Cacao & Sound Evening with Nana Marina Cruz

​Cacao & Sound Evening with Nana Marina Cruz

​Join us for an extraordinary evening with Maya Tz’utujil elder Nana Marina Cruz alongside Abuela Magdalena, Nana Rosario, Nana Maribel, Tata Viento, and Tata Juan Ismael, all traveling from Lago de Atitlán in Guatemaya.

​In the Maya Cholq'ij calendar, this day of 7 Kan is marked by the energy of the primordial feathered serpent. Kan energy supports us to shed old skins, to find balance in the strong ups-and-downs of life, and to reconnect with the wisdom held in our own ancestral DNA.

​We will begin the evening drinking Nana Marina’s organic cacao as the elders speak about the Maya cosmovision (vision of the universe) passed down through generations. The second half of the evening makes space for you to rest as you are wrapped in a sound tapestry woven from flutes, drums, guitar, gongs, shakers and chimes activated by Sam Haddix (Open Tones) and Diana Mellon.

​Financial Transparency: All proceeds go to Nana Marina Cruz’s non-profit organization Los Caminantes por la Paz Jun Imox, founded in honor of her late father, the renowned spiritual guide Tata Pedro Cruz, to benefit and share the teachings of her community.

​Cacao

​The cacao you will be invited to taste is made from 100% pure Criollo beans, the rarest variety of Theobroma cacao. This is not a psychoactive substance. Cacao, more widely recognized in Western culture as the bean used to make chocolate, has been an ancient spiritual partner of the Maya people for millennia. Its use in ceremonial celebrations and important decision-making processes is attested to in foundational Maya texts such as the Popol Vuh and the Chilam Balam and is painted on ancient Maya ceramic vessels. Today it is also known as a nutritious superfood brimming with antioxidants.

​Preparation

​No prior knowledge or familiarity with this tradition is expected--all are warmly welcome! The session will be bilingual, with live translation between Spanish and English.

​Please refrain from caffeine use at least 3 hours before the event, ideally for the whole day. To respect the integrity of cacao medicine, do not consume alcohol or any other mind-altering substances prior to the event. Dress in comfortable clothing that respects the elders' tradition of covering belly, knees and chest. The connection to cacao will be strongest if you have not eaten for a few hours prior.

​Nana Marina Cruz

​Nana Marina Cruz is an Ajq'iij, a Spiritual Guide of the Maya Tz'utujil lineage in Guatemala. She is a carrier of ancient Maya wisdom, serving as a leader of multiple ceremonial medicines and modalities, specializing in the healing medicine of cacao, pataxte, and tobacco through traditional Maya fire, cacao, and temazcal ceremonies. She’s also a teacher of native Mayan languages, the Maya Calendar, and the Sacred Maya Cosmovision. Nana is a founding member of the Great Council of Indigenous Authorities in Guatemala, and also a founder of the Association of Walkers for Peace Jun Imox, a nonprofit association of indigenous Mayan community leaders in Guatemala, who offer their ancestral wisdom to a global community in efforts to promote individual healing and universal harmony. https://linktr.ee/cacaoixmucane

​Reforesters Lab

​Reforesters Laboratory is an experimental adaptogenic cafe and sound clinic located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We utilize music – including spatial, sub-bass-centered, and organic instrumentation – along with breathwork, meditation, art, plant care and adaptogenic, nutritional foods + beverages to cultivate kindness—both physical and spiritual. We aim to create an environment that offers peace, space, and clarity, helping people understand the connections between themselves, their communities, and the world around them. To that end, we offer affordable "pay what you can" ticket options on all events and classes.