Alma Cacao
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Alma Cacao is the newly launched wellness range based around raw Cacao derived from the native plants of Guatemala and disseminated through the techniques of ancient communities in the region. The ritual based range created from ceremonial grade cacao immediately piqued my interest for its focus on cacao to regulate the nervous system and create inner alignment ultimately leading to a better life experience. As a neuroscience fanatic, who having suffered traumas in early life, is discovering the powers of brain rewiring and the nervous system to achieve new life rhythms, I was fascinated to speak to the founders.
Co-founder’s Craig Marshall and Amy Nellis reflect on a time living in the ‘trapped’ cycle of city life existing on caffeine, burnout, quick fixes and alcohol, ‘the dysregulation that arises from this misaligned way of living can only go on so long until the nervous system and some part of you pushes back and manifests in some way physical, spiritual or emotional illness.’ Both founders embarked on ‘healing journeys’ a term, like myself, that makes them wince as now it ‘has been slapped on every retreat from here to Ibiza,’ before discovering Cacao. From yoga practices, meditation, conscious communication, cacao became more way of life than just ritual for the duo, who experienced its grounding effects based on regulation rather than overstimulation. They decided to pack up their city lives to travel to Guatemala: a place rooted in ancient culture and ceremony ‘led’ by the Mayan wisdoms and ‘indigenous cosmology.’
Describing the daily life and indigenous beings of Guatemala as ‘a safe place to land,’ the duo took part in daily cacao-based ceremonies including ‘The Kot’zij ceremony’ and a ‘Cacao shaman’ led ritual where ‘cacao wisdom is shared in the context of the Mayan calendar and time of day.’ Craig and Amy understand that not everyone can uproot from their daily lives into ancient territories but have found the innate wisdom of those communities ‘that illness and disharmony in the world arises when our own inner living spirits are out of balance within each of us or with others,’ provides a blueprint for how to naturally regulate the nervous system and find equilibrium through the stresses of modern day life. Having returned from Guatemala in 2022, it wasn’t until 2024 that the founders realised how much ‘healing’ and alignment Cacao had given them and they wanted to set up an ethical based business that bridged the ‘raw’ cacao of the ancient communities with the Western market, which had packaged and commodified it. And Alma meaning ‘soul’ in Spanish was born. ‘We have come to believe that cacao has the potential to be a medicine for the modern nervous system and a medicine for the modern soul.’
So, reconnecting with those communities and their travels across Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Columbia, the meticulous process of sourcing the best cacao where they could trace supply chain to raw source began, ‘we began to see just how much all cacao is not created equal even if it has on the label ‘ceremonial.’ The process of cacao making is lengthy and complex: Natural fermentation – inside the cacao pod, the beans are surrounded by soft white pulp whose natural sugars feed yeast and bacteria that drive the process, the beans and pulp are placed in fermentation boxes where heat and microbial activity trigger the chemical changes that develop the flavour. Slow roasting – next the cacao beans are spread out to dry in the sun, regularly turned, gently roasted in aroma, a meticulous technique to ensure the natural compounds remain. Hand peeling – after roasting the thin outer husk is carefully removed by hand carried out by female artisans over generations in the community. Stoneground – traditionally cacao beans are ground on stone metate, a tool used by Mesoamerica over generations, the beans are crushed and worked across the warm stone, the natural cacao butter released and solidified into its own subtle forms and textures.
Conscious of the legacy of the artisanal communities they had been welcomed by and the ancient wisdoms they have so benefited from, Craig and Amy built Alma from the get-go as a reciprocal business, so their cacao is ‘hand prepared by a collective of indigenous Kaqchikel Mayan women in the Guatemalan highlands and through a partnership with the Los Manos collective, we pay more than three times the local equivalent wage for their work as a sustainable way of maintaining these magical communities.’
What was the first product created? ‘Our 1LB block of ceremonial cacao paste – each block has its own unique pattern and fingerprints – this is how cacao is most commonly sold in Guatemala.’ Other products include Organic Alma Cacao Husk Tea, Organic Cacao nibs, Alma Finely grated ceremonial grade cacao as well as a new Cacao Extract Skin Oil.
As a sensitive skin sufferer who develops psoriasis during extreme periods of stress, the face oil was my way into Alma; the founders explain, ‘Cacao has never been a static thing, over 5000 years it has continuously been used in different contexts from drinking from the Amazon, to helping shamans communicate with spirits, so we wanted to create a new way to engage with it,’ they continue, ‘cacao is extremely rich in polyphenols and flavanols – plant compounds which act as antioxidants and help to protect against oxidative stress. It is also naturally rich in magnesium, copper, iron and zinc, all which support collagen growth, cellular health and skin repair.’ Alma’s Cacao Extract Skin Oil aims to support skin topically with added blends of organic jojoba oil, sunflower derived Vit E, to be used as a morning ritual to transport the senses into the present moment, as well as reaching deeper into the skin epidermis supporting our natural skin sebum.
Beyond the ritual pleasures and skin support of the topical oil, the Alma founders have conducted deep research into how Cacao extract actually works to regulate our system, ‘now there is so much talk about the nervous system but there is actually another system that works alongside it, the endocannabinoid system (ECS), this is distributed throughout the brain, body, and works to regulate mood, emotions, stress, sleep, appetite, inflammation, pain,’ he continues, ‘there is also the Anandamide system, which is a neuro-
modulator which functions to alleviate manic stress, anxiety. The ceremonial cacao is miraculous because it contains bioactive compounds which slows the breakdown of our bodies anandamide enabling it to function in the system longer, thus enabling the ECS and anandamide to complete their cycle and restore us to inner connection and peace.’
Win win – I look forward to following the Alma journey further!