The City Within: Cacao, Live Handpan + an Intimate Circle

Join us at the Brooklyn Apothecary on Wednesday November 4th at 7pm to join an ancient ritual in a modern city. 

Halloween parties, late nights, a city that hasn’t slowed down, and then a tense election week on top of it all. Your body has been running on overdrive.

Maybe you’re tired of holding it all. Maybe you feel a lot and you’re tired of carrying it alone. Or maybe you want one evening where nobody needs anything from you.

This evening is your exhale. Set it down. Come back to yourself. 

For thousands of years, the Maya shared cacao at their most sacred gatherings: offerings, celebrations, and moments of remembering. Tonight we bring that ancient ritual into a modern city that never stops moving, and find the quiet place inside it.

Leave your phone in the basket at the door. Wrap your hands around a warm cup of ceremonial cacao, and let live handpan bring your nervous system back down to earth. Twelve of us, candlelight, and ninety minutes that belong only to you.

As the season of remembering closes, we’ll also lean on those who came before us. Our grandmothers lived through louder times than this, and their steadiness lives in us. Bring a photo or a name of someone whose strength you carry, and we’ll place it on a shared altar. 

Two pours, two energies
 Soul, to land. Slow breath and gentle remembering to settle the body and reconnect with your lineage.
 Spirit, to rise. Breath and movement to wake up your life force so you leave lighter than you came.

What you’ll feel:

• Your shoulders drop and your breath slows down
• People who feel it too sitting beside you
• Room to be exactly where you are: quiet, emotional, or ready to laugh
• A clearer head and a fuller heart walking home
• A deeper night’s sleep than you’ve had all week

Come as you are
Your first time with cacao, coming solo, or knowing nobody in the room: all of it is welcome here. Share as much or as little as you like, and listening counts as taking part. Whatever the headlines say, in this room you get to simply be a person. 

What’s included
· Two pours of Soul & Spirit ceremonial cacao from the Mayan lands, each with its own spice blend
· An oracle card for each pour, with a guided prompt
· A shared ancestral altar
· Breath and movement practices
· Authentic relating practices in a small, intimate circle
· Live handpan by Johann throughout the evening
· 15% off Anima Mundi products in store

Good to know
Wear something comfortable for sitting on a cushion. Skip caffeine a few hours before, and leave 90 minutes to 2 hours after your last meal. The cacao is vegan and nut-free. If you have allergies, reach out ahead of time. Space is limited to 12, so advance tickets are required.

Your hosts
Sasha Sakhar, founder of SUGARHAUS, has worked with ceremonial cacao for 8 years, bringing it into modern spaces across NYC. She’s a certified Authentic Relating facilitator and a longtime student of self-inquiry, mindfulness, and energy work. This evening comes straight from her own practice.
Johann Bermudez (@alternabeat), founder of Alternabeat, builds live soundscapes internationally, shaped by what the room needs in the moment.