Sacred Cacao Retreats

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 ceremonial-grade 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.