jenn@jenniferkathryn.com
Heart - Centered Wedding Photography,
Soulful Brand Photography & Intuitive Coaching, Yoga, Sacred Sound Ceremony, and Retreats
Est. 2009
New Website Coming Soon! Now Booking Branding Sessions in Tampa/St. Pete and Chicago. Live weekly classes and monthly sound ceremonies @ The Collective St. Pete!
Join us in a beautiful ceremonial experience with sacred sound and cacao as we set intentions for the New Moon in Virgo.
We are grateful to Becky Haschke for opening up Serendipity Wellness Spa for our circle!
Jenn will open our circle with ceremonial smudging, candle lighting invocation, and a talk about the history and sacred usage of cacao, known to be a very heart opening plant medicine. We'll have the opportunity to pull an oracle card, set intentions, and sing (or listen to) a few songs together. You'll then be invited to lie down (savasana style) for a guided visualization and sound journey with crystal singing bowls, soothing vocals and other instruments.
This is powerful but gentle meditative experience. Much of it will be guided, but there will be periods of time for you to connect inward while receiving the healing waves of sound as well as beautiful reiki energy healing from Monica Martin, if desired.
We'll close our circle with song and an opportunity to share your reflections.
We recommend bringing a few items that may contribute to your comfort and relaxation such as a pillow and/or meditation cushion, a yoga mat, a blanket, and an eye mask. Please also plan to bring your own mug for the cacao!
See more details below.
September 16, 2020 • New Moon in Virgo
It is such a joy to share with you this beautiful experience as we honor our New Moon intentions. Our ceremony will combine many different elements that have been passed on to me from several sacred traditions. It is my intention to honor their source with the utmost respect, and I share these practices with permission and blessing from elders in these ancient traditions. I have been trained in a 100 Hour Sacred Sound & Cacao ceremony training that includes elements of yoga and mantra, completed a New Moon Women's Circle Facilitator training in the tradition of the Wild Woman Archetype, received my Reiki Level II attunement, and have had the gift of sitting with and learning from indigenous medicine carriers in Central America.
Ceremony is a sacred gathering in deep presence where we are showing up as ourselves, in our truest, most authentic expression. Sacred sound ceremony brings us together in a common intention and invites Spirit to be present as we gather in presence with sound and music. It invites an opportunity for deep transformation to take place in our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Cacao has an ancient origin in Incan and Mayan cultures and was revered as a divine food. I use 100% ceremonial grade cacao from an indigenous Mayan collective in Guatemala, which contains trace amounts of caffeine and a chemical compound called theobromine ("food of the gods"), a naturally occurring stimulant. It creates greater mental focus and creativity without the jittery after effects of caffeine.
This amazing superfood plant medicine is credited with opening up the heart space and greater dimensions of consciousness. It contains the "Bliss Molecule," anandamide, which can create a euphoric feeling, as well as the "Love Chemical" (phenylethylamine), which triggers the natural release of endorphins. Cacao is NOT a psychedelic plant medicine; however, it acts as an MAO inhibitor which allows more seratonin to circulate in the brain. If you are taking prescription anti-depressants, SSRI's or MAO inhibitors, or if you have a serious heart condition, please consult your medical doctor to be sure it's safe for you to participate. You will most likely be able to receive a small dose of cacao in this case; however, herbal tea will also be available as an alternative. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is also recommended to have a smaller dose as well. Please reach out to me privately if you have any questions or concerns!
•Please bring a blanket, yoga mat (to lie on), a coffee/tea mug, an eye mask and anything else you need to make your experience comfortable. We'll be sitting up for some of the time, but during the sound ceremony portion, I will invite you to lie down so you can relax and receive the effects of the cacao, sound, and reiki.
•Traditionally we wear all white to cacao ceremonies; you may choose to do this, or you may want to wear something colorful, flowy and/or ceremonial. Yoga clothes are also completely appropriate! Most importantly, wear something that feels very comfortable, and dress in layers in case your temperature fluctuates.
•You may also want to bring a special item for our altar: a crystal, a mala, a candle, or another personal item that holds significance for you.
•When you enter the spa, you may take off your shoes and leave them and any bags in the hallway. Becky will direct you to the main ceremony area. Please enter this area quietly. Jenn will use ceremonial palo santo to smudge (cleanse your aura). Becky will also have lavender aroma therapy in the sap. If you have an allergy to hese items, or simply prefer not to be smudged, please let me know beforehand!
•Please also see the precautions regarding Cacao in the section above, and let me know if you have any concerns.
I am washing my hands regularly and monitoring myself for any signs of lowered immunity. My request is that you do the same, and if there is any hint of not feeling 100%, please feel released to stay at home and care for yourself.
I will be taking utmost precaution in the the cacao preparation, including using a mask during that time.
I will be sanitizing all of my instruments prior to the ceremony.
Monica will allow the beautiful source energy of reiki to flow via distance transmission.
I will be singing, so if you have any concerns about the space between us, please let me know. I want to do all I can to ensure you feel comfortable and safe.
Bring your own pillows, blankets, eye mask, water bottle, and mug will help eliminate your exposure, so I highly recommend this. If you do forget a mug, Becky has some available at the spa. We just ask that you take responsibility to clean it thoroughly at the end.
Please bring hand sanitizer for yourself or to share. (I will also have some, if you need it.)
Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. It's also recommended (although not completely necessary) to avoid alcohol or caffeine on Tuesday and Wednesday to keep your immunity up.
It's also recommended to eat lightly before ceremony and bring some fruit or a light snack to eat at the end during our sharing. Usually I pass around a bowl of fruit, but I'll be forgoing that this time. While we still hold a sacred space during our sharing, this part of the ceremony is lighter and you're encouraged to be comfortable.
Monica is an Intuitive Reiki Master, Lightworker, Transformation Coach, Meditation Expert & Yoga Teacher who specializes in honoring the authentic SELF in us all. A proud dog mom, nature lover, wanderlust spirit and life-long student of the mind, body & soul, she has been meditating, doing yoga and has had her nose in personal development & spiritual/philosophical texts since I was 16. Her path called her to find healing in many different modalities as both a student and as a teacher. Devoted to her personal practice and how she is called to serve on and off the mat, Monica is can guide you along your path.
Jenn Gaudreau is a soul embodiment photographer, personal branding coach, womxn’s circle facilitator, reiki practitioner, cacao ceremony spaceholder, and a carrier of sacred sound. She is currently a student of a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and has returned to school to complete her education in the field of psychology. Her work involves creating an empowering space for womxn to show up authentically and embody their truth, their radiance, and their power to capture their essence in a beautiful soul portrait. She also uses the vibration of music and voice along with reiki and cacao to create experiences that promote relaxation, restoration, heart opening, and emotional healing. She is interested in the ways mindfulness and spiritual practice can help individuals live out their own personal narratives more vibrantly and contribute to a life of flourishing, wellbeing, and social change for the collective.