Thousands of years ago, native Mesoamerican civilisations considered cacao a sacred and ritualistic plant, which was consumed during virtually every ceremony of importance.
These rituals use cacao as a tool to connect with the Self and with the spirits, to relax or stimulate the body, for internal discovery, for clearing the mind, for recharging the soul and healing stagnant emotions.
Healing, focus, direction, self-love, learning or relaxation… this retreat is designed to hold you in whatever capacity you wish to consolidate the deep learning of your time with cacao.
Ceremony, ritual, workshops, circles, community, nature, culture, yoga, meditation, joy, healing…
This educational tree-to-cup experience will be nothing short of transformative:
A gift to yourself from yourself.
Renew your entire being (body, mind and soul) in the peaceful and beautiful settings of lush gardens nestle amongst terraced rice fields.
This is more than just a holiday with lots of cacao; it is an opportunity to work with the energies of this island, known as the land of the gods, and this heart-opening medicine of ceremonial cacao, known as the food of the gods.
Allow nature’s presence to sustain the natural unfolding of your own renewal. And allow for the wisdom of your heart to be revealed through working closely with some of the best ceremonial-grade cacao on the planet, which is grown on the island of Bali.
No matter what your personal intention is with this retreat, it is through joy, surrender, love and release in which deep transformation may occur. Know that you will be expertly facilitated and lovingly held.
If you are new to working with cacao, you are welcome to come learn!
If you already use cacao for health, healing or in a spiritual practice, you are welcome to come deepen your understanding!
If you are a ceremony facilitator and space holder, you are welcome to come and be held!
“When we listen to the wisdom of our own heart, navigating our journey with cacao, we will know balance, harmony, and deep connection to ourselves, each other and Mother Nature.” – Fran Siebrits, Cacao Alchemist
We will be learning about and working with one of the world’s finest quality ceremonial-grade cacaos that exist, grown in Bali.
During this time you can look forward to:
This retreat is offered to support personal growth, spiritual exploration, deep inspiration and connection… all according to each person’s own beliefs and practices.
We will be working with ceremonial-grade cacao which comes from beans which have been peeled, ground and packaged without any tempering (which requires extra heating), and without adding or removing anything, resulting in 100% pure cacao, that has been locally sourced in a 100% ethical way.
Our programme is designed to provide insight, education, inspiration, nourishment and nurturing. You will have time for relaxing and exploring, and are welcome to take it easy, in your own space and time as well.
12 Sep
12-17 Sep
17 Sep
The people of Bali (known as Balinese) have a philosophy which emphasises harmony between an our own ‘small worlds’ and the wider world around us, especially nature. Such harmony is essential for flowing with the unfolding patterns of life.
As you will observe during this retreat, it is easy to enter this flow and learn how to make it part of your life at home.
You will experience the essence of Balinese life simply by absorbing the natural setting from which this astonishing culture has emerged.
If you wish to extend your visit it is worth noting there are many traditional ceremonies punctuating the Balinese calendar throughout the year.
Your food will be full of life and nutrition, freshly prepared using organic, probiotic, life-nourishing ingredients:
The meals are vegan & vegetarian, freshly made, and sourced from locally available ingredients:
We believe you are what you eat & food is medicine in itself (just like cacao):
Heirloom vegetables grown locally in permaculture gardens and other organic sources will be used as much as possible:
And, of course, we will be additionally be nourishing our bodies, minds and souls with ceremonial-grade cacao!
“No second time has nature concentrated such an abundance of the most valuable nutrients in such a small space as it did with the cocoa bean.”
– Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), Naturalist
,All rooms have a beautiful setting, with a private bathroom.
Sharing (single beds in room, or double bed for couples) and private room occupancy (single supplement) are available.
We will be hosted by a countryside retreat centre in East Bali, where pace and mood are dictated by nature. Here, you will get to experience a lush river valley of terraced-rice fields. The sacred mountain, Gunung Agung, to the east of Bali, is a presence which oversees other the breathtaking views. The smaller villages near the retreat centre in East Bali are primarily weaving and farming villages, relatively untouched by tourism.
While we will be staying in villas, the real luxury here is the connection we have to the land, the environment and the community. This earthly paradise combines elements of traditional architecture with hints of minimalism and natural modernity. You will experience low-impact living surrounded by the beauty of Bali, and our stay supports change-makers across the Asia Pacific.
Fran Siebrits, founder of Cape Cacao, and Tuning In Wellness, is a cacao alchemist & medicine woman. She offers a wealth of knowledge for how we can use ceremony & ritual to live in harmony with our true nature.
Bringing her life work into these retreats and offerings, Fran provides a unique opportunity to immerse in the fields of healing arts, shamanism, mysticism, herbalism, feminine ritual, breathwork, naturalism, yoga, spiritual philosophy, energy work & space holding for healing. She can assist you to find your inner teacher & healer through the practical engagement with cacao, ceremony & ritual.
Her facilitation is compassionate, down-to earth, practical & joyful, encouraging you to experience an embodied heart awakening journey to support you in trusting yourself, feeling more confident in your unique self-expression & able to speak your truth.
ZAR prices for those residing/earning in Southern African or other developing nations
USD prices for those residing/earning in developed nations with “first world” economies
50% deposit secures your place, with the balance by 15 June 2024
Bookings close 15 June 2024
Includes:
– 6 days full board at retreat centre, from 2pm on arrival day 1, until 2pm departure from retreat venue on day 6
– 5 nights sharing or private accommodation at retreat venue
– 6 days facilitated programme working with the elements of fire, air, water, earth, ether (and then integrating them)
– 3 vegetarian meals and drinks per day, including herbal teas and filtered water
– 1 Balinese massage
– opening and closing ceremonies, plus cacao tree planting ritual
– traditional purification and blessing ceremony
– workshops to understand and assist ritual
– the highest quality ceremonial-grade cacao
– daily cacao rituals and/or workshops, mindful movement and/or meditation, and self-care programme
– nature walks & experiences
Excludes:
– travel to/from Bali, Indonesia
– pick-up and drop-off at airport (although we can assist with arrangements, the price is not included and is for your own expense)
– shopping and additional massages
– additional snacks and drinks outside of catered meals
– gratuity
Cancellation policy:
The retreat offers sharing rooms (two-people per room) with private bathroom per room, or private room with private bathroom at a single supplement rate.
All levels of health and fitness are welcome. The physical yoga sessions are optional (you can join and take it easy, or use this time for a different self-practice). There is a small amount of walking during our farm visit excursion, as well as around the retreat centre for those who wish to enjoy the scenery on foot, but we will take it slow if needed to meet everyone’s requirements.
There is no age limit for this retreat… if your heart says yes, then you are welcome to join us.
The difference between regular cacao and ceremonial-grade cacao is the way it has been processed and prepared. On a purely practical level, for ceremonial cacao, the processing is kept as minimal and pure as possible. Freshly harvested beans are fermented and then dried, but never heavily roasted. The husks are removed from the dried beans to leave broken cacao nibs. These nibs are then ground into a thick paste. The paste is molded and cooled into solid blocks, then it’s ready to be used as ceremonial cacao. A block like this is similar to 100% chocolate with no sugar added, but it is created simply, without conching or tempering. The main intention is to leave the cacao in its most natural state, retaining all the precious nutrients and energies that cacao may offer, nothing added nor removed. Ceremonial-grade cacao is also of the highest energetic vibration due to intention, blessing rituals, and sacred practices along its tree-to-cup lifespan.
We will be working with some of the best cacao in the world, which is grown in Bali. Once the beans are delivered from the farm, they are dried, the shells removed and then ground at minimal temperatures to preserve the nutritional and biochemical integrity of the beans. Each stage of the process is performed with love and intention to create the most delicious and medicinally potent raw ceremonial-grade cacao that can be experienced. We believe this ceremonial-cacao is one of the world’s finest quality ceremonial-grade cacaos that exist. It is created to support personal growth, spiritual exploration, deep inspiration and connection with the Divine, according to each person’s own beliefs and practices.
Conventionally for the global mass chocolate industry, cacao beans are roasted at high temperatures to manipulate the taste of the beans. But we source freshly harvested cacao beans which are fermented, and then dried at low temperatures, but they are never roasted. This is because keeping cacao in its raw state preserves vital nutrients and live enzymes, maintaining an abundance of fiber and minerals such as zinc, magnesium & calcium, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 and E, and essential heart-healthy fats, including a monounsaturated fat known as oleic acid. Raw cacao also has the highest antioxidant value of any natural food in the world, and up to four times higher than in roasted cacao. The nutrients found in ceremonial-grade cacao drinks and raw chocolate have been linked to a number of health benefits, including reduced blood pressure and improved circulation, promoting cardiovascular function, neutralizing free radicals, aiding digestion, reducing inflammation and enhancing physical and mental well-being. Safe to say, raw cacao is one of the most powerful superfoods nature has to offer.
The cacao beans are lightly broken (crushed) into nibs, and these are put through a grinding machine to produce a thick liquid called cacao liquor, which hardens into blocks at room temperature. The grinding process can take hours, or even days, until the desired fine texture and flavor profile has been reached. Traditionally, before machines, this process was done by hand on special stones for hand-grinding.
