Functional Wellness, Mocktails & Mushrooms: Meet the Founders of Ananda Elixirs

From Mushrooms to Mocktails: Sammi & Dylan’s Wellness Brand

Meet Sammi and Dylan—the husband-and-wife team and wellness entrepreneurs behind Ananda Elixirs, a functional beverage brand that’s redefining how we experience health and vitality.

With over a decade of experience each in holistic health, conscious business, and community building, they’ve dedicated their lives to making wellness more accessible, joyful, and delicious.

Their journey is one of resilience, creativity, and deep purpose. Through Ananda Elixirs, they’ve brought together the power of functional mushrooms, intentional ingredients, and mindful living to create plant-based drinks that nourish both body and spirit.

“We believe in intentional living and conscious entrepreneurship. Ananda Elixirs is a reflection of our essence—designed to spark joy, support well-being, and infuse everyday rituals with purpose.”

As seasoned leaders in the wellness industry, Sammi and Dylan have spent years immersed in natural health, wellness education, and lifestyle design. Their passion for helping others live vibrant, aligned lives shaped the foundation for what would later become Ananda Elixirs.

In 2020, when the pandemic disrupted their previous business, they embraced the opportunity to build something deeply personal—an offering born from experience, intention, and love. Already longtime fans of functional mushrooms, they were disappointed by the lack of palatable products on the market. So, they set out to create something better: delicious, nutrient-rich mushroom drinks that people would genuinely crave.

The result is Ananda Elixirs—a line of adaptogenic beverages formulated to support focus, energy, immunity, and calm with clean, organic ingredients and zero sugar. Crafted for the health-conscious consumer, these drinks offer a refreshing alternative to both sugary sodas and alcohol-based beverages.

Overcoming Challenges in the Wellness Industry

Like many conscious business owners, Sammi and Dylan learned that you can’t please everyone—especially in the ever-evolving wellness market. While thousands of customers love their functional soda alternatives and rave about the taste, there's always a small audience who might not connect with their flavor profiles or approach.

Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, they've focused on their core audience: people who value intentional products, their mission, organic ingredients, and science-backed functional drinks that nourish the body and delight the senses.

“We create wellness elixirs for the people who believe in what we stand for—joyful, grounded, nature-powered health.”

Functional Mushrooms 101: Benefits & Impact

Functional mushrooms have taken the wellness world by storm—and for good reason. These powerful fungi have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic practices for their adaptogenic and immune-supporting properties. At Ananda Elixirs, we harness the power of these mushrooms to support brain health, energy, immunity, and stress resilience in every sip.

Here are a few of the key functional mushrooms we use in our elixirs:

• Lion’s Mane – Often called the “brain mushroom,” Lion’s Mane supports cognitive function, mental clarity, and nervous system health.

• Turkey Tail – Known as the “immune mushroom,” Turkey Tail is packed with antioxidants and helps promote a healthy, resilient immune response.

• Reishi – The “queen of calm,” Reishi helps reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels and supporting better sleep and emotional balance.

• Cordyceps – Famous for boosting energy and stamina, Cordyceps helps increase ATP production and oxygen uptake—making it ideal for physical performance and recovery.

We are proud to source our organic functional mushrooms from wild harvesters in Ontario and sustainable agroforestry farms in Oregon. Grown outdoors on logs in their natural environment, these mushrooms retain their full spectrum of nutrients and adaptogenic compounds. We only use the fruiting bodies and every batch is third-party tested for purity and potency. Our dual-extraction process ensures maximum bioavailability, so you get real, science-backed benefits in every can.

Mushroom Mocktails: The Future of Alcohol-Free Living

The alcohol-free lifestyle is on the rise, and with it, a growing love for wellness mocktails that don’t just taste good—but actually support your health. At Ananda Elixirs, we didn’t initially plan to lean into the mocktail trend, but the demand became clear within just two months of launching our functional mushroom sodas.

Our Shroom Soda Elixirs quickly became the perfect base for health-forward mocktail recipes—offering bold flavor without the sugar crash or artificial ingredients. Unlike many non-alcoholic drinks on the market, our elixirs deliver functional benefits from powerful adaptogenic mushrooms like Reishi, Lion’s Mane, and Cordyceps.

Consumers are looking for alcohol alternatives that still bring a sense of ritual, fun, and connection. That’s where our functional mocktails shine—delivering a mood-boosting, stress-supporting, and immune-balancing experience in every glass. With zero alcohol, zero sugar, and real functional ingredients, we’re proud to be redefining what it means to drink well.

Advice for Wellness Entrepreneurs: Build with Heart & Passion

For all the aspiring entrepreneurs and dreamers looking to make a meaningful career shift, our biggest piece of advice is simple: follow your passion. When you pursue what truly excites you and makes you feel alive, your journey can unfold in ways even better than you imagined.

Building a heart-centered business isn’t always easy—challenges and setbacks are part of the process. But by trusting your intuition and aligning your work with your deepest values, you create a powerful compass that guides you toward success and fulfillment.

If you have a dream or calling that also adds value to the world, don’t hesitate—DO IT!  Trust that you will figure out each next step as you go. Embracing this mindset can transform your career and life, unlocking your highest potential as a wellness entrepreneur.

Top Self Care Habits for Entrepreneurs: Prioritizing Health and Balance Daily

In addition to creating nutrient-rich, functional mushroom elixirs, Sammi and Dylan emphasize essential self care and wellness routines that promote lasting health and vitality. Daily movement is a must—whether it’s a light workout, stretching, or a walk—because even small amounts of exercise support mental clarity and physical energy.

Spending time in nature is a proven wellness practice, and the couple enjoys family nature walks to boost mood and reduce stress naturally. Meditation and mindfulness techniques, practiced consistently for decades, are foundational to managing stress and enhancing emotional well-being.

Starting the morning with reading helps set intentional focus, while screen-free family dinners foster deeper connections and improve overall mental health. These holistic wellness habits offer practical guidance for entrepreneurs and busy professionals aiming to create balanced, healthy lifestyles.

From Functional Wellness to World Travel: Embracing a Life of Purpose with Sammi & Dylan

Beyond their passion for creating delicious, health-boosting elixirs, Sammi and Dylan dream of traveling the world with their kids and “world-schooling” — immersing their family in new cultures,

experiences, and ways of living. Their vision of exploring Europe, Australia, and beyond perfectly aligns with the core values of Serenità Retreats, where connection, growth, and mindful living come together.

At Serenità Retreats, we believe in nurturing the whole self — body, mind, and soul — and supporting journeys that inspire transformation both internally and externally. Just like Sammi and Dylan’s path, our retreats encourage you to follow your passion, embrace wellness, and explore life’s richness in all its forms.

We’re excited to announce a special soulful mocktail-making workshop featuring Ananda elixirs at our upcoming retreat in Umbria this July, inviting you to sip, savor, and awaken your senses with their lovingly crafted Ananda Elixirs.

If you can’t join us in person, let their magic come to you. Visit Ananda Elixirs’ website and use code SERENITA for 10% off to create your own ritual of wellness and delight at home.

Step into a space where your body, heart, and spirit are nourished — where every sip, every breath, every connection guides you back to your truest self. This is the journey we invite you to join at Serenità Retreats.

Website:  AnandaElixirs

Social: @anadaelixirs