Why Study Cacao with I AM BEING: A Journey Into Every Layer of the Medicine

There is often a moment before someone joins the training, and it tends to arrive quietly rather than all at once, more like a feeling than a decision, something that sits gently in the background and continues to return, a sense that cacao is more than what it first appears to be and that there is something within it that has not yet been fully understood.

This feeling usually comes after an experience, after sitting in ceremony or taking a moment with cacao that feels different to anything before, where something softens or opens and there is a subtle awareness that what seemed simple on the surface is actually layered, intelligent and deeply alive.

From there, something begins to shift, because studying cacao is not about collecting information or learning something in a purely intellectual way, it is about entering into relationship and allowing that relationship to unfold over time.

The Cacao Practitioner Training with I AM BEING is held in this way, not as something to complete or move through quickly, but as something that meets you gradually and allows you to experience cacao from multiple perspectives, not just as a substance but as a practice, a lineage, a culture and a way of being that begins to integrate into your life rather than sit separately from it.

As the training unfolds, there is a realisation that cacao has often been misunderstood, particularly in the modern world where it is so easily reduced to chocolate, something sweet and processed that has been altered and distanced from its origin, losing much of its depth along the way, whereas ceremonial cacao remains closer to its natural state, holding its richness, its bitterness and its complexity in a way that invites a different kind of engagement.

There is also a deeper layer that begins to reveal itself when you start to understand where cacao comes from, not just geographically but culturally, recognising that this is not something new or created recently, but something that has been grown, respected and used ceremonially for generations, carrying with it a history that deserves to be acknowledged and honoured.

Through the training, this awareness becomes part of your foundation, not as something separate from the practice but as something that informs how you work with cacao, how you prepare it and how you hold it for yourself and for others, creating a sense of respect that naturally shapes the way you engage with it.

Even the process of making cacao begins to feel different when seen through this lens, no longer just a practical step but something more intentional, a moment to slow down and connect, to recognise that each stage of the journey from bean to cup has been held with care and that this care continues through the way it is prepared and shared.

This naturally leads into a deeper understanding of how to work with cacao in a way that supports rather than overrides the experience, because one of the most common things people realise is that cacao is not something that should simply be drunk without awareness, it is something that asks to be met with presence, with attention and with a level of understanding that allows its depth to be experienced fully.

Learning how much to take, when to drink it, how to prepare the body beforehand and how to integrate what arises afterwards becomes an essential part of the process, not as rigid rules but as a way of listening more closely and responding to what is needed in each moment, recognising that cacao works differently for everyone and that part of being a practitioner is learning to feel into those differences.

As you continue through the training, there is also an invitation to explore the nuances between different cacaos, to begin to notice how origin, preparation and quality influence the experience, and to move beyond thinking about cacao as a single thing into understanding it as something that holds variation and subtlety.

At the centre of all of this is ceremony, not as something fixed or performative but as something that evolves in response to what is present, something that requires awareness rather than perfection and that invites you to be with what is unfolding rather than trying to control it.

This is where the training becomes deeply personal, because it is not about learning how to replicate a structure but about developing the ability to hold space with integrity, to be present with others and with yourself, and to trust what is emerging rather than relying solely on what has been taught.

What makes this approach different is the way it is experienced, because rather than being something that sits at the level of information, it becomes something that is lived, something that you feel and move through, supported by guidance, community and a space that allows you to explore without pressure or expectation.

Over time, there is often a subtle but noticeable shift, not something dramatic or immediate but something that unfolds gradually, where you begin to slow down, to listen more closely, to feel more connected to yourself and to the way you move through the world, with cacao becoming part of that process rather than something separate from it.

For some, this remains a deeply personal practice, something that supports their own wellbeing and connection, while for others it naturally extends into sharing with friends, community or within their work, and the training is designed to hold all of these possibilities without forcing you into a particular direction.

There is also a sense of continuity within this work, because it does not end when the training finishes, instead it becomes something that continues to evolve, supported by the relationships built along the way and the understanding that has been developed through experience.

Not everyone will feel called to this, and that is important to recognise, but for those who do there is often a quiet consistency to that feeling, something that returns again and again, inviting you to explore further and to trust that there is something here worth following.

If that feeling is familiar, then this training offers a space to step into that curiosity more fully, to learn, to experience and to deepen your relationship with cacao in a way that is grounded, intentional and aligned with how this medicine is meant to be held.

From there, the journey continues in its own way, shaped not by expectation but by what is ready to unfold, always beginning in the same place, with your willingness to arrive and to listen. Let’s do this together, it has the potential to change you life. I know this because it did mine and many others I have taught and know.

Being,

Gizelle Renee Xx