Attuning to the Week Ahead with Cacao
Welcome to Soulful Sundays, your weekly sanctuary for reflection, connection, and soulful rituals. Every week, we explore a different theme that helps you cultivate mindfulness and deepen your spiritual journey.
These daily practices, enhanced by ceremonial cacao, are designed to nurture your body, mind, and spirit, helping you step into your week with intention.
Theme of the Week: Be Moved
This week, we focus on the theme Be Moved. This is an invitation to allow yourself to be stirred by the beauty, emotions, and experiences of life. It’s not just about physical movement but also about letting the energy of life resonate within you, moving your heart and soul. Through our daily rituals, you’ll explore different ways to be moved—by nature, sound, your emotions, and more. Each ritual includes mindfulness, movement, a cacao ceremony, and reflective prompts to help you dive deeper into the experience.
The Daily Rituals
Each day includes a mindfulness practice, somatic/embodiment practice, and journaling reflection. Cacao can be incorporated to deepen your connection with the day’s focus.
Monday: Moved by Nature
Mindfulness Practice
Take a mindful walk in nature today. Whether in a park, by the sea, or simply in your garden, fully immerse yourself in your surroundings. Notice the colours, sounds, and textures of the world around you. Feel the connection between yourself and the earth.
Somatic Practice
Allow your body to mimic nature’s movements. Try slow, flowing movements, inspired by the trees swaying in the wind or the gentle ripples of water. Move intuitively, letting your body reflect the rhythms of the natural world.
Cacao Ritual
Prepare your ceremonial cacao and sit outside or by a window. As you drink, focus on the grounding energy of cacao, imagining it connecting you to the earth beneath your feet. Let it deepen your sense of calm and rootedness.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- What aspects of nature move you the most?
- How do you feel when you allow yourself to fully connect with the natural world?
- What can you do to invite more of nature’s presence into your daily life?
Tuesday: Moved by Sound
Mindfulness Practice
Take a moment today to listen deeply to a piece of music that moves you. Close your eyes, and allow the music to wash over you. Focus on how the sound affects your emotions and your physical body, noticing any sensations or shifts.
Somatic Practice
Let your body move freely in response to the music. It could be a slow sway or more expressive movements—whatever feels natural. Don’t force it; simply let the music guide your body, allowing the sound to create movement from within.
Cacao Ritual
Sip your cacao as you listen to music. Notice how the warmth and richness of the cacao enhance your connection to the sound. Feel the cacao’s energy help you open up to the music more deeply, allowing it to move through you.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- How does music influence your emotional state and physical movements?
- What types of music make you feel the most connected or moved?
- How can you use music to create more mindful moments throughout your day?
Wednesday: Moved by Emotions
Mindfulness Practice
Sit in stillness and take a few deep breaths. Tune into your emotional state and notice what feelings are present. Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise without judgement. Acknowledge your emotions and observe them with compassion.
Somatic Practice
Explore how your emotions might want to express themselves through movement. If you’re feeling joy, allow yourself to dance or move expansively. If you’re feeling sadness, perhaps slow, gentle movements will help you connect with that feeling. Let your body honour and express your emotions fully.
Cacao Ritual
As you drink your cacao, bring awareness to your heart centre. Visualise the cacao opening your heart, allowing your emotions to flow freely. Let the cacao support you in holding space for whatever emotions are present, without needing to change or fix them.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- What emotions are you currently carrying?
- How do you typically express or suppress your emotions?
- How can you create more space to process and move through your emotions with kindness?
Thursday: Moved by Creativity
Mindfulness Practice
Spend time today in quiet reflection, asking yourself where creativity shows up in your life. It doesn’t have to be artistic; creativity could manifest in how you solve problems, cook, or think. Notice how your mind feels when you let it explore ideas freely, without pressure.
Somatic Practice
Allow yourself to move in a way that feels creative. This could be dancing, stretching, or even trying out new yoga poses. Move in a way that feels expressive and joyful, celebrating the creativity within your body.
Cacao Ritual
As you prepare and drink your cacao, set the intention to connect with your inner creativity. Let the cacao’s energy inspire new ideas or movements, enhancing your flow of thoughts and your connection to your creative spirit.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- Where do you experience creativity in your life?
- How do you feel when you’re in a creative flow?
- What can you do to invite more creativity into your daily life?
Friday: Moved by Connection
Mindfulness Practice
Take a few moments today to reflect on your relationships. Think of someone who has had a profound impact on you and how their presence moves you. Sit with these feelings of connection, whether they evoke love, gratitude, or even a sense of challenge.
Somatic Practice
If possible, engage in a movement practice with a friend or loved one. This could be a partner yoga session, a walk together, or even dancing. Notice how moving with someone else enhances your sense of connection and presence.
Cacao Ritual
Share a cacao ceremony with someone you care about. As you drink together, take a moment to express gratitude for the connection you share. Allow the cacao to open your hearts and deepen your sense of appreciation for each other.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- Who in your life moves you on a deep emotional or spiritual level?
- How do your relationships impact your personal growth and movement?
- In what ways can you nurture and honour these connections more fully?
Saturday: Moved by Stillness
Mindfulness Practice
Today, focus on stillness. Find a quiet space and sit in meditation, paying attention to the subtle sensations of your breath and body. Notice how even in stillness, there is movement within you—the rise and fall of your breath, the beating of your heart.
Somatic Practice
Allow your body to remain in stillness, but focus on the micro-movements within. This could be a seated meditation or lying down in a restorative yoga pose. Let the small, internal movements become your focus today, and feel how they gently shift your awareness.
Cacao Ritual
Drink your cacao in complete stillness, savouring each sip slowly. Focus on the warmth spreading through your body and the subtle shifts in your energy. Allow the cacao to bring you deeper into the present moment, helping you to appreciate the power of stillness.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- How does stillness make you feel?
- What subtle movements or energies can you notice within yourself when you’re still?
- How can you incorporate moments of stillness into your everyday routine?
Sunday: Moved by Gratitude
Mindfulness Practice
Spend time reflecting on the week and all the moments that moved you. Sit quietly and think of three things you’re grateful for. Let yourself truly feel the gratitude, allowing it to fill your heart and body.
Somatic Practice
Let your movements today reflect your gratitude. You might choose to move slowly, honouring your body with gentle stretches, or you might dance joyfully to celebrate the blessings in your life. Allow your body to express the energy of thankfulness.
Cacao Ritual
Prepare your cacao as an offering of gratitude. As you drink, reflect on all that you are grateful for—both the big and small moments. Let the cacao deepen your sense of appreciation for the journey you’re on.
Reflection Questions / Journal Prompts
- What moments from this week moved you the most?
- How can you express more gratitude in your life, both physically and emotionally?
- In what ways has your connection to movement and mindfulness deepened this week?
Bringing It All Together
Allow these rituals to guide you throughout the week, and remember, movement isn’t just physical, it’s the way life moves you on every level. Let yourself be moved in new and profound ways this week.
