S acred Cacao and the Kundalini Dance
Torrential rain
had been forecast
for the day but so
far there was just
a drizzle that blew
across our faces on the breeze
coming up from the bay. Not
quite knowing what to expect
we made our way into this
unassuming little haven called
Serenity Space in the sleepy
Bay side suburb of Scarborough
and we were literally
transported into another world.
We were there at the invitation
of Shell Besant, one of our long time
employees(our Account Manager
actually) who moonlights as an
instructor of Kundalini Alchemical Dance
in her spare time.
Tendrils of white
smoke wafted from a paua
bowl as Shell cleansed our
energy fields with sage
using a feather wand in a ritual called
smudging. Now we were ready to enter
the dance temple.
Music, primal and deep pumped
through the speakers as we were led
into a sanctuary adorned with musical
instruments, colourful wall hangings
and little tribal angels hanging from the
ceiling. 15 yoga mats were arranged in
a circle with an altar that paid homage
to the Four elements of earth, water, fire
and air set up in a circle in the middle of
the room surrounded by crystal singing
bowls. Our appetites were whetted –
we were curious – we wanted to know
more.
64 Complete Health
Today was apparently a special day
of ceremony that included the offering
of a Despatcho medicine bundle and
the partaking of Sacred Cacao before
the dance. Both of these rituals are
borrowed from the tribes of the Amazon
and Peru and have found their way into
Urban culture where ceremony is often
lacking from domestic life.
Shell told us that she learned to
make the medicine bundle and brew the
cacao from a beautiful local elder who
had spent much time with indigenous
tribes both in Australia and overseas.
The medicine bundle is a way of offering
up gratitude to the divine, honouring
the earth and asking for healing . These
shamanic rituals are accompanied by
the sound of the medicine drum- dum,
dum, dum and chanting making for a
very sacred experience.
Sacred Ceremonial
Cacao is sourced and
grown ethically with
intention and love. When
it is brewed spices such
as cardamom, cinnamon,
vanilla and chilli may
be added depending on the intention
of the journey one is undertaking. It
may also be sweetened with honey or
coconut sugar for the modern palette
that may find the traditional taste
too bitter. Considered to be a heart
opener, Sacred Cacao plant medicine
can result in a euphoric experience
that fosters heightened sensations
and can encourage creativity and
inspiration. Physiologically cacao
increases the bloodflow to the brain
stimulating circulation. It contains 40
times the antioxidants of blueberries, is
the highest plant based source of iron,
contains more calcium than cow’s milk
and is a natural mood elevator releasing
dopamine. What an amazing plant
Cacao is.
During the Cacao ceremony the
whole room was silent, each person
internalising the experience and
calling in their own wish/intention for
manifestation in the upcoming dance.
It is common to ask for the heart to be
flooded with love, to be open to more
compassion and kindness , to let go of
emotions and memories that belong in
the past. The cacao is sipped slowly
with reverence and the effects are
very subtle but very powerful. The
ceremony concluded with the ringing of
a Tibetan singing bowl – as if by magic
all the mats disappeared and the room
morphed into a dancefloor.
The music pumped. People moved,
some in their own space, others moving
around the room dancing freely as
Shell instructed us on the breathing
techniques and showed us how to