Copy of Get to Know Passionate Founder Nicole

I was born & raised in NYC. Descendant of European-Jews forced to flee home during the Holocaust; I am still coming to terms with my ancestral trauma. My teenage dream of becoming a doctor turned into a nightmare of health issues that led me to withdraw from medical school half-way through my studies. Feeling like a failure, I fell deeper into suicidal depression. I was heavily medicated, supported by therapists & hospitalized twice. DBT as well as reading as many self-help & neuroscience books as possible helped; yet, still, I was labeled as “treatment resistant” after a suicide attempt in 2016. 

 

The silver lining of those darkest years of my life: the birth of a mission to improve my mental & emotional health by whatever means possible.  Slowly, I began to question the Western approach to health. Under medical supervision, I detoxed from mood “stabilizing” pharmaceutical drugs. I began to recover & regain a healthy sense of self free from prescription pill “side effects.”

 

Becoming a yoga teacher was my gateway drug to holistic health & wellness. I was introduced to communal healing rituals & ceremonial cacao. From there, I developed interests in Shamanism, plant medicine & ancient indigenous approaches to human health & healing. 

 

Eventually, I grew to understand that numbing is not healing; & began to learn how to face my pain & trauma. ​I discovered that modern allopathic medicine works best alongside traditional healing modalities & began to apply a combination of Western science & Traditional Healing to my health choices. As my health habits improved, so did my emotional & mental stability, as well as my relationships. Slowly, I began to offer support to others in their healing journeys. 

 

In June 2020, I moved with my partner to Finland. As social distancing measures eased, I began to share cacao in small circles with new friends. The more I shared cacao, the more I began to receive requests for more circles & more cacao. Thus, my vision for Rakas Kakaw was conceived.

​

Education & Training:

H.S. The Horace Mann School; Bronx, NY

B.A.  Georgetown University; Washington, DC

26 months of M.D. studies, Downstate College of Medicine; Brooklyn, NY

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, Sacred Paths Yoga; Costa Rica

25-hour Yoga Nidra Training, Lotus University; New York, NY

40-hour Aerial Yoga Teacher Training, Om Factory; New York, NY

5-month Sacred Facilitator Training, The Global Sisterhood; Virtual

5-month Cacao Partners Program, The Mayan Wisdom Project; Virtual

​

Nicole continues t0 study & consult with Mayan elders of K'iche, Kaqchikel & Tzʼutujil lineages to deepen her understanding of ceremonial cacao & Mayan culture.

​

​

Thank you for supporting our small business with a big heartfelt mission!

Kiitos! Tack! Maltiox!

With love,

Nicole