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Why among the many choices of Ceremonial Cacao, we chose to work with Keith's Cacao? We tried many, talked to a few and finally arrived at a decision that sits in our heart very dearly. We couldn't be happier. Let us tell you why Keith's Cacao, Ceremonial Cacao and the reasons behind our choice Keith is THE Chocolate Shaman. He's the OG when it comes to Ceremonial Cacao. He first landed in Guatemala in 2003. His life journey and spirit guides led him to San Marcos on Lake Atitlan where he discovered his life purpose and passion. In his own words he had a visit from the Cacao spirit to go find out why chocolate why a deity to the ancients of that part of the world; the Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs & Olmecs. At the time he started his search, the local shamans had no idea about Chocolate in a ceremonial setting. The anthropologists that lived near the lake had no reference of indigenous people that used Chocolate in a ceremonial or ritual. He searched the internet, asked around, started traveling in Central America for answers. And it became clear that this ritual had lost its lineage. The only traces of it left, was on ancient artifacts. After having his first cup of Cacao, from the local farmers across the lake from him, a light bulb went on inside of him. This was the birth of the new Cacao Ceremony. He spent months drinking this medicine. Understanding it, working with it personally, with his clients, and then came the groups where the official new Cacao Ceremony was born. Checkout this video where Keith talks about his journey. Our own journey with Keith also started on the same Lake where this new era of Ceremonial Cacao was born. We met him at his house in San Marcos where he sold us a few blocks. From the moment we walked in the house, we knew something was different. The way they were living their life, the way they welcomed us, the way the workers were happy and smiling (even among all the chaos), it was all a clear message. We're at the right place. This feeling of knowing that we had walked in on a special path was reconfirmed from the first time that we used Keith's product. It was different. More gentle but also somehow stronger. It was energetically very different. It wasn't until months later when we took courses from Keith that we understood why. So here the whys: #1 - Quality Keith's Cacao is %100 pure Cacao. A minimal amount of processing is done on the Cacao to make sure the highest grade quality. Because of this, all of the nutritional benefits of this medicine is preserved. Also the farmers that they work with have the farms inside a natural rainforest where the Cacao grows naturally in its best environment. No monocropping farms. All in lands of indigenous people where they have worked on the land for generations. The plant where the Cacao comes from is mostly of Criollo type. Which is the rarest and of the best quality Cacao beans. Only %5 of the Chocolate in the world is made of this plant type. #2 - Ethical Keith's Cacao is supporting +80 indigenous people's family from its production. It has had huge impact on the local community and thus is very respected among the people of that region. Keith directly works with the farmers and they are paid above the minimum wage of the area. #3 - Intentional Every Cacao that is sent out from the warehouse in Guatemala is blessed by Keith & his wife Barbara. This is just an incredible intention behind the work that they do. They believe in the energetic factor that goes into this medicine. Their intention is to spread the love & spirit of Cacao. In their trainings for their practitioners, they constantly emphasis on the intention behind the work that they do and invite all their practitioners to do the same. We couldn't be happier to find such an intentional community. We're Officially a Practitioner of Keith's Cacao We believe in the work and community behind this product and thus why we chose to work with them. If you like to try this beautiful product consider us your friend in this adventure. We're always here to help you with suggestions, hints & guidance on the personal and spiritual work of Cacao. If you like to order a block for yourself, please contact us.

Episode 2: Faraz Minooei Taking a moment to appreciate our beautiful community team Faraz has been a friend, teacher, mentor & a life coach to me and many. He is not only an artist but a great thinker. One who sees values & characters above success. His approach and dedication to his art and life has been an ocean of inspiration. I started taking Santur classes with him more than a decade ago. But a Santur class quickly turned into a deep friendship. A bond that goes beyond any. I have always been fascinated with how humble he is. For someone who has SO MUCH knowledge about music and life, he never portraits himself above anyone. If he ever got angry at anyone, next to that I would hear a tone of care and deep love. He approaches his students with care, patience and compassion. He pushes when he must and stays quiet when is right. A true artist, friend, mentor & teacher. He is one of the few folks in the Iranian community who so deeply cares about its culture and art. He has dedicated his life in progressing the Iranian art and is truly a master at the Santur and Iranian classical music. What I love about Faraz the most, is his gentle approach to be an example. To walk the path & not preach. What I have learned the most from him is to be a man of not success, but a man of values. Bay Area Persian Music Ensemble This is a new band shaped in Bay Area dedicated to practicing and spreading the sound the Persian Music. Its members are from the Bay Area and welcome anyone who is interested in practicing & participating. In the band currently are players of Daf, Tombak, Tar, Kamancheh, Nay & Santur. What I admire about this collaboration is the effort that's being done in order to showcase Iranian music outside of Iran and the dedication of its members to their practice and the hard work that it takes to keep such an ensemble together. Their first performance was on June 26th 2022 at the Community School of Music & Art. Bay Area Concert This was the concert that Faraz's students from the Santur Academy performed along with the new Bay Area Persian Music Ensemble that he has helped shape. I had the pleasure to perform with my Native American Flute.

Episode 1: Jill McDonald (Deep House Yoga) Taking a moment to appreciate our beautiful community team Jill has to be one of the strongest people that I know on this planet. In summary, she's just a badass. I've had the pleasure of knowing her for a few years now and every time I meet her, I take something special with me home. The first time I met her was when I was helping build my first official Burning Man camp (Porta Party). She always brought a good vibe and energy to everything she does. Whether it's behind the deck, building community, running her business or being a mom. This lady is a DJ, Yogi, Entrepreneur, Mom & etc. Jill started a new movement called "Deep House Yoga" combining her two favorite things in the world: Yoga & Music. About Deep House Yoga DHY is a global enterprise founded by Jill McDonald & is led by women. Its aim is to encourage people to explore yoga as a practice of well-being. DHY wants to build a strong community around yoga, movement, dance & playful interaction with the self and others. They combine music, movement, experiences, places and people to create a feeling of union in themselves and others. One of the biggest models of the organization is to give women a platform to DJ and teach yoga. They believe "we all practice together, we have fun, we get silly, we celebrate this thing called life." Join The Next Event It's been an honor for me to be part of this beautiful collaboration to bring more of the acoustic experiences of these events with my Sound Baths. At the next event in June 16th, I will have my full Sound Bath set including the Crystal Bowls, Gongs, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Flutes, Santur, Chimes and etc.

Inner Circle Retreat Our first retreat! This was the beginning of how Prezenc came together. Before doing anything, we got together with friends to explore the idea and understand our own intention and willingness to put our practices to use. We held a beautiful container, threw away our phones, connected on a deeper level and learned what is like to be mindful. So many amazing relationships and new beginnings shaped from this retreat. So much of the work that has progressed and matured up was started here. Activities Daily Yoga Bonding Games Sound Healing Breathwork Dance 3 Vegetarian Meals And much more…

Retreats Finding Inspiration in Every Turn This is at the core of everything that Prezenc is about. Bringing all of the practices that we believe in, into safe & impactful gatherings. Mindfulness & Compassion are the center pieces of every one of these circles. It's our heart center. And everything else are the tools we use. Meditation, Yoga, Dance, Sharing Circle, Plant-based Diets and etc. Our Story The above picture is one of our favorite moments. One that shaped the future of many of our lives. A simple gathering of friends and estrangers that turned into many moments of laughter, confusion, vulnerabilities with glimpses of clarity. From this moment on, we decided to make this passion into our everyday life and spread our wings to anywhere that people wanted to open up. To open up to new experiences, new way of being and build a new generation that approaches everything with compassion & mindfulness. Previously... Inner Circle This was our initial retreat where we tested the ground of what has become a tradition for us. Nothing but pure love and mindful intention to create a new community. Super fun. Read Beyond The Mind 3 days of soaking under the shades of a beautiful space where we learned how to be ourselves, be vulnerable, play like we were kids and listen to some amazing music. Read Reconnect Our tradition of coming together and practicing mindfulness. Practice being vulnerable and through the collective heal and change. Read The Team Nima Sepehr Founder of Prezenc Tara Gharai Founder of Honestic Mina Khanamaei Holistic Coach & Founder of Mokshaelements Afra Movement Coach

Welcome To a Dream Find your breath. Open your heart. Listen. THE STORY Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Glow of Freedom Sat, Apr 29 Gilman Street Apr 29, 3:00 PM Gilman Street, Gilman St, Berkeley, CA, USA Art Show event Tickets Together Retreat باهم Thu, May 25 Mariposa, CA 95338, USA May 25, 6:00 PM – May 29, 11:00 AM Mariposa, CA 95338, USA A mindfulness retreat for our Iranian Community with the intention of individual and collective cultural growth Tickets SEE ALL EVENTS What is Prezenc? My aim with Prezenc is building community where at its heart is the core of mindfulness practices & compassion. We aim to create safe containers for people to feel safe and be their authentic self. We host retreats, events and are looking into finding a future home where we get to build a community center READ MORE What we do? Retreats This is the way we build communities and share the values that we hold dear. Our retreats have had powerful impacts, bring change and awakening. People find new families, take away new practices and find courage to be themselves. Learn More Events We believe in the power of mindfulness in anything we do. All of our practices are curated around creating a space where people can feel safe, their authentic self and allow the process of impact or healing to flow Learn More Services We're here to serve Cacao & Dance Duration : 1-3 Hours Learn Sound Bath Duration : 1-2 Hours Learn Breathwork Duration : 1-3 Hours Learn The Past In the past... Thu 01 Sep 01 Thu Sep Cacao Flow / The Center SF Details Sep 01, 2022, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA Join us for a ceremony of Cacao & Dance. A journey of music, inner-voices & flow of Cacao. Thu 11 Aug 11 Thu Aug Deep House Yoga / The Midway Details Aug 11, 2022, 7:00 PM – Aug 12, 2022, 10:00 PM The Midway, 900 Marin St, San Francisco, CA 94124, USA Deep House Yoga "Flow & Glow" Wed 29 Jun 29 Wed Jun Ecstatic Dance / The Center SF Details Jun 29, 2022, 7:00 PM The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA Playing the closing sound bath set at Ecstatic Dance in my favorite venue in SF @CenterSF. Join us for an evening of Ecstatic Dance set by Gabriel Francisco, Vinyasa Yoga by Sarah Koh Sun 26 Jun 26 Sun Jun Bay Area Concert / Community School of Music & Art Details Jun 26, 2022, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM PDT Community School of Music & Art, 230 San Antonio Cir, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA Playing a Solo as part of Santur Academy. For the first the first time in the Bay Area. The Bay Area Persian Music Ensemble & the Santur Academy will join for an evening of various performances. Sun 12 Jun 12 Sun Jun Private Sound Bath / Private Details Jun 12, 2022, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Private, Walnut Creek, CA, USA Join us for an intimate & private gathering to immerse yourself in the magic of sound bath. Lay down, close your eyes, open your ears and listen to the vibrations of Crystal Bowls, Gongs, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Flutes, Chimes, Santoor, Shakers,etc. A powerful way to retune yourself. Thu 03 Mar 03 Thu Mar Reconnect Retreat / Bass Lake Details Mar 03, 2022, 7:00 PM – Mar 06, 2022, 7:00 PM Bass Lake, Bass Lake, CA, USA 3 days of connections Sun 27 Feb 27 Sun Feb Closing Sound Performance / Church of 8 Wheels Details Feb 27, 2022, 1:00 PM Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA Performing the closing at Ecstatic Dance Tue 02 Nov 02 Tue Nov Ecstatic Dance / Eagle's Nest Details Nov 02, 2021, 12:00 PM Eagle's Nest, Lake Atitlán, San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala Ecstatic Dance at the beautiful Eagle's Nest in Guatemala Fri 28 May 28 Fri May Beyond the Mind Retreat / Temecula Details May 28, 2021, 7:00 PM – May 31, 2021, 7:00 PM Temecula, Temecula, CA, USA 3 days of soaking under the shades of a beautiful space where we learned how to be ourselves, be vulnerable, play like we were kids and listen to some amazing music. Sun 28 Feb 28 Sun Feb Here & Now / Eagle's Nest Details Feb 28, 2021, 7:00 PM Eagle's Nest, Lake Atitlán, San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala Cacao & Ecstatic Dance, Painting, Sound Bath, Food & Connection Fri 20 Nov 20 Fri Nov Inner Circle Retreat / Bass Lake Details Nov 20, 2020, 7:00 PM – Nov 24, 2020, 7:00 AM Bass Lake, Bass Lake, CA, USA Our first retreat! Our blog! Our blog Why We Chose Keith's Cacao? Keith's Cacao. Why we decided to work with this beautiful medicine from the Chocolate Shaman himself Our Community Series Episode 2: Faraz Minooei Taking a moment to appreciate our beautiful community team Faraz has been a friend, teacher, mentor & a life... Our Community Series Thank you Jill McDonald (Deep House Yoga) Subscribe Subscribe Get up to date with our retreats & events. Name Email Join Thanks for subscribing!