Cacao Ceremony and Forest Bathing fit together like the perfect united couple.
The cacao ceremony involves savoring and appreciating raw cacao in a certain way to experience its special effects (we’ll talk more about those shortly).
Those effects can enrich your forest bathing sessions far beyond your “normal” experience. It’s a really potent way to uplevel your practice.
You can get more life out of your time in the forest! (And I’m all about getting more life out of everything!)
And hey, cacao comes from a tree. How much more closely aligned with the forest can you get?
So, let’s get into the nitty gritty about cacao, how to perform a cacao ceremony, and how cacao fits with forest bathing.
Watch the video of the cacao ceremony
A little overview of cacao
What is cacao?
First of all, what we’re talking about here is raw ceremonial-grade cacao (pronounced cuck-cow), not hot cocoa (pronounced coh-coh). These two things fall on completely different ends of the spectrum.
Both come from the cacao tree, but cacao maintains its full original properties and fats while cocoa and chocolate are highly processed and refined, stripped of their full benefits.
Ok so, cacao comes from the beans inside cacao tree seed pods. The cacao beans undergo minimal processing to preserve the nutritional profile and nothing gets added in. Some companies lightly roast them, grind them, and shape the melted into discs while others mold them into large blocks.
Cocoa powder and chocolate, on the other hand, get heated to higher temperatures, stripped of their fats, and mixed with additives and preservatives to soften the flavor and increase shelf life.
Now, even deeper considerations go into “ceremonial grade” cacao, such as ethical sourcing and how the traditions are honored. While there isn’t an industry standard for “ceremonial grade,” you can certainly assess how well a company honors the process by reading about their processes.
[Read the extensive preservation process Firefly goes through here]
If you go to the store and buy 100% cocoa powder or chocolate, you’re not getting the right thing. It’s not widely available. In fact, most of your standard grocery stores don’t carry raw cacao. You have to purchase it online or at a special health food store, and the cost should be higher to account for the judicious process behind making it.
When I was looking for ceremonial-grade cacao, I chose Firefly because of their superior standards and the heart behind their products. I also prefer my cacao in disc form. Here’s a referral link for a 5% discount. And while you’re there, check out the fabulous resources they have on their site.
Benefits of Cacao
With all of its natural properties intact, raw cacao has the nutritional benefits worthy of a superfood.
The rich, dark fruit has an abundance of minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and flavanols which support brain and heart health. (If you think dark chocolate is good for you, you should compare how much better raw cacao is.)
One of the most notable benefits of cacao is its heart-opening effect. The compounds in cacao can increase blood flow up to 30%. Blood literally flows through your body better and makes you feel more expansive energy. You might feel what might be described as a “rush” like a caffeine high without the jittery effect.
Raw cacao can also have a mood-boosting effect, impacting serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. It promotes feelings of bliss without altering your perceptions like a drug (it’s not a drug!)
Not only that, but cacao has a fantastic fat, fiber, and protein profile.
How to Prepare Cacao
Once you get your cacao, and you’re ready to try it, you need to prepare it right to get the most out of it. The cacao I got came with a pamphlet about how to prepare it.
If your cacao comes in disc form, you’re ready to go. If it comes in block form, you need to shave or grate a portion of cacao from the block.
- Measure out the proper portion of cacao discs or shaved cacao. A good place to start is with 0.5 oz cacao for a normal dose and 1.5 oz for a ceremonial dose. Use a kitchen scale to measure out the cacao.
- Heat 1/2 C (thick) – 1 C (thinner) water or nut milk to the desired temperature (less than boiling) in the microwave or on the stove.
- Combine the cacao with the water and blend.
- Pour the cacao into your favorite mug. Appreciate the sound and texture of the pour (it’s like ASMR).
- If you prefer your drink sweetened, stir in a natural sweetener like raw honey or maple syrup.
From there, you can experiment with spices, doses, and thicknesses until you find your soul match.
Now, before you take a drink, let’s talk about how to fully enjoy that rich cup of cacao.
Elements of Cacao Ceremony
The cacao ceremony is an opportunity to fully enjoy and feel the effects of cacao–as opposed to just slugging it down without a second thought or care.
I like to compare the cacao ceremony to a writer delineating their writing time from the rest of their day by lighting a candle. You can use the cacao ceremony to distinguish your forest bathing practice from everyday life. Cacao has a ritualistic quality to it because it’s a pretty special drink.
Now, you don’t have to make an entire ceremony out of this, but there is an opportunity for one here. Your religious beliefs may dictate that rituals can detract from your worship, if you’re not careful. Others, on the other hand, get even more eccentric with their rituals than this. So, I just want to talk about some foundational elements of the cacao ceremony, and you can make it your own from there.
Prayer
The first step of the cacao ceremony involves showing appreciation for this gift in some way, whether that’s through prayer or gratitude. Just take a few moments to say “thank you.”
Savor
Like with a wine tasting, this step involves experiencing your cacao with your senses. You might swirl the drink and take in all the qualities of the cacao, such as the color, thickness, and aroma.
First sip
The first sip is the most important. No sip tastes quite as potent or new as that first swallow. So, savor it. Take a slow, careful sip, with your eyes closed, and appreciate everything about the flavor. You might even think about how you might describe the flavor.
Appreciation
After your first sip, you want to keep savoring the drink. You don’t want to chug it or ignore it. You want to sip on it, appreciate it, and pay attention to the effect it has on your body. Let it play out through your piqued energy.
How to Incorporate Cacao Ceremony with Forest Bathing
You can integrate the ceremony into your sit spot or designate it as your “opening ceremony” for forest bathing. Then, continue on with your invitations and let the effect bring more life to your shinrin-yoku practice.
Traditionally, forest bathing culminates in a tea ceremony.
Now, it’s up to you whether you swap the tea ceremony for the cacao ceremony, incorporate both, or do neither. Make your practice your own.
I will say the heart-opening effect of cacao has a better fit at the beginning of your practice. It carries on through your session to make it more open and energetic. So, you can open with cacao and close with tea. I just wouldn’t close with cacao and miss out on the amazing benefits it provides for your practice.
I’m of the camp of belief that forest bathing should be nourishing and unhindered. Practice the way that makes you happy and works for you.
A word of caution: there are some contraindications to drinking cacao, particularly if you’re on antidepressants or blood thinners. Make sure to do your research and talk to your doctor if you have any questions concerns. I am not a healthcare professional or cacao expert, by any means, so nothing I say supersedes the advice of your doctor.
I want to hear from you:
Tell me about your experiences with cacao. Has this piqued your interest in the cacao ceremony? Do you plan on incorporating cacao ceremony into your forest bathing practice?