Can’t wait to share this interesting experience over some laughs with Nela after the ceremony.

We come together in a circle one last time. Hugging and thanking each other for the wonderful experience.