We have traveled to Guatemala quiet a few times and have formed a beautiful relationship with Cacao Source, a cacao distributor founded by Jojo and Doro, who weave their knowledge of global politics, environmental stewardship, community connection, Mayan wisdom, and cacao ceremonies to bring this incredible plant to the world with all respect and reverence. 

While on our trip, we visited local farms and connected directly to the source of cacao. We learned so much about the history of cacao, the many benefits and most importantly the importance of environmental restoration of cacao prevservation and its sacred ceremonies. 

Proceeds from Cacao Source support local farmers who independently own their own organic cacao farm and 3 women's collective around Lake Atitlan who use ancient methods to  process the cacao. 

Learn more about Cacao Source by visiting www.sourcecacao.com 

Purple Lotus Massage and Wellness House Recipe for Ceremonial Cacao: 
Serves 2-3 people 

• 4 tablespoons of Cacao shavings 
• 4 cups of water 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp salt 

Combine all ingredients in a pot, keep on a low simmer. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. 

While the cacao is blending together, set your intentions. Cacao is a heart opener. Send blessings and gratitude to this ancient medicinal purest form of chocolate. 

Serve warm. Suggested to observe the smell, color and taste before fully consuming. 

Enjoy! 

After my fourth year of the Moon Dance in Mexico in October 2020, I not-so-surprisingly returned with Covid. The symptoms I experienced were: pounding headache for a few days, a low grade fever, slight chest pain in the middle of the night which didn't last very long, and most interestingly, body aches that did not feel like the typical body aches. I couldn't tell if the body aches were a muscular or nervous system sensation, but either way, it felt like it was going to last FOREVER!

As soon as I returned home, I tapped into all of my health resources for a speedy recovery which took me exactly 2 weeks. I started with an Ayurvedic cleanse guided by my incredible Ayurvedic Health Coach, Ariel Aguilera, from Xicana Healing Elements.

​​The one thing I do know about this virus is that it affects everyone so similarly and differently at the same time. With that being said, the following are steps I took to get back to health, so take and leave what feels aligned with you.

1. STAY HYDRATED & NOURISHED!

• The recommended amount of daily water intake is usually at least half your weight in ounces.
• I added powdered vitamin C into my morning water, and would take Wellness Formula daily for immune support.
• I would also drink lots of hot demulcent teas to nourish the tissues. The herbs recommended for my body constitution were licorice, hibiscus, slippery elm, and cinnamon. However, other herbs that can be good for lung health are mullein, astragalus, peppermint, eucalyptus, and plantain leaf which you can get online at Rose Mountain Herbs or locally from our favorite organic herb shop, Wild Terra, in Highland Park.
• Another one of our favorite teas which contains a lot of these herbs above is LOcOL: A Lymphatic Tea by our dear friend/soul brother Kor Element. Get your tea HERE. 
• To find out what your Ayurvedic dosha constitution is, you can connect with Michael for an in depth constitution analysis with guidelines and treatment plans. Book a virtual consultation HERE.

2. EAT EASILY DIGESTIBLE FOODS

• The Ayurvedic cleanse consisted of eating kitchari once a day for 7 days. HERE is a recipe with more info on how to prepare it.
• When digestion feels slow, I take the supplement triphala in the evening to support with digestion. Since this is a mild laxative, it is not recommended if you have diarrhea. 
• I would do fruits in the morning, by itself, according to the rules of food combination, or would have dishes like cream of quinoa or oatmeal on occasion.
• I generally avoid sugar, dairy, excessive meat, alcohol, and gluten. For other meals, I would do mostly veggies, soups, and grains.

3. SELF-CARE
Since we were in quarantine, I had more time for the following:

• Sitting in our infrared sauna
• Hot baths with epsom salt
• Air purifier and humidifier in your bedroom for lung health
• Listening to empowering podcasts (some of my favorites are Eat, Play, Sex with Dr. Cat Meyer, The Aubrey Marcus Podcast, and the School of Greatness) and music...lots of music. 
• Dancing: I have dozens of epic playlists you can listen to and follow HERE on Spotify.
• Meditation and light yoga, for me, is a MUST these days! Yoga Nidra is a great meditative practice to support with sleep. HERE is a clip from my weekly High Vibe Ritual that leads you through some breathwork and yoga nidra. You can find more recordings like this on the Youtube Channel.
• Nature: Nature heals...I have a secret hiking spot where I would go for a slow and easy walk. I know they say to "Stay At Home", but being near trees and having fresh air is rejuvenating in itself.

​I didn't do this myself, but another friend with Covid recommended O-Zone Therapy. Rejuvenate Wellness and Health Center in Highland Park offers this service and so much more. Connect them HERE.

4. STAY CONNECTED

• Connect to what's present with yourself by journaling anywhere between 5-20 minutes in the morning or evening.
• Give yourself permission to feel all of the emotions that this virus is bringing up...perhaps the fear, grief, anger, or whatever it might be that you haven't given yourself the space the feel, and remember, it's all temporary.
• Call someone you have been wanting to connect with and catch up! We live in a time of texting and social media, so see what happens when you reach out to someone for a live conversation.
• Practice being ok with doing nothing. This virus seems to be teaching us to slow down, do less, and being more present by going inwards.
• If you're feening for community and interaction, you are invited to our weekly Wednesday night Virtual Ritual, a cannabis friendly journey in the comfort of your own home. For more info, HERE is the ticketing link.

Once you test negative, you will definitely need a massage afterwards so feel free to book a healing session once you are restored back to health!

I lead these meditations periodically so feel free to reach out and join in on this beautiful practice!

WHAT DOES A COUPLE'S SELF-LOVE CEREMONY INCLUDE?
​
This is a 2.5 hour experience where Marisa and Michael co-create an experience for the couple to drop in with each other by sharing a check-in and intentions. Followed with:

• Cacao & optional BYO cannabis
• ​Oracle card reading
  
• Dynamic movement with breath, meditation, and yoga
• Guided Yoni Steam Ritual with Marisa for the woman (or women) and Infrared Sauna for the partner
• 60-minute customized massage with Michael and Marisa
• Closing integration circle

* Yoni steaming/infrared and massage sessions will happen in separate rooms.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Comfortable clothes to move in
• Water bottle
• Journal 
• BYO Cannabis (if you choose to bring this medicine into the ceremony)

SELF-LOVE INVESTMENT:

As a thank you to our community, we are offering a 10% Discount with this email.
$600 per couple (Normally $333/person)

Marisa Reyes of Highland Park, California used her eight years of experience as a librarian and library professor to research how to help people. She uses vaginal steaming to help women rewrite their menstrual stories and find healing. One of her clients, who had been experiencing infertility issues, had to cancel just after her second session because she became pregnant. We interviewed Marisa to learn more.  ​

Book a steam or add one on to your massage for an extra relaxing experience.

We're excited to take our massage services to the next level by offering CBD massage cream as an add-on. Vital Body Therapeutics is a top quality company based in Santa Cruz, CA. Their products are organic, top quality, and are made by and for massage therapists. We can attest to have already experience the pain reduction in our own bodies from hours of massaging. This is what we use to take care of our bodies, and are excited to share it with you all.

"C​​BD, or cannabidiol, is a medicinal cannabinoid that is derived from the hemp plant. Cannabidiol can be medicine for nearly anyone. One key reason is that many of the problems our population faces is caused by inflammation, and CBD has been proven to target and treat inflammation. Historically, researchers have failed to thoroughly investigate the potential of CBD to help treat these disorders, as the study of cannabis-based therapies was neglected. Now, thanks to recent research on the effects of cannabidiol, we know just how powerful CBD can be. Up until the late 1930’s cannabis based medications: oils, tinctures and preparations were routinely used by American doctors and physicians worldwide. And then, of course…this dude named Rockefeller decided that putting petroleum oil in our drugs would be better.  Now that people are waking up to the fact that this approach is NOT working, they're looking to replace their prescription drugs that only work for a few months, then are replaced quickly with NEW side effects. Thankfully there's something now that can help us with ALL of these issues without side effects and is now legal and easily accessible."
​                                                                   ~ Diane Kazer, Functional Nutritionist and Health Coach  

Resources:
https://dianekazer.com/cbd-for-women-fitness-hormones-and-detox/
https://kannaway.com/adding-cbd-to-your-fitness-routine/
http://maximumlifestyles.com/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-cbd-cannabidiol-from-the-hemp-plant/

We were invited by Joseph Lemieux, a man on Michael's Men's team, to participate in a semi-private couple's retreat that was going to be filmed for a documentary.  We were blown away when we found out he was co-leading with Alexandra Roxo, a beautiful and powerful priestess/goddess/queen who I met just 2 years ago. They had connected us with the producers who shared the intention of the show, which was to create an opportunity for couples to connect. Beloved producer Katie showed up with the camera crew to document our thoughts going into the weekend, as we prepared for our drive. Our thoughts on this? We were looking forward to a weekend getaway and an opportunity to love on our relationship since running business together had posed some challenges.

Going into this experience, we share that our intention was to foster a deeper connection but had no idea what that was going to look like. As we arrived to the gorgeous retreat home, we met the other young Australian couple who were quite new to the work. Through connecting exercises, breath work, vocalizing myself through screams, cries, and laughter, reliving how it was when we met and what we love about each other, out relationship received the nurturing we didn't even know was so necessary.

To sum up what I got out of the weekend, I received incredible guidance around being 100% authentic and real with all the suppressed emotions I hadn't even realized I was hiding. 

I'll be honest...I'm kinda nervous to see how the production team will capture a 3 day retreat into 1 hour. However, I know that the value I got out of this experience is so worth it. I feel set free, liberated from so many stored emotions. My relationship with Michael feels so golden and I am already witnessing how this work is deepening my connection to my clients and their healing process.

To get a taste of Alexandra Roxo's magic, I highly encourage you to try out her masterclass on "How To Embody Your Feminine Fire". I am committing to a 40 day practice. I am barely on day 2 and am feeling exhilarated by the benefits already. Ladies, get your feminine fire on!

Photo from https://blog.131method.com/seed-cycling-for-hormone-balance/

HOW TO INCORPORATE SEED CYCLING?

​You can add the seeds to smoothies, breakfast bowls, salads, soups, and my favorite is on top of an avocado. I prefer to grind them in a coffee grinder to create a powder.

HOW HAS SEED CYCLING HELPED ME?

Integrating seed cycling, with vaginal steaming, abdominal massage, herbal teas, a healthy diet, and movement has completely changed my relationship to my cycle.

I used to have very painful periods with monthly cramps, lower back pain, mood swings, headaches, and am so grateful to share that my cycles are now pain-free.