Grounded, Euphoric Cacao
Most startup companies offer happy hours with libations and an opportunity to get to know your coworkers on a deeper level - seriously, how awesome would it be to remember the dance battle you and your CEO had the next time you feel anxious about a project or deadline? - but how many can say their employer approved a mind/body altering substance in the middle of a workday?
Enter cacao, the purest form of what we know as chocolate. It's been used in Central and South America in ceremony and ritual to connect to the divine and to bring communities together for the past 5000 years.
I first learned about the magic of cacao, its history and benefits while on a cacao/coffee tour on a working farm situated next to the papaya farm on which my husband and I stayed for part of our honeymoon. The farm and tour company is called Don Juan Tours and it's one of the best deals in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, next to the Los Cañones zipline hot springs adventure. Pura Vida.
Back to cacao - the raw plant is actually a seed found inside a large, textured fruit ranging in color from violet to pastel yellow. The seeds are hand-harvested, fermented, dried and roasted to produce cacao nibs. This dark, solid substance can be ground into a paste to make a ceremonial drink blended with a variety of herbs, spices and essences like sweet orange oil, vanilla, salt, lavender and chili powder. You can also make a chocolate bar from this paste, like we did at the farm.
Some ingredients that go into a ceremonial cacao drink.
The chocolate bars we often get in North America are made using machinery invented in Switzerland that separates the cacao butter from the powder to control the percentage of cacao found in each bar (think milk vs. dark chocolate). Keep in mind the health benefits of cacao will only be realized if you have at least equal parts (50%) fat to powder so the nutrients can be absorbed into the body.
Health Benefits of Cacao, in short:
theobromine - stimulates blood flow
antioxidants - diminish the presence of free radicals in the body
magnesium - an element 80% of Americans are deficient in
neurotransmitters - tryptophan, serotonin, etc. (the feel good hormones)
Raw cacao fruit growing on a tree at the Don Juan farm in Arenal, Costa Rica.
A Model for Mindful Connection: Bringing Cacao Ceremony–Inspired Wellness Into the Workplace or Your Home
During a recent wellness workshop I led, the team had the opportunity to experience a guided session which brought a balance of grounded expertise and uplifting energy through a meditation honoring the natural elements of earth, fire, water, and air. As part of the experience, they enjoyed a thoughtfully prepared cacao beverage—crafted with rose, lavender, and a touch of chipotle chili—served in handcrafted clay cups.
Within moments, a sense of shared delight spread across the room. Looking around the circle, I noticed colleagues smiling broadly, settling into a collective feeling of ease. Together, we took time in silence to connect to breath and body, allowing personal intentions to surface. Words such as love, endurance, play, rest, cleanse, and celebrate echoed as guiding themes for the group.
As we enjoyed a second pour, the biophysical benefits of ceremonial cacao were explained, helping participants understand why the experience felt both grounding and uplifting.
The session then transitioned into a dynamic yoga flow designed to ignite energy while creating space for rest and reset. The combination of mindful breath, intention setting, and physical practice created an atmosphere that was both energizing and restorative.
While ceremonial cacao added a unique dimension to the workshop, the underlying impact wasn’t dependent on the drink itself. The core of the experience came from intentionality, mindful consumption, meaningful storytelling, and a supportive setting. Whether using cacao, coffee, herbal tea, or even fresh fruit, organizations can recreate similar moments of grounding, connection, and shared joy.
This type of workshop can be adapted for teams of any size or setting, offering employees a structured opportunity to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and build community through mindful practices. It’s a powerful reminder that when care goes into both preparation and presence, even simple rituals can become transformative.
