I’m taking part in a chocolate meditation. By this I don’t mean I’ve lit some joss sticks and am working my way through a Milk Tray. Sitting cross-legged in a studio in London Fields, I’m participating in an hour-long ritual devised by Rebecca Moore, a movement and meditation teacher, and Lauren Lovatt, chef founder of the Plant Academy, a project that encourages better mental health through food.
Using different chocolates and meditative practice, I’m being led on a journey through various mood states: chill, lift, balance, focus and soothe. “Chill” combines sips from a cold chocolate hazelnut drink containing CBD with grounding breathwork. For “lift”, I try a trio of roasted cocoa beans that contain the natural stimulants caffeine and theobromine, followed by belly-pump exhalations. Using chocolate, says Moore, not only anchors the meditation but engages the senses. Cacao also possesses soothing qualities, which Lovatt notes have a “heart-opening” effect.
