Next week will be the celebration of the Gassho Center's first year anniversary, and I am filled with gratitude at how the Center has grown, as well as how the community as responded to it. I knew there was room for a place for healing in the city, and it was a matter of getting the word out. Through this experience I learned so much about TRUST and LETTING GO, big lessons for me as I have tended to be a bit of a micro-manager and control freak at times. Over the past twelve months so much healing has transpired within the center walls, lots of tears of laughter and pain and release, friendships formed and closure achieved.
The idea of "painting your life" never really made sense to me until this year, where I curated with the help of Spirit, offerings for the community. As I start my day I ask "how can I serve" and I can do this through the center.
I look forward to a second year where more people can feel at home in the center and maybe spread their own wings and share their own story of healing, inspiring others to do the same.
With so much love xoxo
Windy
In April of 2018, the Gassho Center introduced the healing energy of sacred cacao ceremony to its community. To celebrate its first year anniversary, we are inviting you to join our photo contest and get the chance to win your very own cacao tree, named after you!
MECHANICS:
Post a photo representing meaningful experience you had at the Gassho Center over the course of the past year. This can be related to cacao ceremony, but not necessarily! It can be about reiki, tarot, yoga, shamanic journeying, or whatever your experience was that you would like to share. Make sure to use the hashtags #gasshocenter #gasshoanniversary and #gasshoexperience.
Tag 3 of your friends whom you think would want to have a similar experience.
If you haven’t already, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see if you won!
Contest submissions is until August 31 only. Winner announcement will be on September 6.
CRITERIA:
Winning photo will be chosen based on most number of likes, relevance and creativity.
PRIZE:
Your very own cacao tree with your name at the foothills of mount Apo for one year, and the harvest including the following, delivered to your home:
Cocoa nibs (Pouch of 150g) x 1
100% Dark chocolate coins (Pouch of 150g) x 1
77% Dark chocolate coins (Pouch of 150g)
64% Dark chocolate coins (Pouch of 150g)
77% Dark chocolate (50g bar) x 4
64% Dark chocolate (50g bar) x 4
55% dark chocolate (50g bar) x 4
42% milk chocolate (50g bar) x 4
64% Dark chocolate with cocoa nibs(50g bar) x 3
42% Milk chocolate with cocoa nibs (50g bar) https://www.crowdfarming.com/en/farmer/auro-chocolate/up/cacao-tree
I admit to having written a blog piece about post-partum depression, but right now it seems more like a bummer more than anything else (not that we shouldn’t talk about it, on the contrary). Instead I am feeling a buzz of excitement about what has been happening at the center and what is about to happen over the coming months.
First big news is that I complete my cacao facilitation course with the lovely Mona Moon. I found Mona online and we immediately had a connection – I knew I was meant to work with her. I finished my course in April, and have been using cacao regularly ever since. It has been wonderful sharing this gentle, soulful magic with the community. Here is a message passed on to me by my teacher and friends Mona, after we ended our last session. The directions correspond to the Medicine Wheel, which we worked with during my training:
South: May you carry the seed of love and hope in your heart.
West: May you see others as whole, healed, and perfect just as they are.
North: May you channel the consciousness of love through your intention, action, word, and vibration.
East: May you embody the Spirit of Cacao.
Just reading these words makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (I think I will make myself a cup of cacao now).
I have used cacao with mediation and yoga and journaling and fire ceremony (beautiful photo by the talented Pablo Quiza taken two weeks ago), but what I love is combining it with Shamanic Journeying. Here is a clip of cacao ceremony participant Andrea, after her experience:
Hit me up if you would like to experience this in a private session, there is such a great need for peace and healing now and always…
