Hey Beautiful Bansko Folks!
After the success of the last year's Cacao & Ecstatic Gatherings, we are coming back together Saturday, 12th for an evening of dance, expression, and connection in nature. Max Kuśmierek will be our DJ.
There will be an opening ceremony with heart-expanding cacao (ceremonial grade!), an ecstatic dance journey, and plenty of chill-out space.
Entrance: 20 lev
We finish at 20:00
Bring your favorite snacks/food, and something to rest on like a yoga mat or blanket if you want to chill on the grass.
Please arrive at 17:00 to settle in, the ceremony will begin at 17:30.
Here's the address:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HJNQt4L1QSYCXX2SA?g_st=ic
The name of the place is Kolibata. You can walk there (15 min from the Gondola) or take a taxi (there's a road 1 min from the venue).
Vlad is the endorsed transport operator: +359899831730
His vehicle can take up 8 people and will charge 20bgn as a flat fee.
No phones and filming during the ecstatic journey please, we would love it to be a safe space to fully express ourselves.
To be updated about the event, and discover more conscious Bansko events, join the Bansko Conscious group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/ItflGcGI435FOLZ1Zq8zcM
For more info about Cacao & Ecstatic Dance continue reading below!
❓ WHAT IS ECSTATIC DANCE? ❓
Ecstatic dance is a free-form movement and type of dance practiced without a fixed choreography. The idea of ecstatic dance is to completely lend yourself and your body to the rhythm of the music. In ecstatic dance, you move freely through the space leading to a state of trance and ecstasy (hence the name ecstatic). Many dancers find that ecstatic dance brings them into a deep meditative state.
ECSTATIC DANCE GUIDELINES
The following guidelines are typical and followed at hundreds of conscious dances around the world, having been developed through community discussions and agreements over decades.
⏩ Please note: This is a Safer and Sacred Space - drug, smoking & alcohol-free!
⏩ Be mindful of others' personal boundaries. Move freely in all directions and respect all dance forms and the people around.
⏩ It's a Non-verbal journey with no mobile phones.
⏩ Be clean. Please arrive fresh with a clean body and clothes.
⏩ Be curious, open, and accepting. Please try to let go of judgments of self or others.
⏩ Please keep the space clean and take care of your trash when you leave.
⏩ And remember to bring your own water.
☀️ Most of all ENJOY and see you on the dance floor ☀️
❓ WHY CACAO? WHAT IS A CACAO CEREMONY? ❓
A cacao ceremony is a beautiful journey to meet our higher self and to open our heart, to deeply connect to our true essence and others around us. Cacao ceremonies are a form of shamanic healing and have their roots in indigenous cultures of South America.
Cacao is not just a delicious drink, but the cacao beans contain a psychoactive ingredient called theobromine, which translates to “food of the Gods“. Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid which has been shown to be mildly stimulating, giving you a burst of energy and improving focus as well as memory storage. Cacao also increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain as well as induces the release of our feel-good hormones - endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. As a result, we are happier, and our creativity reaches peak states.
Since ancient times cacao has been used as a medicine to heal physical, mental, and spiritual illnesses. Cacao has been shown to boost the immune system and lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as leading to euphoria and deeper spiritual connection. Ancient Mayan texts described the cacao ceremony to be “heart opening". Modern research also shows that the active cacao ingredient theobromine is able to widen the blood vessels and stimulate specifically the heart. But this is only the scientific explanation of a deeply spiritual inward journey.
Cacao aims at gently touching and opening up the emotional center of our body - our heart chakra. The medicine works specifically by bringing us back to the feeling of love, oneness, and connection. We turn into our true and authentic selves and are able to listen deep within to the deepest callings of our heart. This opens up the space to deeply connect to our higher path and our innermost self as we tap into the profound power and wisdom stored within each of us.
Within a ceremony, the medicine is also often used to help you change your perspective, enabling you to recognize and let go of limiting beliefs, outdated patterns, past traumas, and old habits that do not serve you any longer. With the help of cacao, you will be able to open your heart completely, releasing and healing the energetic blockages that keep you away from living up to your highest potential. Sometimes a cacao ceremony can lead to making profound changes in the way we live our lives.
Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Bansko.
