Dear Cacao Circle,

Cacao Circle at Mati Yoga Studio

This letter feels like a long time coming. You were all I could think about on our way to Japan following the final 8:00 am Cacao Circle in September. As the plane drifted through clouds, my imagination sifted through highlight reels of our year’s worth of weekly circles. Our tears, our laughter, and our careful hustle as we picked up the altar just in time for the morning yoga class to enter the room, inviting our yogi sisters and brothers into a warm ocean of Cacao afterglow.

And I thought about the card and gift you had waiting for me as I took my seat for our last Sunday morning circle. Your acknowledgment of what I had initiated with Cacao Circle still catches me off-guard. Though I’ve come to know your pure hearts so deeply through our weekly shares, I’m still astounded when I read the messages you wrote on the card, not to mention the thoughtful graphic design and coordination. The way you all came together to surprise me with such a meaningful gesture felt like a beautiful reflection of the energy we’ve cultivated in our circle: a harmony of hearts, coming together to honor one another in ways big and small.

The gratitude I feel for you has been so enormous, I knew I wanted to write an open Thank-You letter to express my appreciation. Though with enormity often comes overwhelm, and with overwhelm comes writer’s block. The block almost tricked me into believing that birthing this letter was no longer important—that the moment had come and gone. But after a session with my mentor, which included a guided meditation and rivers of tears streaming down my cheeks, it’s clear to me that the moment is not lost. Moments truly felt are never lost.

So I return to this passion, still ablaze within my heart. I return to share with you what you’ve so generously provided for me. You’ve gifted me a type of acknowledgment for which I’ve yearned for as long as I can remember. Maybe an acknowledgment that’s specific to Manifestors.

As I’ve leaned into my Human Design (thank you Adriana! https://adrianakeefe.com/home), I’ve learned that Manifestors like to know that our contributions and initiations have made an impact. Though for much of our lives, this recognition is a rare gem. Certain teachers seemed tuned into my method, as my first-grade teacher wrote on my report card, “Rachel is a caring, conscientious young lady…she contributes a lot in her quiet way.” Though not many others seemed to detect my contributions, often leaving me feeling invisible or most of service when I’m behind the scenes. The way I know to contribute is from the realms in which I dwell. Vibes. Holding space. Being water. Witnessing the flow, and catalyzing any stagnant energy into movement. Contributions that aren’t apparent to those more accustomed to outspoken and “take-charge” leadership styles. My contributions seek to touch the soul. A mysterious ripple effect that’s not easy to measure or quantify, though one I’ve always trusted.

That’s why I wrote letters. At a young age, I discovered the art of letter-writing as a way to inspire connection and potent emotion. A way to water another’s garden. A way to make an impact.

During the meditation led by my mentor, we were prompted to recall memories in which we felt joy. The first memories that began twinkling in my mind’s eye brought me back to my Nana’s dining table, where I wrote letters as soon as I could string words together into sentences.

Healing memories can be such a gift. The depth of feeling can invoke such vivid sensory experiences. Especially if, when we lived the Nows of those memories, we were truly present. When I was at my Nana’s, I was relaxed. Deep in presence, often to the point of trance-like states. I journeyed during meditation back to one such state and let myself truly relive it. I landed in my child body, seated at her table, and through those eyes, I once again got to stare out the sliding glass door into what looked to me like a sea of yellow sun, green trees and garden, and blue sky. On the table before me were markers and paper. And I was coloring and writing letters to my pen pals. I glanced to my left, and Nana was in her kitchen preparing for me a cucumber sandwich and a glass of water with mint from her garden.

As I sat in that sacred meditative space, reconnected with the memories of my childhood, I realized something profound—something that feels so connected to the energy we’ve cultivated together in Cacao Circle. Much like the letters I once wrote to my pen pals, this community has been a way of watering each other’s gardens, of sharing our hearts in 1-hour doses. Brief, yet mighty. We’ve cultivated a space where even the quietest contributions are seen, felt, and honored.

I’ve learned so much from each of you. Whether you were quiet, vocal, stoic, emotional, cracking jokes, anchoring stillness, shedding tears, or passing the tissues, you’ve contributed so much in your vulnerability as we danced our magic dance of circle shares around the altar. You evolved into the core group. A group I can trust with my whole soul to hold the space with me. I know when anyone new to the space arrives, they are safe, because YOU are there. You are present.

Just like those moments at Nana’s table, I feel a deep sense of peace and presence when I think about what we’ve shared. The feeling I experienced at her table, gazing out at that sun-soaked greenery, has been mirrored in the space we’ve created in Cacao Circle. It’s a peace that comes from being held and seen, from knowing that no matter what, we are in this together. That’s the power of community, and it’s the power of Cacao—connecting us, heart to heart.

This letter is my offering of deep, profound gratitude for each and every one of you. Your presence has meant more than words can express, and I hope you feel it: the ripple of the work we’ve done together, the healing, the growth, the joy. We have been weaving something so much bigger than ourselves.

As I close this letter, I want to offer you a question for reflection—one I ask myself often:

How has your heart contributed to this space?
How has your presence, your energy, and your unique gifts contributed to this community?

Your quiet moments, your powerful shares, your energy—each ingredient is what creates the whole pie.

As you reflect on your answer, I invite you to place one hand on your heart and please receive my words:

I see you. I feel you. I thank you.

With all my love,
Rachel