words & reflections
Journal
Reflections, wisdom and honest writing
from the practice of simply being.
What Is Ceremonial Cacao: How It Is Made and How to Choose It
A practical guide to ceremonial cacao: what it is, how whole cacao beans become cacao paste, what affects flavour and how to choose a product.
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10 Workplace Wellbeing Ideas for London Teams
Planning a team day or wellbeing week? Explore 10 practical workplace wellbeing ideas in London, from yoga and sound baths to cacao sessions.
Cacao and Children
I get asked quite a lot whether children can drink ceremonial cacao. I think it probably comes from parents who have made cacao part of their own routine and inevitably their children want to know what they're drinking and if they can have some too.
What Is a Sound Bath and What Happens During One?
A simple first-timer’s guide to sound baths: how they work, what happens during a session, what to wear and how to book in London.
The Hour Before Everyone Wakes Up
There is something about the hour before everyone else wakes up that feels completely different from the rest of the day. The house is still, nobody needs anything yet, there are no messages coming in and no questions being shouted from another room. For a short while, the day hasn’t really started and I think that is exactly why I have become so protective of that time. Over the years, this quiet hour has become my morning ritual and one of the simplest ways I’ve found to start my day feeling calmer and more grounded.
How to Choose the Best Ceremonial Cacao in the UK
Looking for ceremonial cacao in the UK? Learn what to check for, from ingredients and origin to serving format, preparation and cacao coins. A practical guide to choosing ceremonial cacao in the UK, including ingredients, origin, processing, serving sizes and easy-to-use cacao formats.
Reiki, Responsibility and Returning to Yourself
What Reiki means to me, why consent matters and how I bring this gentle practice into everyday life. Reiki has been part of my life for many years. I am a Reiki Master and Teacher within the Usui lineage and it is one of the practices I return to most often, both for myself and when supporting others. It was the first practice I learnt, before all the others began to fall into place in my life.
What the Wellness World Gets Wrong
This might be an unpopular opinion, especially coming from someone whose whole career sits within the wellness industry, but I sometimes think wellness has become a little too complicated and the words around wellness, like ‘ritual’ for example, are becoming even more complicated, intellectualised and snobby. Can we stop, please, with this nonsense? It’s not helping anyone.
What Modern Life Can Learn from Ancient Cacao
There isn't much nature can't teach us, if we're willing to pay attention. The older I get, the more I find myself looking outside for answers rather than searching for another book, another podcast or another expert telling me how I should or shouldn't be living. Nature has been quietly getting on with things for millions of years, and yet we've convinced ourselves that we know better. The more time I spend outside, the more I realise that so many of life's lessons have been there all along and actually remain there. Nature never gives up on us. It changes with the seasons but it's the most consistent thing I know.
Cacao and Menopause
When we talk about menopause support, cacao is not usually where the conversation starts. But when you look at what is naturally present in ceremonial cacao, it makes sense that we should be having a curious conversation about it.
Notes From A Cacao Gathering
A few weeks ago, sixteen people gathered together in a room to share cacao. Every ceremony I facilitate teaches me something new, even after all this time. I never leave quite the same person who walked in, and I don't think anybody else does either. I'm constantly learning and forever growing.
Why Every Woman Should Understand Her Cycle
When it comes to women’s health and wellbeing, we already know that it is a subject that has been neglected and dismissed for far too long. For years, much of what we understood about the human body came from research carried out mainly on men.
Coffee vs Cacao: Why I Reach for One More Than the Other
It isn’t about giving up coffee. People ask me whether I have stopped drinking coffee since discovering cacao. The answer is no. I still enjoy a really good coffee. I love the smell of it and there are mornings when it is exactly what I need. This is not about deciding one drink is good and the other is bad. It is more about understanding that, for me, they give completely different things.
Is Calm Becoming a Luxury
As someone who spent years in the corporate world, I know what it feels like to be chasing a version of success that looks impressive from the outside but does very little for your inner world.
What I’ve Learned From Drinking Cacao Every Morning
Before cacao, my mornings often began in reaction mode. I’d check messages, think about my to-do list and let stress dictate the pace of my day before I’d even really started it.
FIVE BREATHWORK TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU SLOW DOWN
From demanding work schedules to constant digital noise, it can sometimes feel as though there is very little space to properly pause. Your breath offers a simple place to begin. Breathwork does not need to be complicated or intense. It can be as straightforward as paying attention to your breathing for a few minutes and allowing everything else to become a little quieter.
A Thousand Train Journeys
Discover the beauty in train journeys in London through reflections on connection, happiness, and moments shared with strangers. Join us in finding joy.