Cacao practitioner | Ceremonial cacao | Practitioner profile
Hichem Meddeb lives in "Happyland." He spends a good part of his day riding around the country roads around Granges village in southern Switzerland, swimming in the tranquil lakes, playing his guitar and singing songs, writing a book, and cooking with his grandmother. And being playful!
Hichem stumbled upon Cacao by chance, or good fortune! He was in San Pedro, doing Qi Gong at the time, and kept hearing about this Chocolate Shaman across the lake. He wasn't particularly interested at first, but everything aligned to bring him to Keith's porch one fine day. Within 30 minutes of ceremony, Hichem felt Mama Cacao's arms wrapped around him, and he let go in her loving embrace.
Hichem has been working with Keith's Cacao since 2014. Following an injury, Hichem had to give up a life of involvement in extreme sports. Cacao helped him let go of the past and slowly let in some love and some real fun. It helped transform his life.
Fun has always played a significant part in Hichem's life, for apart from being a mountain climber, Hichem was also a circus performer. Before Cacao, when -in his words- "he was more selfish," both of these activities were all about performance. As Cacao allowed him to go deeper and connect more fully with whatever he was doing, Hichem's shows became less about performing and more about being present with the people around him - and playing with them.
Cacao has been Hichem's friend, ally, teacher, and helper. The Cacao Spirit invited him to connect more with myself and the land and inspired him to play more. It showed him that sometimes a major accident or some significant change in life happens just to help us appreciate the pleasure in the simple moments, like sharing time with friends, spending time being close to a tree, or sitting by a lake.
As he learned to embrace more of who he is, Hichem began to share his gifts with the world through music and meditation. In his Cacao ceremonies, he creates a safe space for people to gently let go of what is happening in their lives, family, and work, let go of all their stories and take the journey back home to their real essence.
Hichem's message is to head the call to be ourselves. And to share our truth with the world. Sing our song, write our story, draw our pictures. Now more than ever, we are called to be fully who we are. And with the help of Mama Cacao, maybe we can help other people remember who they are. And yes, even in a crazy world, we can still live a beautiful life and share love.
Thank you for sharing your love with us Hichem. You can keep track of Hichem through his social media account here.