Cacao, Herbs & Mushrooms

February 1-4, 2027

Casa Curativa, Tzununá
Lake Atitlàn, Guatemala

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Discover how cacao, herbs, and medicinal mushrooms come together in this immersive 4-day training. Designed for cacao facilitators, herbal enthusiasts, wellness practitioners, and curious learners, to explore relationship-based herbalism, mushroom cultivation, and cacao from tree to cup creating a bridge between people, plants, and community.

Cultivate Relationships

For thousands of years, Indigenous communities across Mesoamerica prepared cacao alongside herbs, flowers, spices, and medicinal plants that reflected the ecosystems surrounding them. This course honors that legacy by reconnecting cacao with the broader world of plant allies.

Rather than learning isolated techniques, participants cultivate relationships with cacao, herbs, mushrooms, the land, and the communities that continue to protect this knowledge.

Our intention is to leave you with practical skills and formulations, and a deeper understanding of reciprocity, regeneration, and the living intelligence that connects all medicine.

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What You Will Learn

This 4-day plant immersion combines cultural experiences, practical workshops, and foundational teachings to help you understand:


  • • Explore the rich traditional history of using medicinal plants from an anthropological perspective

    • Gain a holistic understanding of the diverse ways plants have been used throughout history

    • Dive deep into the cultural and historical contexts of plant medicine across different societies

    • Discover cultural traditions and ancestral knowledge carried by Kaqchikel cacao keepers

    • Prepare cacao by hand using time-honored techniques passed down through generations

    • Connect with the people, land, and stories behind every cup of this beloved plant medicine

    • Learn the core principles of vitalist herbalism

    • Dive into herbal energetics and constitutional thinking

    • Explore the interconnected relationship between people, plants, and ecosystems

    • Create a lifelong practice of learning from the plants themselves

    • Understand the life cycle and ecology of medicinal mushrooms

    • Learn the fundamentals of cultivating mushrooms at home

    • Explore sustainable growing methods and cultivation environments

    • Combine mushrooms, herbs, and cacao into balanced, intentional formulations

    • Understand how herbal energetics influence a blend's purpose and experience

    • Discover complementary herbs and mushrooms that pair harmoniously with cacao

    • Balance flavor, aroma, texture, and function in your formulations.

    • Create your own herbal cacao blends using thoughtfully selected botanicals.

    • Create your own medicinal cacao blends

    • Formulate herbal and mushroom preparations by hand

    • Refine formulations through taste, aroma, and energetics.

    • Build confidence crafting cacao centered remedies for your home apothecary

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A Unique Collaboration

Rooted in the landscapes and traditions of Guatemala, this immersion brings together the complementary expertise of Casa Curativa and Cacao Source. You'll learn directly from herbalists, mushroom cultivators, cacao makers, and a Kaqchikel women's collective while exploring relationship-based herbalism, medicinal mushrooms, and ceremonial cacao through an integrated, hands-on learning experience.

Learn more about cacao source

Meet Your Teachers

Laurence Tremblay

Laurence Tremblay: Co-Founder, Cacao Source

Originally from Canada and based in Guatemala for over five years, Laurence Tremblay is the co-founder of Cacao Source and the visionary behind its social enterprise model.

She leads the organization's ethical framework, business development, and regenerative partnerships while working alongside farmers, women's collectives, and international communities to build a transparent and regenerative cacao economy.

Throughout the course, Laurence shares the journey of cacao from seed to cup, offering insights into sourcing, post-harvest processing, ceremonial cacao production, and the role of social entrepreneurship in creating lasting impact.

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Ashley Mcdonell

Ashley Mcdonell: Herbalist, Natural Builder, Full-Spectrum Doula

Ashley McDonell is a clinical herbalist, natural builder, and full-spectrum doula whose work bridges science, spirit, and ecology. As Director of Education at Casa Curativa, she guides a growing network of teachers, practitioners, and students devoted to restoring relationship-based herbalism to its rightful place at the heart of community health.

With over a decade of experience in clinical practice and herbal education, Ashley’s teaching merges physiological precision with ecological literacy, inviting students to understand the body as an ecosystem and the ecosystem as an extension of the body. She weaves rigorous study with story, song, and earth-based ritual—creating spaces where learning becomes an act of remembrance, and medicine becomes relationship.

Her practice is rooted in reciprocity, reverence, and respect for the living world—guided by the belief that each act of healing contributes to the reweaving of our species back into the ecological web of life.

Catherine Griggs

Catherine Griggs: Biologist, Medicinal Mushroom Cultivator, Farm Director

Catherine Griggs is a biologist, medicinal mushroom cultivator, inventor, artist, and Farm Director whose work explores the intelligence and regenerative potential of fungi.

From her mushroom laboratory and regenerative farm in Guatemala, Catherine studies cultivation, extraction, ecological restoration, and the therapeutic applications of medicinal mushrooms.

Her workshops combine biology, ecology, practical cultivation skills, and contemplative inquiry, helping participants understand fungi not only as remarkable organisms but as teachers of transformation, resilience, and interconnectedness.

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Our Daily Flow:

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8-8:30 am

Breakfast in the Lodge

9-10 am

Movement & Practice

10:30-1 am

Lecture on the Platform

1 pm

Lunch at the Lodge

2-5:30 pm

Lecture / Medicine Making
in the Lab

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5:30-7 pm

Optional Evening Activity
(Sauna, Fire, Etc) followed by Dinner

Pricing & Accommodation Packages:

February 1-4, 2027

Every package includes 4 nights in your chosen accommodation, 3x meals a day, and the full 4-day course and resources.

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GARDEN TENT

  • Canvas tent in the heart of the garden

  • Comfortable bedding and cozy rug

  • Shared hot showers and bathrooms

  • Access to shared kitchen

All inclusive course, accommodation + 3 meals per day.

$980

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SHARED ACCOMMODATION

Stay in our newest and largest accommodation The Lodge:

  • Comfortable single beds

  • Full shared kitchen and living room

  • Private terraces

  • Shared hot showers and bathrooms

All inclusive course, accommodation + 3 meals per day.

$1,088

reserve today
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PRIVATE ROOM

The Zome:

  • Lofty geodesic dome with lake views

  • King bed + full private kitchen

  • Private bathroom with bathtub and shower

  • Covered porch and artisan carpentry throughout

The Honeycomb:

  • Intimate 12-sided rounded cabin

  • King bed + private kitchenette

  • Shared hot shower

  • Warm, cozy, and private (Mapacho the cat may visit)

The Riverside Cabin

  • Tucked right next to the river

  • King bed + outdoor private kitchen

  • Covered patio and outdoor living area

  • Shared hot shower

All inclusive course, accommodation + 3 meals per day.
Starting at $1,160

explore your options

Course Details:

Cacao, Herbs & Mushrooms
Course Tuition Only + 3 Meals a Day:

$800

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*Accommodations not included

Dates: February 1-4, 2027

Location: Casa Curativa, Tzununá, Guatemala

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Includes: Daily lectures, workshops, 3x meals per day, hands-on cacao preparations, connection with the indigenous Mayan community and plant-led social-impact initiatives

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Accommodations: Choose a private room or a shared lodging space. Includes fast WiFi, comfy beds, bathrooms, showers, kitchens and plenty of garden space to enjoy.

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We believe the deepest learning happens through relationship, experience, and reciprocity. This immersion is designed to move beyond the classroom, inviting you to work directly with the plants, fungi, and cacao through every stage of their journey from cultivation and harvesting to formulation and preparation. By learning alongside herbalists, mushroom cultivators, cacao makers, and a Kaqchikel women's collective, you'll gain practical skills while supporting the communities, traditions, and regenerative practices that continue to steward this knowledge.

Learn at the Source

Why Join us in Guatemala?

  • Learn from the Source: Study directly with herbalists, mushroom cultivators, cacao makers, and a Kaqchikel women's collective, gaining knowledge rooted in generations of lived experience.

  • Gain Hands-On Experience: Harvest, cultivate, formulate, and prepare cacao, herbs, and medicinal mushrooms through immersive, practical workshops designed to build confidence.

  • Experience Guatemala as Your Classroom: From lush forests and medicinal gardens and local communities, learn within the landscapes where these traditions continue to thrive.

  • Support Local Communities: Your participation contributes directly to Indigenous knowledge keepers, local growers, and regenerative agricultural initiatives, creating meaningful impact beyond the classroom.

  • Join a Community of Plant Lovers: Connect with curious learners from around the world who share a passion for herbalism, cacao, fungi, and regenerative living, creating friendships and collaborations that extend well beyond the immersion.

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FAQs

  • Over four immersive days, you'll explore the interconnected worlds of premium cacao, relationship-based herbalism, and medicinal mushrooms through hands-on learning and direct experience. You'll learn from herbalists, mushroom cultivators, cacao makers, and a Kaqchikel women's collective while developing practical skills you can continue long after returning home.

    During the immersion, you'll:

    • Prepare cacao from seed to cup using traditional methods.

    • Learn the foundations of relationship-based and vitalist herbalism.

    • Explore herbal energetics and botanical formulation.

    • Cultivate and process medicinal mushrooms.

    • Create your own cacao, herb, and mushroom preparations in the apothecary.

    • Discover how herbs, fungi, and cacao work together in balanced formulations.

    • Connect with the people, traditions, and landscapes that steward these medicines.

    • Gain practical skills and confidence to continue your journey at home.

    Gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between plants, fungi, people, and place, along with practical skills for crafting your own botanical preparations.

  • This training is an intimate in-person container happening on beautiful Lake Atitlan, Guatemala at Casa Curativa in the tiny Lake town of Tzununa.

  • You will be flying into Guatemala City’s Aurora Airport. From the airport, the Lake is a 3.5 hour drive depending on traffic. Recommended to arrive late in the day, and perhaps even plan to spend a night in nearby Antigua, before coming to the Lake to break up the trip a little bit.

  • Fly into La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. From there it's a 3.5-hour journey to Lake Atitlán (traffic dependent). We recommend arranging a private transfer directly from the airport, or taking a shared shuttle from arrivals.

    A travel tip worth taking: consider flying in a day early and spending a night in Antigua to break up the journey — it's a beautiful city and a gentle way to arrive.

    Upon enrollment you will receive phone numbers of our trusted transportation contacts so you can coordinate options ranging from private cars to shared shuttles.

  • Lake Atitlan, Guatemala is similar in altitude to Boulder, CO yet enjoys a temperate tropical climate year round. Temperatures rarely exceed 85 F/25 C. This is basically the land of eternal spring.

    Bring long pants and socks (there are tiny biting bugs), and long sleeve shirts and a sweater for the evening. It can get a little chilly in the evenings.

  • If you're interested in exploring additional in-person herbalism courses at Casa Curativa, we offer a variety of transformative experiences. Discover other immersive retreats and workshops that align with your interests and goals.

    If you are interested in other In-Person Herbalism Courses at Casa Curativa: Explore our other courses, here.