Delna Mistry Anand tells us Why you should attend Juan Pablo Barahona and Regan Hillyer’s Cacao Manifestation Ceremony
Like most people I have met in life, I too simply adore chocolate. In fact I have rarely known anyone who does not enjoy a smooth, rich square of chocolate. And perhaps it is this irresistible attraction that traces its roots into the ancient Cacao healing ceremony. So when I was invited for one, I was more than excited!
Illuminations, recently hosted the power duo – international transformation coaches and celebrity speakers, Juan Pablo Barahona and Regan Hillyer in Dubai for a full day of spiritual workshops. The series of events concluded with the “Cacao Manifestation Ceremony”, which was a explosive
, heart-opening experience of drinking aromatic cacao, whilst experiencing breath, sound, meditation and movement.
Ancient Origin
Cacao ceremonies have been performed for thousands of years by the indigenous tribes of Central America. Cacao was considered to be the ‘Food of the Gods’, an association that gave rise to the scientific name of the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, from the Greek words Theo meaning ‘God’ and broma meaning ‘drink’. Many cultures valued cacao so much that the coveted seed came to be used as currency and a rich drink made from the fermented, roasted, and ground seeds became a sacrament of sorts in an ancient ceremonial practice. Long gone are the days when cacao was exchanged like money and chocolate drinks were served in spiritual ceremonies, yet the popularity of the cacao has only grown. Even now, cacao is considered a ‘superfood’ with immense health benefits.
What can you expect at a cacao ceremony?
Cacao ceremonies are a popular ritual in yoga and healing communities. There are many different ceremonies that exist today. Some will lead you a journey of dance, while others will center on meditation and inner reflection. Some involve a group of people sitting in a sacred circle, taking prayer, and setting intentions. However, JuanPa asked us to forget every thing we knew about the cacao ceremony and participate wholly in this.
Regan started the session talking about manifestation, sharing the 5 steps to manifestation:
1. Grounding and Awareness.
The first step is honestly assessing where you are at this moment, with
full integrity.
2. Expand your vision.
Then, expand your vision and open your mind to the next level. You have the
capacity to hold all that you envision. However, it is normal for resistance to
come up. It is normal for old patterns to surface, because when you are trying
to make a transformation or “change”, your system alerts “danger!” forcing you
to revert to old patterns. It is important to understand this.
3. Alchemy.
This is the time to release what doesn’t serve you. Internalize the vision. Journal it and let the unconscious mind purge what it is no longer necessary.
4. Connecting with a future timeline.
It’s time to part with the old and stop acting from the past version of you. It is time to connect with and operate from the future version, the ‘you’ that you wish to become.
5. Accelerating your results.
You can accelerate your results by integrating what you have. Show gratitude for everything that has showed up in your life and integrate it as you are moving forward.
Once we set our intention, the cacao drinking begins. Mugs of warm, rich, aromatic cacao are passed around. Keeping our eyes closed, we were asked to sip and savour the drink, quiet the mind and open the heart. The ceremony ends in dance to the beats of live drumming, which allows the cacao to activate within the heart and body, and create transformation.
It was incredible to witness people letting go of tension and stress, releasing old emotions, opening themselves spiritually and feeling peace simply by being in the moment. The idea is to release all the blocks that hold you back, because the more you release, the easier it is to manifest the life of your dreams.
JuanPa and Regan gracefully bring this ancient healing practice to life, providing people a loving and safe way to explore spirituality, experience an ancient plant medicine, and receive an enormous opportunity for emotional healing.
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mindfulness-based stress reduction, spiritual guidance and more. Using a combination of
healing modalities along with traditional practices of meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques), she leads people to reconnect with their inner wisdom and bring about their own spiritual healing in a deep and profound way. Delna is a certified meditation teacher, sound healing practitioner, Reiki master, alternative healer and a gifted intuitive mentor.
With a background in hospitality, Delna has worked in the fast paced PR industry in Dubai. She is a regular contributor for publications like Yoga Life Middle East, Masala! magazine and Khaleej Times’ Wknd. Delna is a volunteer at ‘Mawaheb For Beautiful People’, teaching meditation and stillness to adults with special needs. Delna is also a regular speaker at a local school, addressing various topics like body image, environment and the like.