Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony

Please join Kaycee Green and I for a blissful Guatemalan Cacao Ceremony followed by a gentle, heart opening yoga practice, chakra meditation, and Reiki group healing.  We feel so blessed to bring this offering to the Chico community.Cacao is chocolate in it's purest form.  It has many spiritual and physical benefits- aiding in meditation, and assisting in opening the heart center, helping facilitation a deeper connection to oneself as well as creating a magical group energy. It's no coincidence that chocolate is given as a symbol of love; a warm cup of ceremonial cacao can help to open and heal the most tender heart. Cacao is totally safe for most people, but as with anything so powerful, there are some contra-indications to be aware of. First, let's start with the benefits and how cacao actually works inside the body.(Excerpts taken from http://cacaoceremonies.com)"When you consume cacao prepared for ceremony using high quality raw cacao beans, all the mood enhancing neurochemicals in cacao become particularly active. There is increased blood flow and nutrition to the brain, heart and skin, the whole body is nourished, awareness and focus is heightened and sensations are intensified."Cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, tryptophan and dopamine which assist with feelings of wellbeing, resilience to stress and anxiety and contribute to healthy motivation."It also has the neuromodulator phenylethylamine (PEA) which helps the body create feelings of excitement and euphoria. It also assists us to pay attention and stay alert. With healthy amounts of PEA we stay focused, time slows down and we are not distracted by hunger or excess stimulation from the ‘outside world’. PEA also increases the effectiveness of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter related to joy."Anandamide is a type of lipid (oil). The word ‘ananda’ (from which this chemical was named) translates from the Sanskrit language as ‘bliss’. This naturally produced chemical (which is part of the endorphin group) is most concentrated in the body after moderate exercise – also referred to as the runners high. Anandamide results in feelings of bliss and euphoria, but also plays a vital role in moderating pain perception and the memory of pain, as well as assisting in regulating appetite and mood. Cacao contains both anandamide and anandamide re-uptake inhibitors, which are molecules that slow the break down of the anandamide. This allows the anandamide to remain longer in the brain and with it the associated blissful feelings."One of the most utilised major minerals in the body is magnesium. Magnesium assists in all metabolic processes. It helps relax all the muscles in the body and is thereby essential for the effectiveness and vigor of the pumping of the heart muscle, the management of stress and exercise recovery, the motility of the bowel, regulating the muscles pre-menstruation among many other functions. Magnesium is also utilised in almost all key functions in the brain, including those involved in memory and concentration. Cacao is the highest natural food source of magnesium."Cacao is also one of the highest sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants clear corrupt cells from the body. The specific antioxidants in cacao are Flavonoids, from the Phenolics group. Primarily, this class of antioxidants are important as they both trap free radicals and chelate redox-active metal properties. This results in a reduced risk of cells in the body, such as lipids (fats, and fats often lining the artery walls) undergoing oxidation (corruption)."The flavonoids also support clearing of the blood vessel walls, flexibility of the arteries and a thinning of the blood, all contributing to a reduction in blood pressure and build up of fatty deposits (plaques) along the artery walls, as well as a reduced load on the heart muscle."Please read the contra-indications/ conditions list below to see if Cacao Ceremony would be appropriate for you!*Fasting (take smaller dose)*Migranes (take smaller dose- Cacao contains caffeine which can aggravate migranes)*Pregnancy or breastfeeding (safe in half ceremonial dose, very commonly used in Guatemala by mothers and midwives during long or difficult labor)*Anti-depressants (USE CAUTION/ Not Recommended- Many Anti-Depressants do not mix well with the Tryptophan and MAO inhibitors in Cacao)*Heart Conditions (USE CAUTION- Cacao can increase heart rate and blood flow by up to 40%, and is a vasodilator)*Low body weight or Children (Not Recommended, or very small dose)*Chemotherapy (Not Recommended) Preparation/ What to BringPlease avoid large doses of caffeine before the ceremony and eat a light breakfast beforehand.Wear comfortable yoga clothes and a warm wrap or cozy blanket for meditation.Bring your favorite mug :)Bring water to drink during ceremonyOptional- Bring your favorite power object or meditation object. We feel so humbled to be able to share this heart expanding experience with you. Please reserve your space at http://www.yogacenterofchico.com/YCC-Workshops.html    

Love Letters

Dearest students and beloved clients of Shelter Island,I am writing you from my apartment in Mallorca, Spain. Second story, overlooking the pool and garden below, the calm waters of the Mediterranean in the distance. The sounds of the crickets are carried through my windows on the last breath of summer. Summer. I suppose I never really knew the importance of this season until I spent a summer on Shelter Island. As a Californian, I realize now that my appreciation for the season pales in comparison to the New Yorker.Never before in my yoga career have I met a group of people more in need of a fun, relaxing, yoga filled summer. A break from the city, the grind, the pressure, the hustle. What I observed though, is that just because the sun is shining and there is wind in the sails, doesn't mean that it's that easy to switch gears and soften into the season. Once a shell is hardened by the cold it becomes difficult to penetrate.Over the course of the summer, I had the opportunity to really get to know some of you. I want to, first of all, thank you for opening your hearts to me and allowing me to see your sweet and sensetive souls. I can imagine that in such a stressful, competitive, and high pressure environment, that it might be difficult to trust, accept and open up to a new person. I am touched deeply that you did trust and accept me and I thank you from the fathoms of my heart. You reminded me, in my moments of insecurity and doubt, that I had made the right choice to come to New York. You reminded me that we are all human and that we are are bound together by this experience. You reminded me in my moments of fear and anger the importance of compassion. You reminded me that even the hardest of shells hold the sweetest of contents. I saw myself in your reflection, and in that reflection, I saw the capability that we all have to open our hearts just a little bit wider.You are the reason I am where I am at this exact moment. I literally wouldn't have made it here with out you. As the days get shorter, the air a bit chillier, as the kids start school and perhaps as you try to squeeze in one last sail, may your heart still be filled with the sunshine of the summer. And remember that I am here reflecting from afar all the love you have given me, in the hopes that it might warm your heart when the weather gets cold.Love, Cheri