IMBOLC - Wild Dance Cacao Ceremony

Join us for another deep dive into a simple, yet powerful, ceremony to celebrate IMBOLC and the slowly returning life energy of this time of year. This is a time of gentle awakening and heartwarming. It is a time to awaken the wild dancer and gather in community. 

With the support of the beautiful heart expanding medicine CACAO we will ride the waves of the music, guided by the mysterious choreography of our sacred bodies, hearts, minds and breath. With an eclectic medicine bag of Movement Medicine tools and teachings on offer we invite you to root deeply, dance wildly and resource yourself in these unprecedented times we are living through on our beautiful Mother Earth. There is an abundance of energy available to us when we remember we are elemental beings intrinsically interconnected through the web of life. Blessed we are to dance on this ground! So let's dance for our lives and the love of all life!

Keef and Aluna will encourage you with poetic inspiration and rhythmic soul food and serve up an eclectic mix of tribal-rhythms, indigenous-inspirations, songs, mantras, drums and rattle. We will give thanks and praise to this day, this life, this moment. This is the way we pray. This is the way we meet the day. This is The Choice , if you choose: Say YES to life today and dance.

“MOVEMENT MEDICINE is shamanic medicine for our times. It gives us direct, embodied experience of the dance of life that’s going on inside us and all around us. As a species, we face enormous challenges right now that we see as arising from the story of separation; separation between body and spirit, between individuals and nations, between the human world and the web of life we are part of and depend upon. Simply put, Movement Medicine reconnects us, deepening our capacity for empathy and compassionate being and action. Since prehistory, dance, song and ritual-making have played an important role in the human community. Movement Medicine is a contemporary expression of this inheritance. It marries ancient and modern wisdom, and supports you to experience the transformative power of your own potential in co-creative community.” Susannah and Ya'acov Darling Kahn (Co-Founders of The School of Movement Medicine)

CACAO

We use the finest quality ceremonial grade cacao from Guatemala.

There is much information now available on the web if you wish to investigate further for now, we would like to share: Cacao is a powerful heart-healng plant medicine from the rainforest. It is an Earth Medicine. A gift form Pachamama. The famous 'Chocolate Shaman' in Guatemala reminds us that an "Indigenous myth tells us whenever the balance between humans and nature becomes threatened, cacao comes from the rain-forest to open people's hearts and return the planet to harmony. It is "The Food for the Shift".   It has mutiple possible benfits including opening the heart in relationship and community, deepening meditation, trance, journeying, inducing euphoria.   It has a reputation as a safe and gentle aphrodisiac, increasing sensitivity and passion.  It nourishes the body and heart in yoga and dance and has numerous health benefits including: Protein and healthy fats, essential vitamins and minerals (such as magnesium, vitamin C, natural sulfur, B-complex vitamins and iron). Studies link it to lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. It is good for the heart, increasing blood flow and adding vitality and energy to our bodies. AND it contains powerful anti-oxidants (compounds that boost the immune system). In short it is a SUPER FOOD that nourishes your body, opens your heart and lets your Spirit Soar.  

**IMPORTANT*

Antidepressants do NOT mix with the tryptophan and MAO (Monoamine Oxidase) inhibitors in this cacao… – it can result in very painful migraines. Many anti-depressants are contra-indicated with the tryptophan and MAO inhibitors in this cacao, so we recommend checking your meds first. Worst case scenario is headache and nausea, but avoid the hassle and do research first.  

Serious heart conditions. The theobromine in cacao increases heart rate significantly and is a vasodilator, lowering blood pressure. If you have such a condition, go lighter on amounts. 

Pregnancy & breastfeeding. Like coffee or tea, it is important to reduce intake of stimulating foods. The theobromine in cacao, which is very similar to caffeine, has a stimulating effect. Thus we recommend using lower dosages (ex. a maximum of 1oz in a ceremonial drink).  In our experience it is clear that each individual comes with a unique physiology, psychology, emotional landscape and health/wellbeing background. As such each person’s experience is particular to that individual at any given time. Certainly nausea, some degree of sleep-depravation and anxiety are possible extreme reactions for particularly sensitive individuals (especially when pre-existing challenges in these are areas are current issues for anyone). 

Cacao is, after all, a stimulant of sorts. Also, on occasion challenging emotions may come to the surface for attention and healing depending on individual life circumstances. That said, our experience of working with cacao and the experience of most facilitators and participants tends towards the positive or extremely positive. Negative outcomes do tend to be quite exceptional. As such we invite you to make an informed choice and to take responsibility for your own experience and wellbeing and encourage you to investigate further as appropriate. Our personal experiences have been fundamentally positive and life enhancing.

Aluna and Keef Wesolowscy Miles

As a couple we are Awakening The Wild. We produce a wide range of nourishing and healing events and programmes, both online and in-person, including rituals, ceremonies, gatherings in nature, workshops, courses, circles of men and circles of women. Individually we offer 1-1 mentoring and group work and love to share our creative medicine in many mediums. We believe in the genius of humanity to grow, adapt, heal and create beauty. We recognise the need for connection, movement, touch, space to breathe, places to create together, to heal together, to sing and dance and laugh together, to sit around the sacred fire together, to reconnect to nature and our own true natures and to tell good stories, life-affirming stories.

WHAT TO BRING? Bring water and comfortable clothes to move in. Bare feet or dancing shoes. Open mind, heart and a body that is willing and able to find the rhythm and move.

THIS IS A MIXED EVENT. Men and Women welcome, but no children please for this one.

MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT

On Saturday 4th February, 1300-2100, we will be holding an Imbolc Cabana Purification Lodge along with other Shamanic dynamics, music, song and ritual on 11 acres of beautiful land and forest with a river running through in Llaneglwys LD2 3BQ. Full address and directions on booking.

Check event on the website:

www.bridgingworlds.online/shamanic-events

If you are travelling any distance and wish to stay locally and enjoy the winter splendour of the Brecon Beacons and beyond. Email keef@bridgingworlds.online or whatsapp 07834703127. Limited affordable accommodation options are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights as well as an abundance of Airbnbs in the area.

LOCATION:

Llangasty Village Hall

Standard £25

Gifting*  £35

*this option enables us to open up places for those with financial limitations.

Scholarship*

* We have a few reduced price places available on application.

Please email keef@bridgingworlds.online.