For years, chocolate has been the ultimate guilty pleasure, but holistic coach and self-professed choc-a-holic Nicola Bentley is here to change that narrative. Her Medicine of Joy Chocolate Workshop, happening in Johannesburg this month, invites locals to experience chocolate in a whole new way: as a source of vitality, creativity, and calm.
Nicola’s inspiration stems from her deep passion for health and the powerful properties of cacao, the raw, unprocessed form of chocolate. “I love empowering people to eat delicious food that’s good for you in fun ways without deprivation,” she says.
Chocolate as medicine
The idea of “chocolate as medicine” sits at the heart of Nicola’s work. Traditional chocolate, she explains, is often loaded with sugar and dairy, turning something naturally healing into “something quite toxic.” The workshop teaches attendees how to make low-temperature, high-cacao chocolates that are refined sugar and dairy-free, enriched with superfoods and adaptogens.
As she quotes Ann Wigmore: “The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” With high-quality, mindful ingredients, chocolate becomes a nourishing source of macro and micronutrients, a far cry from the sugar crash of your usual supermarket slab.
The power of cacao
Having worked with Soaring Free Superfoods for years, she became convinced of cacao's potential, especially when combined with other medicinal mushrooms and superfoods.
Cacao isn’t just a treat; it’s a superfood for the body and soul. Rich in magnesium, antioxidants, and mood-boosting compounds, it supports mental well-being while offering an energetic “heart-opening” quality long revered by ancient cultures. Nicola calls it “the alchemy of joy,” transforming bitterness into sweetness, both literally and spiritually.
A mindful, hands-on indulgence
The 90-minute workshop is both joyful and educational. Attendees handcraft their own chocolates to take home, including the viral sensation: the Dubai pistachio matcha butter-stuffed date, dipped in chocolate.
For high-stress Joburgers, this is a moment of mindful escape. “We’re all searching for small, meaningful ways to find more vitality, joy, pause, and presence in our daily lives,” Nicola says. The best part? No sugar crash, no guilt, just pure, feel-good indulgence.
A former Johannesburg resident herself, Nicola finds balance through community, movement, and nature, recommending The Yoga Experience in Illovo and regular walks through the city’s lush green spaces (after all, Joburg is the world’s largest urban forest).
If there’s one takeaway from the Medicine of Joy Chocolate Workshop, it’s that healthy can be super easy, delicious, and fun. “Small daily changes yield big results,” says Nicola, and sometimes, that change starts with chocolate.
The essentials
When: 25th October, 12 PM – 1:30 PM
Where: Yoga Experience, Wanderers Stadium, Ilovo, Sandton
Tickets from R400 on Quicket
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