The Vitalist From Himalayan Caves to Healing Chocolate: Lisa Reinhardt on Meditation, Mindfulness, and Cacao as Medicine (006)
What if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate?
After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Daily life in a remote cave, immersed in silence and Tibetan teachings. (1:21)
A messenger arrives at her cave with an invitation that leads to rare teachings from a Tibetan master. (2:45)
From growing up in a small town to living in a cave. (5:53)
Meditation isn’t about “emptying the mind.” Lisa reframes it as a grounded, embodied practice accessible to anyone. (6:49)
Most people won’t live in a cave, but everyone eats. Lisa found that chocolate could open the same door to presence. (8:11)
Lisa describes traditional Tibetan practices that have been done for hundreds of years and engage the whole body. (9:35)
Lisa shares how she prepares for her meditation practice by first noticing the space in the room. (11:12)
Lisa invites you to “try on” your fundamental goodness. (13:52)
How daily meditation practice softens any defensiveness. (15:43)
We explore how meditative, tonal chiropractic and meditation complement each other. (16:18)
Lisa shares a teaching from Brene Brown on softening difficult emotions. (17:56)
Fluent in Tibetan, Lisa explains how language shapes perception and why certain meditative states are hard to access in English. (20:02)
Lisa explains how in the Tibetan lineage, teachings were passed down human to human, not through an app or book. (21:04)
How mind blown concepts are condensed into one syllable in Tibetan. (22:07)
The meaning behind the name “Buddha” and how every Tibetan name means something. (22:59)
Back in the U.S., Lisa discovered that chocolate was the secret to teaching the West about meditation. (25:03)
Lisa’s first experience of chocolate as a meditation. (26:13)
How to use Wei of Chocolate as a 2.5 minute meditation to shift your day. (26:45)
How chocolate can be good for you, and the secret to what makes it healthy. (28:45)
She unpacks what’s often hidden in mainstream chocolate, like soy lecithin, processed sugar, and pesticide residues. (33:05)
Like water, chocolate holds intention. Lisa reveals the science of cacao’s crystalline structure and how it transmits energetic healing. (34:53)
Lisa’s current favorite? Cherry Bomb. She shares how to connect with her in Phoenix or online. (35:46)
RESOURCES:
Wei of Chocolate - use code THEVITALIST for 10% off your first order
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