Sacred Cacao Rituals with Ceremonial Cacao Maker Dina Valentini

We're familiar with the image of a cold, snowy night with friends gathered around a fireplace laughing, telling stories, everyone enjoying a mug of hot chocolate, maybe with marshmallows. What might we be doing if our mugs were filled with cacao? A ritual? Yes!

For more than 50 years, Dina Valentini has followed the path less taken to develop a relationship with the plant known as "the food of the gods." She talks about the botany of cacao, how cacao becomes chocolate, and how she uses cacao in rituals.

Dina also shares how her experience as a chef guides what she blends into her cacao bars. Lavender, fig, ginger, and rose are a few of her favorites. Using beans soaked in the brandy her late-father always drank, Dina created the award-winning bar "Mi Padre." Yes, she makes custom blends for weddings, fund raisers, personal rituals, and more.

Dina speaks with love about the relaxing, heart-opening benefit of cacao she calls "the pause." We're exploring how such a pause might help family dementia caregivers, a role both Dina and I have experienced.

For more -- much more -- visit Dina's website: https://DinaValentini.com