Cacao: An introduction
Cacao can be defined as the forgotten plant medicine or a heart medicine and hence the food of the gods. If Goat or Beer yoga did not sound like your thing, consider practising yoga with chocolate. Yoga and meditation usually result in significantly lesser stress levels and cocoa is a powerful antioxidant which helps to make you feel good, improves your mood, relaxes and de-stresses you, improves brain and memory function, heart health, increases blood flow and gives you energy and so does yoga! Why not combine both? Chocolate + Yoga = Chocolate Yoga! Yoga and chocolate might be a relatively recent pairing. However, the link between chocolate and reaching a higher plane of awareness dates back to cacao’s use among the ancient Mayans and how they consumed cacao during ceremonies! To the Mayans, cacao was considered a “food of the Gods.” Consuming chocolate opened the doors of the heart and the gates of increased consciousness – which are the goals of yoga.
Benefits of Cacao & Chocolate to Yoga
While chocolate yoga may seem like an excuse to eat more chocolates, there is sufficient scientific support to make this combination a worthwhile try. In recent times, studies have also indicated the capability of certain chemical compounds present in dark chocolate in helping the fight against Covid19. Consuming a bit of 70%+ (cacao %) dark chocolate before a yoga session can help you better get into a calm state of mind and get you into the yogic groove. Dark chocolate is packed with magnesium, which helps your body’s muscles to relax and allows your mind to focus on meditation. Dark Chocolate, contains caffeine, theophylline and theobromine to give you energy boosts and provide you with energy as you go through your series of poses. Chocolate is also an antioxidant, which improves your mood and heart health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Database of Flavonoid Content provides us valuable data. In each gram of a typical 70% dark chocolate, there is about 1 milligram of flavonoid. In the case of milk chocolate there is only .15 milligram of Flavonoid Content in each gram of chocolate! Source This increases the blood flow to your brain, which in turn can help your concentration and focus, leaving it open to meditation. Every yogi needs that! The recent attribution of dark chocolates to help against Covid has been discussed greatly and if you are keen on studying the science behind what cacao is capable of, kindly read: https://cocoatrait.com/chocolates/best-dark-chocolate-brand-in-india/
A typical Yoga Chocolate Session
In chocolate yoga sessions, chocolate is usually consumed at the beginning of a class. Concentrating on the taste and texture of chocolate on your tongue helps you to enter a state of mindfulness. As a start, you could place pieces of chocolates on your tounge (while resisting to bite into it) and meditate on the sensation of it melting and then spend the yoga class exploring the way the chocolate moves through their bodies, spreading its warmth, energy and life force. Consuming a piece of dark chocolate after a yoga session while in a heightened state of awareness can provide you with an elevated chocolate experience. While practising mindful awareness, as as you shift your attention to the present moment, you shall experience your mind unravel a new spectrum of chocolate flavours and sensations. A carefully curated session can help yogis to experience eating chocolate in a more mindful way and trains them to unlock a new spectrum of flavors in chocolate and sensations that chocolate can initiate.
This is the perfect, interesting and engaging way to get your family and friends involved and interested in a session of indulgent yet healthy yoga. Thanks to technology, you can be miles away from your near/dear ones and still host & enjoy a chocolate yoga experience!
L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st certified chocolate taster
Most of us do not savour chocolates the right way. We have all learnt how to savour wine, coffee fine foods etc but chocolates have not been a subject of interest yet. In this session, you will learn how to appreciate chocolates the right way as we spend more time appreciating chocolates during the session than we usually do otherwise. There is a lot more to read about dark chocolate and this link provides you the required information to make the best choice of your dark chocolate.
There is no compromise of the old-fashioned and traditional way of conducting yoga. Chocolate yoga just adds a bit of fun, learning and health awareness to the process.
Poonam Chordia, India’s 1st certified women chocolate taster
Kocoatrait Heart Healthy Chocolates
At Kocoatrait we are damn serious about how we can contribute to your health. We have curated a Healthy Heart series of 70% + Cocoa chocolates specifically for Yoga enthusiasts. With the principle of ahimsa, which is also related to yoga, we produce the world’s most sustainable and planet friendly chocolate. Little details matter and sets us apart and makes us more consumer friendly and your 1st choice for a chocolate yoga sessions. For instance, we use only non refined desi khand (khandsari) sugar, we roast our chocolate at 117 degrees to ensure that most antioxidants are retained. We stone grind to retain flavour and we do NOT use any single use plastic to wrap our chocolates in! We do all it takes to be planet friendly and we see this as both good for you and the planet. Check out our video of the making of Kocoatrait chocolates here. Click for the Kocoatrait range of heart friendly chocolates here.
Whats next?
As you move forward and integrate more chocolates into your yoga routine, you could shift your consumption to the more serious ceremonial cacao. This is when you take your efforts to the next level and move from just fun filled yoga sessions to serious yoga sessions. The chocolate yoga session sets you up for ceremonial cacao appreciation. Officially, chocolate yoga is now a thing!
How to order Kocoatrait Chocolates?
Shop for Kocoatrait chocolates here. Contact Kocoatrait chocolates at +919600064846 or nitin@cocoatrait.com for more details on chocolate yoga or yoga with chocolates!