Cacao and Loneliness
It’s UK Mental Health Awareness Week from 9 – 15 May and this year the theme is Loneliness.
Did you know that ceremonial grade cacao can be an effective natural support for mental health concerns like stress, anxiety and depression?
Not only does cacao have incredible mood-boosting properties, but drinking it in community can be the perfect antidote to loneliness and isolation.
In this blog, we’re celebrating this very special ancient superfood and exploring why it’s still so beneficial for our mental health and well-being today.
Drinking cacao in community
Our ancestors would regularly come together to drink cacao and other healing brews in rituals and ceremonies, a tradition that is making a come back in contemporary life, and which is profoundly beneficial for our sense of well-being and belonging.
At Ritual Cacao, we believe that drinking cacao in community can be the perfect antidote to loneliness and isolation. Cacao ceremonies offer a sacred space away from our stressful and chaotic world so we too can deeply listen to ourselves and others.
When we drink cacao together, we become attuned to the same vibration and frequency. And as we hear other people share experiences from their heart, we realise that it’s safe for us to do the same.
This can help alleviate anxiety, loneliness and isolation as we realise that we’re all connected to and part of a bigger whole.
Emotional and spiritual benefits of Cacao
Cacao is a powerful plant medicine with many amazing and life-affirming qualities that can naturally support our mental health and well-being.
She can help us release emotional blocks that no longer serve us, find forgiveness in ourselves and others, and show us the way forward if we are afraid of making changes in life.
By gently opening our heart, cacao enables us to access stuck emotions, conditioning, patterns of behaviour and addictions that may be buried deep in the unconscious.
The science behind cacao
· Cacao is one of the highest plant-based sources of magnesium, a natural relaxant and ‘sleep mineral’ which helps us deactivate adrenaline, calm nerves and get a good night’s rest.
· Cacao is a powerful source of four scientifically-proven ‘bliss molecules’: serotonin, anandamide, dopamine and phenylethylamine. Together, these chemicals deliver the same feel-good rush we experience after a workout or when we fall in love.
· Cacao contains theobromine, a gentle energy enhancer which unlike caffeine, is not a central nervous system stimulant so it won’t make you feel anxious, on edge or jittery.
· Cacao is packed full of nutrients, minerals and antioxidants like potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron and zinc that naturally boost our immune system and enhance our sense of well-being.
· Cacao is rich in flavanols and nitrates which dilate our blood vessels and enhance the flow of blood to the heart, helping us feel more loving, peaceful and open-hearted.
Our 21 Day Cacao Challenge
We’re excited to announce the return of our 21 Day Cacao Challenge! In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, we’ll be leading a 21-day journey taking you from stress and anxiety to peace and harmony.
Over the last two years we have all been bombarded with negative news which has impacted our energy levels, sleep patterns and relationships. If you have been suffering from heightened levels of stress and anxiety, we suggest trying cacao as part of your daily practice for 21 days to help you feel happier, more peaceful and harmonious.
Working with the Mental Health Awareness Week theme of Loneliness, the challenge will focus on connecting to the natural world and our own inner nature, as we work with cacao. You’ll share the journey with a loving and supportive community via a private Facebook group, enabling you to share your stories and experiences along the way.
With different levels to make the challenge accessible to everyone, you can choose to receive 21 days of email guidance, participate in opening and closing cacao ceremonies, join our special Q&A and receive a 500g package of our Tsatsayaku or Asháninka cacao.
The challenge begins on Sunday 8 May 2022 and you can sign up here.
Here’s what our previous participants had to say:
“Cacao has so many healing benefits… so far I feel uplifted and not over stimulated.” – @cariad.yoga
“What a happy space… my mornings feel lovely at the moment.” – @thiswitchesweightloss
“Feeling like a goddess now.” – @deerheart_woman
If you’re not able to join our 21-day Cacao Challenge, look out for this month’s free cacao ritual, which contains a simple practise you can do to at any time to support your mental health and well-being.
We also regularly run cacao ceremonies in person and online, so no matter where you are in the world, there’s always a cacao ceremony near you! Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to learn more about our latest cacao ceremonies.
