Cacao Ceremony and Plant Medicine with Jenna Anne

What even is a cacao ceremony and what does chocolate have to do with ritual? While many people treat cacao as a superfood, in a ceremonial context, it is treated as a plant medicine with proven results. Chocolate has an interesting history. Long before it was packaged up as chocolate bars it was considered a “Gift from the Gods,” a currency and even sacred medicine in Mesoamerican cultures. Today the interest in “Cacao Ceremonies” is on the rise. In a cacao ritual, ceremonial grade cacao, an extreamly pure cacao is used which is thought to have lots of health benefits. From a physiological perspective, the magic of the ceremony is backed by some pretty fascinating spirituallity. Unlike your morning coffee which makes you all janky and wired by hitting your nervous system, cacao contains Theobromine, a vasodilator that relaxes your body while sharpening the mind. the there's the Anandamide or the so-called bliss molecule, and Phenylethylamine (PEA) which is the same chemical your brain releases when you fall in love. Nelufar explais how it makes her feel really similar in this episode of Ritually. Our guide for this episode is Jenna-Anne and she's been working with Cacao for about seven years, using it to reflect, meditate, set-intentions and guide others through a sacred process. Fascinated by Cacao, Jenna-Anne went to one of the centres of cacao rituals in Guatemala where she was given permission by the elders to go on and share cacao rituals, something that's stayed with her throughout her practice. So grab yourself a cuppa' and listen along orr better yet - why not make yourself a cup of Cacao and watch Nelufar and Jenna-Anne embark on this Cacao ritual live together in the studio. sipping on their ceremonial cacao, they delve into the 3,000 year history of Cacao, the spiritual benefits, the impacts of Cacao on women - particularly on their periods and see if this is just the latest wellness trend or whether you should be sourcing some ceremonial grade Cacao too. You can find Jenna Anne on instagram @jenna_anne_remedy_arts Host Nelufar Hedayat is on instagram @nelufar.h Follow Ritually on @TheRituallyPod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/join-plus/