Cacao Ceremonies: A Sip-By-Sip Guide To This Heart-Opening Practice

At its core, a cacao ceremony is any sort of ceremony in which a cacao beverage is consumed to elevate the spiritual ritual(s) being practiced.

I've attended two cacao ceremonies, both a little different—and both incredibly powerful. One involved ecstatic dance, the other, meditation and breathwork. The first took place during an ecstatic dance camping retreat, and the second at a more casual afternoon workshop. My experience goes to show that no two cacao ceremonies are alike.

Moses Draper, the co-founder of Embue Cacao—a supplier of ceremonial cacao sourced from Guatemala—tells mbg that this is one thing that people often get wrong about cacao ceremonies. In reality, they don't have an exact format and can look a number of different ways.

"There are commonalities," Draper notes, adding, "often people start out with the cacao, and there's some kind of focused intentional starting point with consuming it."

From there, he says "there's really a lot of possibilities. Common ones are ecstatic dance, yoga, meditation, inner processing, or more specific seasonal ceremonies."

Since their itineraries vary, it's hard to know with certainty what to expect during a cacao ceremony. But I can tell you that both ceremonies I've attended started with intention setting and mindfully drinking the cacao.

The first ceremony was all about dropping into your heart space and simply dancing to your heart's content (for hours). The second was a bit more structured. We paired off with someone we didn't know and were instructed to ask our partner personal, reflective questions. Then, we were guided through a meditation and breathwork practice, before the ceremony opened up into free-flowing music and dancing.

While cacao is most definitely stimulating, it's not considered a psychedelic. The FDA classifies cacao as "generally regarded as safe," and its effects are fairly mild, even in the higher doses that you might drink in a ceremony. It is completely legal to purchase, and shouldn't cause any adverse side effects (though those who are on antidepressants, particularly MAOIs and some SSRIs, will want to talk to their doctor before trying it).

As for how it works, Draper explains that cacao contains a molecule called theobromine, which is "kind of like a sister molecule to caffeine." Unlike caffeine, however, "its stimulating effects focus more on blood flow and the heart1 than on the nervous system, so people often experience [cacao] as a more grounded energy source than caffeine," he says.

Because of the way the theobromine significantly increases blood flow, Draper explains, people often experience a heart-opening sensation after drinking cacao. "It's easier to feel filled up with love, or open and connected to other people," he says.

You don't have to go to a full-blown spiritual ceremony to get the benefits of cacao in your life. This accessible superfood can be used on a more regular basis. "I think that's part of why there's been this explosion of interest," Draper says, "because so many people find it accessible to incorporate into whatever they're doing."

You could, for instance, incorporate cacao into your morning routine. Draper says that a small dose of around 1 ounce of cacao in hot water makes for a lovely, energizing tonic. "Take the time preparing it and sitting with it," he says, "and maybe even do a short meditation or some journaling. That can be a great way to start the day."