Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.08.2018, Side 20

Our society is obsessed with stimu-
lants. Often, the healing aspects of
those stimulants are long forgotten.
Sure, coffee contains a lot of antioxi-
dants—but it still gets you high. And
way too frequently, this high is being
abused to get us through a long work-
ing day.
Recently, however, there has been
a change in perspective. Everywhere
around the world, people are starting
to go back to ancient methods of heal-
ing, often using stimulants in tradi-
tional, ceremonial settings.
Relax, love, and be creative
Until three years ago, I had never heard
of ceremonial cacao. I knew cacao as a
milky drink full of sugar (in short: just
another stimulant). But this emergent
trend of medicinal cacao was some-
thing different. Coming straight from
Guatemala, it is completely unpro-
cessed and contains all its active
ingredients. “Most of the chocolate we
consume today lacks 99% of the active
ingredients in cacao,” says Júlía Óttar-
sdóttir, who has been holding cacao
ceremonies in Iceland since 2015.
Raw cacao contains chemicals that
are usually released in our body when
we feel happy and when we fall in love.
The magnesium helps your muscles
relax, while anandamide creates a feel-
ing of love in you, and theobromine
increases your creativity.
Dancing ceremoniously
After all this, you might wonder
(just like me) what actually happens
at a cacao ceremony. To find out, I
attended one at a yoga studio in the
heart of Reykjavík.
When I arrive, I am surprised to
already see a group of people danc-
ing. Júlía is in the middle, leading the
dance flow. I join the fun and within
10 minutes, people are screaming with
joy and delight. Mind you, no stimu-
lants had been consumed beforehand.
And yet, here I am, twisting and sweat-
ing. It feels great.
In short breaks between songs, Júlía
guides us through breathing exercises,
making us aware of the source of life
that constantly flows in and out of our
bodies.
A cup of laughter
After dancing all our worries away, we
receive an introduction to the cacao’s
components and effects. We thank the
earth for this gift and start sipping the
bitter beverage. Júlía serenades us with
empowering mantras — something
that will recur throughout the cere-
mony. “You have learned all you need
already,” she convinces us. “Now you
need to open your heart to make this
wisdom available to you.”
How do you do that? Step one: do
not take yourself too seriously. Let
your inner child shine through you.
And sure enough, the room is soon
filled with childish laughter. Step two:
surrender to your heart. Trust your
intuition. Let yourself be guided by
yourself.
Kissed by the cacao
As Júlía starts playing on her shamanic
drum accompanied by her angelic
voice, I feel my body relaxing and my
heart opening. I smile. I laugh at all
the times I took myself too seriously.
I feel very connected to the people I
had danced with so crazily beforehand,
even though we do not speak at all. I
lie down and I feel the floor beneath
me, and I feel safe. Yes, I feel complete.
Enough. At ease, finally.
The feeling is not as intense as a cup
of coffee. In fact, it feels more natural,
more grounded, as if you had eaten a
lot of chocolate, but without the sugar.
My body is relaxed, my mind clear.
There is no tension within me, only
gratitude for this beautiful moment I
am experiencing.
Sharing is caring
After being in this state for an indeter-
minate amount of time, Júlía invites us
to sit up, take each other’s hands, lift
them up and breathe in unity. A feeling
of a loving community is the conse-
quence. I can see only smiles around
me, making my own even wider.
In the end, Júlía invites us to volun-
tarily share the insights we have
gained. The circle shares tears and
laughter, accompanied by a little bit
of wisdom from everybody. It is amaz-
ing to listen to these heartfelt confes-
sions and it is almost unbelievable
how much everybody seemed to have
improved in the last two hours or so.
I feel completely balanced and I
walk out into the rainy Icelandic even-
ing with a heart full of hope, compas-
sion and feeling of connection to
everything and everyone around me.
Food of the Gods
This ceremony taught me the value
of consuming this ancient medicine,
which the Aztecs called “food of the
Gods,” in a ceremonial environment.
Without any technological device
distracting my focus, I was able to be
present, enjoy the effects of the cacao
with maximum awareness, and heal
myself from life’s daily infused anxi-
ety. The feeling of connection and
community is something that I will
keep with me through good and bad,
from now on.
As I write, I take a deep breath, close
my eyes, and laugh with the wonderful
feeling of being alive.
20 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15— 2018
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We'll have what she's having
Pour some cacao for me!

Words:
Phil Uwe Widiger
Photos:
Mareike Timm
Info:
Cacao ceremonies
are held regularly
in Reykjavík,
and throughout
the Icelandic
countryside.
Follow “Cacao
Tribe Iceland” on
Facebook to stay
updated.
The Art Of Not
Taking Yourself
Too Seriously
...as taught by the ancient medicine of cacao