GET TO KNOW US
Hannah and Kait met on their first day of college at West Virginia University in 2010 and have been inseparable best friends since.
In early 2019, they attended a yoga philosophy class at a local yoga studio in Evergreen, Colorado. This class propelled them down a path of spiritual growth. With the support of their teacher and dear friend, Niki Sims (Anandama), they committed to a daily meditation practice, studied sacred yogic texts, integrated yogic wisdom into their daily life, and gained a deep understanding of the importance of sangha (community). After many spiritual retreats and meditation immersions at Shoshoni Yoga Ashram in Nederland, Colorado, they obtained their meditation teacher training certifications through the Shambhavananda School of Yoga.
The effects of their meditation practice were profound, and they began to apply the conscious awareness developed on the cushion to other aspects of their life: becoming mindful of the foods they ate, products they used, waste they produced, and energies they surrounded themselves with.
In an attempt to cultivate a greater sense of inner awareness, intention, and presence while seeing live music, they began drinking cacao as a “pre-game” before shows. They became increasingly captivated by the sense that this “spirit” was working behind the scenes to manifest their intentions for the night. Intrigued by this guiding force, they completed a cacao immersion through Keith’s Cacao where they were awakened to the supportive, nurturing, and healing effects of drinking cacao daily. Feeling called to share this magic with others, they completed their cacao ceremony facilitator certifications through Keith’s Cacao.
After enough people became curious about what they were drinking before shows, they decided to host their first (very informal) ceremony as an alternative way to pre-game before the Goose shows at Legend Valley. After witnessing others feel the magic of cacao (and realizing they weren't totally crazy!), THE CONSCIOUS PRE-GAME (for fans) was born. Shortly after, and by some pure stroke of fate (or by the magic of Mama Cacao), Hannah & Kait found themselves backstage, sitting on the floor with incense burning, their beloved Animal Spirit oracle cards laid out in a circle, trying to keep their cool while questioning their sanity as they were about to explain to their favorite band that they call this cup of hot chocolate "Mama". Thankfully, they were into it, and THE CONSCIOUS PRE-GAME (for bands) was born.
Hannah & Kait are convinced they have discovered the secret weapon for navigating and mastering life. They are still in complete awe of this journey and how a daily meditation practice and relationship with Mama Cacao can help you manifest alignment and cultivate a deep sense of hope, trust, and peace.
Kait Tomkosky
meditation teacher, cacao practitioner, website developer, artist
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Kait is committed to a path of self-inquiry and spiritual evolution. Kait grew up in western Pennsylvania and currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. She graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems and has worked as a web developer for ~9 years. Although web development has allowed her to use creativity and innovation in her daily work, Kait has always been interested in holistic health. She began studying Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and Meridian Theory, and Herbology in her free time, and, in 2019, she became a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
In her mid-20’s, Kait struggled with health imbalances and committed to healing naturally through lifestyle changes, herbal remedies, and other plant medicines. As a first step, she cut out social drinking and, with time, realized how being sober was in alignment with her authentic self and enabled her to connect with others in a deeper and more embodied way. During this process, she discovered ceremonial cacao and began using cacao as her “drink” for events and as a tool to fuel her creative projects. This journey inspired Kait to live holistically and deeply in tune with and supportive of nature. She radiates health and exemplifies the confidence, freedom, and joy that can be obtained through self-discipline, adopting healthy practices, and living authentically.
Kait’s daily meditation and cacao practice has given her the courage, strength, and support to release things that were no longer in alignment for her. Her practice has given her the confidence to prioritize her own path and intentions, as well as live from a heart-centered space. She shares cacao and meditation in a playful, light-hearted way that makes it fun and easy to connect with the spirit of cacao. Ultimately, she hopes to inspire others to deepen their spiritual connection, tune into their intuition, live in a more heart-centered and joyful state, and feel empowered to find a meditation and cacao practice of their own.
When she’s not practicing yoga or drinking cacao, you can find Kait enjoying the Colorado mountains, dancing to live music, painting, macraméing or creating in some shape or form.
Hannah Ritchie
meditation teacher, cacao practitioner, sleep scientist, writer
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Hannah has always been intrigued by the mind and human nature. Hannah grew up in Richmond, Virginia and currently lives in Evergreen, Colorado. While working in a sleep research laboratory as an undergraduate at West Virginia University, Hannah became infatuated with how sleep (and lack thereof) impacts the mind, overall health, and quality of life. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Philosophy, she moved to Boulder, Colorado where she completed a Master of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology with a specialization in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has worked in the sleep research/medicine field ever since.
Although trained to understand the brain and body scientifically, her true passion lies in exploring human consciousness spiritually. While studying Shambhavananda meditation, Hannah realized that meditation is not just an exercise in “not thinking” to relax, but is a toolbox of specific, methodical practices to move energy (eg, release tension) and train your mind. She believes these practices are superpowers for handling emotions/thoughts and reacting from a clear and centered state. Through long-term use of these practices, her perspective on life and human behavior has evolved to be much more understanding, patient, and curious.
Hannah’s daily meditation and cacao practice has helped her through heartbreak and provided her with a dedicated space for reflection - a space to sit with things she needs to work through and gain clarity/direction on, to set and surrender intentions, and to feel gratitude for how life has evolved to the present moment. With a calm and clear presence, she shares the power of meditation and cacao in a scholarly, grounded, and relatable way. She strives to make these practices accessible and applicable by being both practical and spiritual. Ultimately, she hopes to help you use these tools to better deal with life’s challenges, get out of your own way, and develop your own trusting relationship with the universe.
You can usually find Hannah practicing yoga, reading fantasy series by the fire, hiking/camping in the mountains, dancing to live music, and always with her samoyed, Caspian.