Chocolate is always a yes. When offered a piece of chocolate, people rarely respond, “I’m too busy, I’m not good at it, or I don’t have time.” When asked if they meditate, however, people often give those responses.

Lisa Reinhardt, founder of Wei of Chocolate, studied meditation in Asia for 11 years, including a solo retreat in a cave. She experienced and witnessed the benefits of regular meditation and was incredibly inspired by the depths of joy, wisdom, peace and kindness in those who had practiced over many years. Returning to the U.S. with a strong desire to share what she learned, she found that people often resisted taking time to meditate. And then she had an a-ha moment while eating a piece of chocolate.

“When you take an exquisite piece of chocolate and let it melt in your mouth rather than chew it, you will lovingly and peacefully rest in the deliciousness of the present moment,” says Lisa. “I wasn’t looking for a marketing angle because meditation always came first, but I suddenly realized the transformative action – or wei – of chocolate.”

One of the key ingredients in Lisa’s chocolate line is a variety of flower remedies that assist in bringing us back to our best selves. Like essential oils, each remedy is associated with a healing property like peace, relaxation or joy; but unlike oils, they work on the acupuncture meridians without scent or flavor. Flower essences travel through the acupuncture meridians, like an acupuncture treatment without the needles.

Upon opening the handsomely-packaged ALL THE WEI assortment box, I happily discovered 30 pieces of colorfully wrapped, flower-shaped chocolate, intentionally sized to sit on the tongue. The brochure included a panel of flower photos and each flower corresponded to an essence prevalent in a specific variety. By choosing the flower most appealing to me, it indicated which chocolate I was in need of at that moment.

I chose the Night Blooming Cereus, a magical flower that only blooms once a year and occasionally during a full moon. This indicated I could use more laughter and insight and less fear and stagnation, which I admit, was right on target. The associated variety was Wei Joyful, and after unwrapping the cheery orange foil I noticed a symbol embossed on top. Lisa later explained this is the Tibetan letter “a” which is pronounced “ah.” It has great significance as it is considered the sound and vibration of enlightenment.

I let the chocolate melt in my mouth, focused on enjoying and experiencing the bright, citrusy flavors for the two minutes or so that it took to dissolve. I was indeed very present and felt I was benefiting from doing something to nurture both my body and mind.

This was a very pleasant way to free myself from distraction and move my thinking mind to a different place of awareness.

I don’t meditate regularly by sitting on a cushion, and it was refreshing to have a method for which I had no resistance. I find myself looking forward to my daily chocolate meditation with great enthusiasm. We owe it to ourselves to take at least two minutes out of each day to release distraction and savor the peace of chocolate. If you’re searching for how to regularly eat chocolate without guilt and stay on the path to health and wellness, that is definitely the Wei of Chocolate.

Each of the nine varieties of Wei of Chocolate is made with dark chocolate and is organic, non-GMO, vegan and free of gluten and soy. Eight-piece tubes and 30-piece boxes of each variety are available, plus the 30-piece assortment with all varieties. You can even customize a monthly subscription, so you can continue your daily chocolate meditation without interruption.

Learn more at www.weiofchocolate.com.

Karen Fienberg has been practicing yoga for 11 years and is currently a teacher in training. A former competitive cyclist, she turned to yoga for increased mobility and strength, discovering that strength came from surrender. Yoga allows her to access the healing qualities of her mind and body and her preferred styles are yoga nidra, Iyengar, Avita Yoga and restorative. Karen is also a health educator, fitness enthusiast, craft chocolate connoisseur and plant-based food advocate and activist. Follow her on Instagram at @coloradochocolateenthusiast.