Our training is offered at the Mystical Yoga Farm in Lake Atitlan. 

The Mystical Yoga Farm is a Sanctuary for anyone feeling depleted, looking to disconnect (digitally) and reconnect (spiritually), or in need of a little Rest & Relaxation. Whatever it is you’re seeking, the transformational power of this ancient land is sure to help you find it. Awaken to the sounds of the birds singing sweet songs as the sun peeks over the Volcanoes, golden rays shining at the first light of day. Receive the sun kissing your skin. The lake is still, serene.

There is no wifi at Mystical Yoga Farm. For those in need of work, we suggest buying a TIGO SIM card before the start of the training. It costs about $15 USD and you are always connected for 1+ week. For others who want to check in with their family once in a while, we can share our phone network once a day!

PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION

Private accommodations are a mix of rustic cabins and rooms with shared bathrooms. They are cozy, colorful and clean. You can enjoy your personal space within a natural context.

SHARED ACCOMMODATION

Shared accommodations are rooms with several beds shared amongst participants. The first 6 participants that register for the training will be located in LA PAZ cabin which has 2 levels with beds on each level. There is an extra dorm room with bunk beds available if more space is required. All rooms are with shared outdoor bathrooms.

CAMPING

The camping option is optimal for budget participants who enjoy the simplicity of camping and privacy. Mystical Yoga Farm provides all equipment. Shared bathrooms are available on-site.

There are several teachers from all walk of life supporting the Cacao Source training: 

Jordan, co-founder, and research & development leader of Cacao Source, has traveled for years in a horse caravan throughout Meso America before opening a chocolate shop in Guatemala's Caribbean. Later on, he arrived at Lake Atitlan and dreamt of a ceremonial cacao movement connected to the source.

Laurence, co-founder and business manager at Cacao Source, has over 10+ years of experience in social entrepreneurship and holistic space development. When arriving in Lake Atitlan, she dreamt of a business model that would be inspired by the permaculture design, in service to people, nature and economical empowerment.

Dorothy, co-founder of Cacao Source, is an ecologist, permaculturist and sacred space holder. She first felt in love with cacao in the jungle of Costa Rica while tending to its land. When she arrived in Lake Atitlan, she dreamt to share cacao with her community with the same reverence as the one she practice when tending to the soil.

The farmers of Springs farm will share with you their passion, their work and sharing about their daily life.

The woman ́s collective of Nueva Amanecer, Mama Amor farm, will share the process of cacao from seed to ceremony.

Kaqćhikel Wisdom Keepers will be sharing with you a fire ceremony and an introduction to the Mayan Cosmovision.

It is as well a co-creative training, participants often have unique backgrounds and gifts to learn from. 

This course is for anyone who desires to deepen their knowledge about cacao and connect to the source. We have had all-walks-of-life participants. People who tried cacao for the first time and others who had shared the medicine for years, everyone has left with deep gratitude and profound learning experience.

You do not need to be fit for our course but you will be walking around in nature and up some small hills (Mystical Yoga Farm is off-grid and has facilities along a small hill). We will sit on the floor often. If you have health/fitness challenges, please speak with our team.

We had mother/daughter, husband/wife, husband/husband, cousins, and friends joining our courses and we all had a great experience! We are open to children but please reach out to the team first. We had a lot of mothers joining our courses. For some, it was the first time traveling without their children, it was a challenge for them and enriching at the same time.

At Cacao Source, we do not believe in certifying cacao ceremonialists/ space holders. It is a life-journey you are taking and there is currently no united authority to certify a cacao practitioner. We offer a participatory certification that acknowledges that you have deepened your knowledge and experience with cacao. If you are already a space holder, this course is the perfect initiation to add cacao as an ingredient to the work you are already doing. If you are new to the space holding path, this course is a great introduction for connecting more deeply to cacao on a personal level.

If you do not share Mayan Ancestors, we recommend offering spaces for Mayan Wisdom keepers to share their fire ceremonies and find in parallel your personal way to share authentically cacao. We invite the participant to share cacao with their community and create sacred spaces in integrity with their own path..

If you desire to walk the Mayan Cosmovision path and learn to offer fire ceremonies with cacao, this might not be the training for you.

We will meet in San Marcos de la Laguna at the main dock at 10AM on the starting date. From there, we will be taking a private boat across Lake Atitlan to the Mystical Yoga Farm (MYF). Have your bag packed and ready to go! We recommend staying in San Marcos the night before. 

The program will close at 11 AM on the last day. From there, we have a boat scheduled to go back to San Marcos.

In addition to the cost of the training, please budget for your flight tickets, round trip transport to Lake Atitlan ($50 to $200 USD depending on your choice of transport), extra night accommodation on arrival ($15 USD+), purchase of cacao or gifts, and any other personal expenses. During the training, all costs are covered.

The temperature and weather will change quite a bit depending on where we are throughout our journey. While we're staying on the Lake at the MYF, the days are usually warm and the temperature will go down at night. Bring layers! As for our trips to the jungle, it will be hot and humid. The communities in those parts are also very conservative, so we recommend wearing lightweight clothing that covers your skin. Please dress appropriately! It's very important to us as foreigners to dress respectfully for the communities we visit. The forests can sometimes be buggy-- another reason to cover your skin. One of the forest trips has more rugged terrain, so bring a good pair of walking shoes.

You are responsible for your transport from the airport to San Marcos la Laguna but on request, we are happy to support: Please send us your flight itinerary and plan!

There are different travel options:

- Private shuttle: Around $100 (can be shared between participants, we can try to match your travels if flights are close by)

- Shared shuttle: Around 40$ (safe & comfortable)

- Chicken bus: Around 10$ (adventure way of traveling Guatemala, suggested for Spanish speakers only)

Travel roads option:

Airport to Lake Atitlan - recommended for early flights / about 4 hours drive

Aiport to Antigua/Antigua to Lake Atiltan - Our personal favorite! Antigua is a beautiful safe town about 40 minutes from the airport. From Antigua, you can find various shared shuttles that goes to Lake Atitlan almost every hour.

We always recommend arriving at least a day in advance to be well rested at the start of the training and considering that we meet at 10AM and the drive from the airport is 4 hours, it makes your journey much more comfortable! Our opening ceremony is on the first day of training, we love starting with everyone present.

Most often, when possible with budget, work, and family situations; Most people enjoy staying 3 to 7 days longer. Some participants took months before leaving Guatemala!

It is possible to leave the same day if your flight is after 7 PM for a stress-free return. The training creates strong bonds between participants and taking time to integrate afterwards together or alone can be enriching.

You will be traveling to Guatemala which comes with the regular risks of traveling to southern countries. Currently, Guatemala's political situation is stable. Mystical Yoga Farm is a very safe environment with a lot of people around you. Our day trips to farms are with trusted cacao producers that Cacao Source has collaborated with and traveled to with groups for years. 

We have a few tips to improve security outside our course:

• Do not walk alone at night.
• Dress appropriately for the culture
• Be mindful of substance consumption
• Go hiking or in rural areas with a guide
• Only carry valuables when necessary.

Within 5 years of offering this course, all participants have had a positive secure experience. Guatemala.

Our course is designed to include and value the local community. This means we are giving generously to the Mayan Wisdom Keepers and farmers involved in the training. For farmers, it has been very impactful to host groups on their land. While their cacao production is very bad this year, offering tours has allowed them to generate alternative income.

Teachers are paid on a fixed salary and all profit goes back to the Cacao Source project. It is reinvested into the growth of Cacao Source impact in Guatemala.