“It’s a heart-opening medicine that is the vibration of love

“It’s a heart-opening medicine that is the vibration of love.”

Nicole Lindstrom didn’t just say that. She meant it as a literal invitation.

Lindstrom, founder of GLDMND, leads cacao ceremonies across the Roaring Fork Valley. She claims the drink is more than a beverage. It’s a tool for connection. It’s a way to reconnect with nature’s “inherent wisdom.”

The Aspen Times reports on the growing trend. People are gathering in spaces like the Bucky Dome at Aspen Meadows Resort. They are drinking cacao. They are seeking guidance.

Lindstrom moved to Aspen from New York. She quit her job. She arrived two weeks after meeting Gina Murdock. Murdock founded Lead with Love. She is a columnist for the paper. Murdock encouraged Lindstrom to move west.

Now, Lindstrom hosts three to four ceremonies a month. Venues range from Aspen Meadows down to True Nature in Carbondale. She uses Legacy Cacao. She credits the founders of Legacy Cacao for the plant’s specific properties.

“It is a really powerful catalyst for sitting with yourself and opening your heart,” Lindstrom said. “I wanted to bring that into what I was already doing as a motive for fostering heart center connection.”

The history of cacao runs deep. Warriors drank it before battle. Women consumed it after birth. Lindstrom views it as a superfood. It is an “alchemic blend” crafted by Amazon residents.

Lindstrom’s path to this point wasn’t linear. She’s originally from Evergreen. She worked for the Wanderlust Festival. She co-authored “Wanderlust: A Modern Yogi’s Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.” That job took her to Snowmass.

The pivotal moment came in 2019. Lindstrom hosted a conference at the Aspen Institute. She met the founders of Legacy Cacao. It was her first cacao ceremony.

“I could not have imagined at that time that it would have had as huge of an impact that it had on me,” she said.

Since then, she’s used cacao personally. She drank it to navigate hard times. She used it to face challenges. Now, she integrates it into her yoga and meditation offerings.

The goal is conscious drinking. It’s about unlocking the “intelligence of the plant medicine.” It’s about bringing that intelligence into the world.

“We create a relationship, or communion, with the intellect of cacao,” Lindstrom said.

Locals are buying in. The ceremonies take place in established venues. The Bucky Dome is a known landmark. The MOLLIE Aspen is a cultural hub. True Nature in Carbondale anchors the lower valley.

This isn’t just about taste. It’s about ritual. It’s about the belief that a simple drink can alter perspective.

Lindstrom says the area helps. We are “surrounded and held by nature.” The access point to nature is easy here. That makes talking about nature’s intelligence simpler.

But the core of the practice remains internal. It’s about listening. It’s about “heart wisdom.”

The paper notes the spread of these events. They are becoming a regular feature in the valley’s wellness calendar. Lindstrom’s GLDMND brand is central to this shift.

She doesn’t claim to be a doctor. She doesn’t claim to cure disease. She claims to offer a gateway. A reminder. A reverence for the natural world.

Whether that reverence translates to lasting change for the average attendee is another question. But the ceremonies continue. They happen monthly. They draw locals and visitors alike.

The drink is hot. The intent is serious. The connection is the point.