Michelle Wildrose once measured her days by deadlines and the relentless pace of corporate life in Johannesburg. Then, eventually, her body asked her toslow down.

Today, KZN-based Wildrose lives to a different rhythm. She looks forward to watching the humpback whales migrate along the coast, makes time for dancing and movement, loves chai and hosts cacao ceremonies designed to give people something increasingly rare: A moment to slow down.

Her cacao journey was sparked by a lifelong love of chocolate and a growing sense that something in her life needed to change.

“I experienced the body calling out for a slowdown from a fast, intense lifestyle,” she says. “I felt the call for a change in direction.”

What began as curiosity about a gathering involving warm cacao eventually became a new chapter in her life.

Life-changing meeting

Wildrose met a woman named Lah Medicine Muse, who had spent almost two decades deepening her own relationship with cacao. When Wildrose heard about gatherings where people came together to drink cacao, connect and slow down, she was intrigued.

“I went with curiosity,” she says of her first gathering. “My first experience was grounding, heart-opening and uplifting.”

Wildrose continued attending cacao ceremonies for several years, but it was during a particularly difficult period of grief that her relationship with cacao deepened.“I felt the healing effects of cacao for the mind, body and emotional well-being.”

In 2017, she began training with Lah to become what is known as a kuchina –  someone who has been taught the art of serving a cacao ceremony. Today, Wildrose hosts her own gatherings, often focusing on women’s circles.

So what actually happens at a cacao ceremony?

There is no single formula, she says, because every gathering is different. There is, of course, the cacao itself – warm, rich and often blended with spices, but the experience is as much about the people and the atmosphere as what’s in the cup.

For some, it is an opportunity to come together and enjoy cacao with others. For others, it offers a rare chance to pause and reflect. “Cacao has unique nutritional properties that support the body, as well as emotional well-being. Those who have experienced a cacao ceremony have shared that they felt warmth and relaxation. Some come with confusion and leave with a little bit more clarity to their journey,” Wildrose says.

In a world where everyone seems to rush from one thing to the next, deliberately creating a moment to stop, breathe and check in with yourself can be powerful.

Wildrose’s gatherings attract the curious, the chocolate lovers and those looking for a little more connection with themselves and with others.

Life itself, Wildrose believes, can be a ceremony. A cup of cacao is simply one way of marking a moment and making time to be present.

What is cacao

Cacao comes from the Theobroma cacao tree. The name Theobroma comes from the Greek words theo, meaning ‘god’, and broma, meaning ‘food’ – hence ‘food of the gods’.

Wildrose describes raw cacao as chocolate in its purest form, with minimal processing to retain more of its naturally occurring nutrients and compounds. Cacao contains minerals such as magnesium and iron, as well as naturally occurring flavanols and other polyphenols with antioxidant properties.

Cacao also contains compounds such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, which have been studied for their potential effects on mood and well-being.

The people behind the cacao

Wildrose is passionate about the responsible sourcing of cacao. She encourages people to support suppliers who prioritise ethical and responsible relationships with farmers and their communities.

Behind every cup is a person who grew and harvested the cacao, something that can easily be forgotten when the finished product arrives neatly packaged in a shop or served in a beautiful cup.

Cacao gatherings aren’t about escaping everyday life. They’re about taking a brief pause and a longer exhale. And in a time when we rarely seem to stop moving, that’s something many of us could use a little more of.

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