My name is Jackie Farrell & I am a mammy of 5 children (aged between 6 & 13 years). I am living along with my husband & children in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. I was blessed to find the beautiful heart-opening & heart-healing medicine, namely Cacao, a number of years ago when I connected with Mandy Wheeler of Soul Talk (@soul_talk_). (Thank you Mandy, I am so grateful & indebted to you for introducing me to Cacao. I was really drawn to this rich chocolatey ‘medicine’ after I discovered your beautiful page & connected with you, on Instagram).

I will begin by sharing that I am not a daily Cacao drinker (yet!). This is something I aspire to be & this is what I am slowly working towards. I am a firm believer in allowing things to happen in their own time, at their own pace & listening to my body’s needs. Everything unfolds as it is meant to. I believe in a gentle sense of ‘allowing’. My journey to date with Cacao has had many pauses however, of late, I really feel her calling me….❣️

I am a busy mammy – albeit a crystal-loving, mindfulness & meditation practicing mam of five (& Secondary School Teacher & Creative Mindfulness Practitioner to many!). I love pausing throughout my day to notice what’s going on within… and around me…. with kindness, care & compassion. (Always bringing in the gentle energy of compassion).

I was blessed to begin my journey in Mindfulness & Self-Compassion in 2018 when I first discovered Louise Shanagher (of @creativemindfulnesskids) & her absolutely beautiful courses! I completed The Fundamentals of Mindfulness & this led me to training as a Creative Mindfulness Practitioner – sharing Mindfulness & Self-Compassion practices in a fun, experiential and creative way with children, teens & parents (based on the Creative Mindfulness Method). It was Louise who first introduced me to the concept of infusing my practice of awareness (mindfulness) with kindness (self-compassion). I found this to be both profound & transformative. Add Cacao into this mix & wow – I finally opened up a nurturing & safe space where I could befriend myself (my whole entire body & self) in the most beautiful, kind-hearted, accepting & non-judgemental way. Thank you Cacao for your part in this beautiful & deep healing journey to self-love & self-acceptance.

Infusing my mindfulness & self-compassion practices with Cacao (& crystals!) has been so powerful and it continues to be a very deep & meaningful part of my  journey. A journey which continues to unfold…

I very often use Cacao in my smoothies & smoothie bowls, in baking, on top of hot porridge or in my overnight oats! My absolute favourite is to create a delicious mug of Cacao using almond milk, homespun chicory root syrup, freshly grated ginger & a sprinkle of cinnamon or chili powder depending on my heart’s desire. The odd time I add a little tahini or nut butter into the mix. I create my cup of Cacao in a gentle & loving way, always infusing it with kindness, compassion and care. I very often burn incense or sage to create a nourishing & cleansing atmosphere. I always choose a crystal or two – whichever ones call me, quite often rose quartz, moonstone, amethyst or lepidolite. Even in the midst of noise and chaos (which very often is the case!) I choose to be fully with my Cacao & my crystals for those few precious moments. This becomes my meditation – a chance for me to pause & be kind to myself. Cacao has the ability to ground me, to heal me, to settle my heart, my mind & my body. Cacao has gifted me the ability to love me, all of me… in the most precious & non-judgemental way. Thank you Cacao.

Thank you Vivienne at Saoro for this opportunity to share my experience and my journey with Cacao to date. Thank you also Vivienne, for introducing me to your beautiful Wild Child Cacao – which has played a key role in my journey. I am so grateful to you. Thank you.

My name is Jackie Farrell. I am passionate about promoting positive mental health and well-being in the secondary school environment. I am a Creative Mindfulness Practitioner, Author & Secondary School Teacher. In 2021 I wrote & self-published a children’s book called “My Busy Popcorn Mind” – a book which introduces mindfulness & self-compassion to children, parents & educators in a fun & creative way! If you wish to find out more about my personal journey please find me – @mindful_mum5 on Instagram or if you wish to learn about my work as a Creative Mindfulness Teacher, you will find me @mindfulscholars.postprimary. Thank you kindly for reading my story. 

Love, kindness & warmest wishes,

Jackie.

Cacao & Me is a series where we’ve asked people to tell us about their relationship with cacao, how they work with it, what impact it’s had on their lives & so on.
If you’d like to share your journey with Cacao please get in touch at info@saoro.org or though Instagram @saoroexperience