*UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED* - SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2024
Join Soul Lift Cacao founder Nick Meador for a Cacao & CBD Journey to release and unwind at the beautiful Dear Yoga studio in SE Portland.
At first glance, the combination of cacao and CBD might seem surprising. But in the right ratio, CBD can deepen the embodiment and inner connection that authentic ceremonial cacao offers.
Nick created the Soul Lift Cacao Method to provide an ethical and responsible way to share ceremonial cacao in modern settings, and to create safe, trauma-informed, content-based containers for transformational journeys.
THE SOUL LIFT CACAO METHOD:
- Intention
- Medicine
- Embodiment
- Inter-Action
- Integration
JOURNEY INCLUDES:
After briefly teaching about cacao and setting container agreements, Nick intuitively leads a cacao toast leading into a journey that can include meditation, embodiment practices (gentle breathwork, shaking, etc.), sacred sound, and verbal expression. Then we close with an integration circle so we have a chance to put into words what we’re taking out with us.
Nick will be joined by one or two special guests who will share sound healing during the journey.
DATE AND TIME
6:30-9:30pm
Sat, June 15
Dear Yoga
1675 SE 6th Ave, Suite C
Portland, OR 97214
** Doors open at 6:15pm. Please arrive on time or a little early. The container will close to new entry at 6:45pm, even if someone has registered in advance.
** Studio is accessible up a flight of stairs. There isn't an elevator.
TICKETS
$30 advance, $40 on the day of the event
CACAO DRINK OFFERING
ABOUT CEREMONIAL CACAO
Cacao is the natural, unprocessed form of chocolate grown in tropical regions around the world. Most people know cacao as a superfood. It has possibly the highest amount of antioxidants of any food. Cacao contains beneficial minerals like iron and magnesium. It promotes the release of “happy” neurotransmitters in the brain. And the main active compound, theobromine, always appears in higher amounts than the caffeine, resulting in a more grounded, gentle energy.
Yet cacao also has another aspect not spoken about in health food stores. It has been used for ritual and celebratory purposes in Mesoamerica for thousands of years. This more mysterious "plant medicine" side of cacao offers the potential to put you more in touch with your body and your soul. You can gain insights into the best direction moving forward, as well as the focus and motivation to take action towards those goals.
Soul Lift Cacao (https://www.soulliftcacao.com) sources authentic ceremonial cacao through ethical direct trade with historic cacao stewards in Latin America. Many brands import cacao seeds to process in a factory and then call it “ceremonial.” When the cacao is made where it grows, it makes the direct trade a lot more equitable. Currently our model sends an average of 17% the “fair trade” rate back to the source country. The cacao makers send intentions into the cacao for it to be a soul medicine for the world.
ABOUT NICK MEADOR
Nick has been on a path of facilitation, leadership, and self-development for more than a decade. In 2015, Guatemalan ceremonial cacao changed Nick’s life by helping him overcoming chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In the years since, Nick has traveled throughout Central America connecting with cacao farms, collectives, and experts. He founded Soul Lift Cacao with the mission to create a positive impact in the world by helping historic cacao stewards share their cacao here in the U.S.
ABOUT SAFETY AND ETHICS
Nick is of mixed European heritage and not of Latin American or indigenous descent. So he puts a lot of effort into making sure his work is ethical and responsible. Nick works in close partnership with historic cacao stewards in an ongoing effort to bridge cacao into the modern world. It's all based on direct, consensual relationships, and an attitude of curiosity about this special plant that has changed Nick's life so profoundly. Nick regularly asks indigenous teachers how they want cacao cacao to be shared in new contexts, and that informs his facilitation.
While the term “cacao ceremony” has captured the imagination of many around the world, Nick believes that in most cases it’s not an ethical title for a modern cacao circle or journey. It doesn’t do enough to acknowledge the harm that has been caused over centuries, especially in places with the oldest history of sacred cacao use. “Cacao journey” conveys that we’re creating a nontraditional experience and striving to do so in a respectful way.
Nick sometimes hears concerns in the cacao community about potential contraindications for cacao, but he believes these are mostly myths. However if your doctor has told you for any reason not to have dark chocolate, then it’s also not advisable to have cacao.
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