Part I
I had always known cacao as a flavor.
A familiar taste woven into so many moments of life. It lived in desserts, warm drinks, family kitchens, and childhood memories. Cacao had always felt comforting, recognizable, almost ordinary. It was something I enjoyed without ever giving much thought to where it came from or what it represented.
I never thought it could hold something deeper.
I certainly never imagined it could become the heart of a ceremony.
This one-of-a-kind Costa Rican cacao ceremony took place at ORIGINS, in Bijagua, on a yoga deck suspended between the rainforest and the sky. There, birdsong replaced conversation. Fresh mountain air slowed every breath. Beyond the open structure, the forests of Bijagua stretched toward the horizon, making the outside world seem a world away.
Long before the ceremony officially began, the place had already begun to work its quiet magic.
When I arrived, our guide, Yanina, was preparing everything with calm confidence. Nothing felt rushed. She moved through the space arranging each mat, placing cushions, laying fresh flowers, and setting musical instruments nearby. Every gesture carried intention, as though each object already knew exactly where it belonged.
On a nearby table rested the elements of the ceremony: cacao still inside its colorful fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla pods, cinnamon, and cloves.
They were ingredients I had seen countless times before.
Yet here, they felt entirely different. They seemed ancestral, each one carrying stories of their own.
The cacao fruit reminded us where it all begins. Vanilla added sweetness and softness, while cinnamon and cloves filled the pavilion with warmth and spice. Together, their aromas transformed the space before a single word had been spoken.
Before inviting us to drink the cacao, Yanina shared a little of its history. For centuries, many Indigenous cultures throughout Mesoamerica have regarded cacao as much more than food. It has accompanied ceremonies, celebrations, and moments of reflection, symbolizing connection, gratitude, and an open heart.
Listening to her, I realized how little I truly knew about something that had always been part of my life.
It was then that I understood.
The ceremony had not begun with the first sip.
It had started much earlier.
It had begun in the careful preparation of the space. In the flowers. In the aromas. In the silence. In the rhythm of the forest surrounding us.
Every detail invited us to slow down before asking anything else of us.
The yoga deck at ORIGINS had become much more than a beautiful viewpoint.
Without realizing it, I had stopped thinking about everything waiting for me beyond the forest. My attention had shifted completely to the breeze moving through the trees, the scent of cacao lingering in the air, and the quiet anticipation shared by everyone sitting there.
Everything had changed before I had even tasted the cacao.
A flavor I thought I knew had become something entirely different.
A doorway.
A pause.
An invitation to listen.
Yanina looked up and met my eyes.
A quiet, knowing smile crossed her face.
She knows a world I have yet to discover.
And she’s inviting me in.
