It’s an ancient practice rooted in Indigenous traditions that blends community, mindfulness, and the heart-opening qualities of cacao.
Q: How does Heart to Earth connect cacao with sustainability?
By working directly with Central American farmers, the brand preserves culture while supporting regenerative agriculture.
Q: Why are cacao ceremonies becoming popular again today?
Many people are turning to this ritual for connection, grounding, and a deeper sense of purpose in modern life.
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The Ancient Art of the Cacao Ceremony
Heart to Earth’s founder, Charlotte Nienhuis, has traveled extensively throughout Central America, beginning at age sixteen, when she helped build a park in Nicaragua as part of a humanitarian aid project.
The trip inspired her to read and learn about world history, colonization, and the human experience. She’s since traveled, seen war, poverty, and human misery firsthand, but also met many people, including those in Indigenous communities, who were resilient and thriving.
Cacao used in healing ceremony
Woman preparing for cacao ritual
“People were happy, living without stress and flowing with the cycles of nature, cultivating the land and eating the most healthy food. I thought they had a good life, and they also loved their life. A woman from a jungle community in Chiapas told me, ‘Why are you coming here? [As for me], I would never leave my village because I have everything I need from here and I love my community,’” Nienhuis explains in her brand story on Heart to Earth’s website.
Originally, Nienhuis wanted to be a journalist, to become a voice for the unheard and help the world understand truth. However, she came to believe that working for media corporations would not provide her the opportunity to tell the truth as she saw it, so she chose another path.
When I introduced cacao into my life, it felt like my heart cracked open with love. I began to truly see myself, aligning my purpose with service to my higher self, humanity, and Mother Earth.
Woman pouring herbal drink in glass
People were happy, living without stress and flowing with the cycles of nature, cultivating the land and eating the most healthy food. I thought they had a good life, and they also loved their life. A woman from a jungle community in Chiapas told me, ‘Why are you coming here? [As for me], I would never leave my village because I have everything I need from here and I love my community.
Nienhuis founded Heart to Earth a few years ago as a collective project that enables Central American farming communities to share their offerings and culture with the broader world. The direct marketing and consumer education services Heart to Earth provides enable farmers to sell their products internationally while maintaining more control over their growing practices and adapting in sustainable ways that make sense for them.
