by Phoebe Preuss | Jan 16, 2024 | Events, Wellness Blogs, Wellness Event
“In any direct light we can cast a shadow.”
Talofa lava beautiful Wahine! (**womxn)
Welcome to Wahine Toa o te Po – Strong Women of the night (SECURE YOUR PLACE HERE)
Wahine Toa is an evening into night retreat, to journey through the illumination of our shadows. Shadow work helps us have a deeper and more authentic relationship with ourselves and the world.
This year 2024 is about stepping into your true power, with grace and alofa for yourself. To truly love yourself you must grow your self-awareness and understanding.
Wahine Toa o te Po brings us together to help reflect on what is hidden in our shadows – reflecting safely and without judgement. To make room for us to grow.
Our ‘ava (kava) ceremony will help bring our minds and bodies into a grounded space. This medicine that can help soften our lens on self and community.
Together we will also create our own koko samoa ceremonial cacao, from roasting and pounding to create the paste to drink. Each step brought forward in ceremony with collective movements and chant.
Lalaga (the weaving space)
In this evening event we will be creating a weaving of indigenous practises and ceremony.
We use breathwork techniques help us face unexpressed emotions, to move through the resistance and ground ourselves. Making more room for who we truly want to be. Taking radical responsibly for the path we want to create.
* *womxn is a gender and non binary inclusive event activated to support and guide those that connect with feminine energy.
NB: Dinner and refreshments are included in this event.
Facilitators:
ALEESHA – (MAORI) – FOUNDER OF EARTH WAHINE – Soul coach, focuses on womens empowerment, Reiki and Breathwork facilitator, Space Holder, womens circle faciliator
FIPE – (SAMOA) – CO FOUNDER OF LIVING KOKO – Community Cultural Development Practitioner, Polynesian Dancer, Fire Performer, Space Holder and Koko creative with family deep rooted connections to cacao.
by Phoebe Preuss | Jan 16, 2024 | Events, Wellness Blogs, Wellness Event
We were non-stop in Samoa, either helping with the organising of the Sao Fa’i, making repairs on our home, or out in the plantation and our yard working on the land.
Being on country with my family, with nature and connecting to our custodial lands gave me such a high. Such an energy force that lifted my spirit and the journey of receiving the title “Lolopō” with my cousins in ceremony gave me a deep inner peace and sense of knowing. I was really excited about coming back and getting into 2024 and Living Koko.
We have been back for a few days now and I must be honest, I am holding onto a vibration of doubt and concern. I have sat at my desk and the magnitude of what needs to be activated and our goals and dreams is making me want to run or just stare into space (or my phone!). I have caught myself judgeing my work, putting myself down and convincing myself that the plans we have come up with aren’t the way to go.
Previously I would have convinced myself that this is my intuition and that I need to change everything and match this energy, adjust my original goals and convinced myself I didn’t have this capacity.
This morning I heard myself say “oh…here you go getting in your own way again” and that’s when I really started to witness this for what it really is. Self Sabotage.
This is me scared of failing, seeing the world as black and white, winning or losing. I witnessed the harshness of my self-talk. Forgetting how much I have failed learned through my failures. I have been placing a BIG MASSIVE expectation of perfection.
…I am still in that space, I’m witnessing and processing, journaling and diving deeper into understanding my lows at this time. So as much as I feel this pressure (pressure from whom? Me!) to share about our Samoan trip I have accepted that I am still integrating it all. Seeing why the return has landed this way and doing my best not to brush it off with a “oh you’re just homesick” and push it away. Its deeper than that and is interlaced in all the learnings from Samoa, the growth spurt and also the being present in spaces that have previously contained a whirlwind of emotions and views of not being good enough.
Being back in Samoa though reminded me about our ways of being and the patience we have for each other there. Therefore I am going to work on starting my year with that same frequency. Patience. These first few months for me is about Patience. Having patience with myself and showing myself some grace.
Through our time in Samoa many people including myself would say.
“Malo le onosai. ma le faamalosi”
Which translates to a praise of someone’s patience and their endurance and strength.
So for anyone out there especially those not vibing with the “new year new me” attitude or feeling like they need more time. I say to you…
“Malo le onosai, ma le faamalosi.”
The strength is within you, just be gentle and have patience with yourself. We are human and its Ok to take things one step at a time – if anyone wants to reach out and share how their 2024 is starting out please do.
Alofa atu,
Lolopō Fipe x
by Phoebe Preuss | Oct 24, 2023 | Events, Uncategorized
Best Living Koko birthday present ever!! We won the 2023 Melton Business Award for Sustainability, Products and Process ❤️❤️🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️🌈🌈🌈
So grateful to be able to activate our business in @cityofmeltonofficial on Wurundjeri country ❤️
This award for us not only acknowledges the way we run our business but also acknowledges our parents, grandparents our ancestors who came from humble beginnings and were zero waste out of financial hardship and also their love for the environment. From their teachings on how they honoured land and community we continue this under Living Koko.
Thank you to everyone who has supported what we do and connected with our products. It’s 2023 and we have so much power in our consumer choices. We appreciate those who choose sustainability and the future of not just the planet/environment but of the unseen communities tending to the land and our “ingredients” or clothing. Big shout out to @beeresponsible_ and @korvai_au two incredible women led businesses leading the way in sustainability in the West. ❤️
Acknowledging Rosie and Saleimoa Vaai from @savaiikoko for all their work to support local growers to ensure we receive a premium koko bean.
Thank you @cityofmeltonofficial Venture Melton, @crlaracarli and everyone involved in making last night and the huge lead up a success.
Living Koko’s team is @moyalah Bhavani @reissglen and @fipekeanu ❤️❤️❤️ @bento.brain @ramosmariamarrey @fiafia_art @footprintwebdesign whoa!!! Still can’t believe we won. 🫣😝😝🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️🤸🏿♀️
#pacificislands #indigenousart #cacao #life #indigenousbusiness #firstnationsrepresentations #cacaopowder #beantobarchocolate #Samoa #cacaonibs #cacaomedicine #beantobar #culture #Earthfriend #environmentallyfriendly #slavefreecertified #womeninbusiness #womensupportingwomen #businessvic
#mbea2023
by Phoebe Preuss | Oct 3, 2023 | Cacao Body Scrub Products, Drinking Chocolate, Events, Organic Drinking Chocolate, Uncategorized
Saturday 4 November, 2pm – 5pm – Seddon Deadly Sins, Upstairs in the Good Room
There nothing quite like “Communal Self Care” and our Tino Alofa day will bring us together for some delicious hand scrubs, gentle breath-work an optional face mask, cleanings and talanoa – some deep conversations with lots of laughter.
Seddon Deadly Sins and Living Koko are teaming up to bring you an afternoon of chilled vibes and connection all while enjoying chocolate and Pacific Island Plant medicine.
Share, Connect and Reflect in a safe environment with new friends.
by Phoebe Preuss | Sep 18, 2023 | Events
Saturday 11 Nov, 6.00pm – 7.30pm, NEW HARVEST, 111B Nepean Highway, Seaford, VIC, 3198
In Samoa, Koko (Cacao ) is offered to deepen social connection – with deep listening to your community, your tino (body), fatu (heart) & māfaufau (thoughts)
The Koko & Konnect is a sensory experience created by Fipe Preuss from Living Koko. We will take you on a heart led journey through the Pacific Islands taking some time too gently check in with ourselves, connect with our breath and mindfully taste the true offerings of our Samoan plant medicines. Cacao and Kava. This event is a wellness event, that connects our stories, helps us reflect gently on our own stories and our families stories.
Sampling a variety of cacao products created by Living Koko, a zero waste cacao manufacturing space based in Melbourne that has a family lineage for over 8 generations in Cacao farming and processing in Samoa, over 170 years documented. You will not only get to try the Living Koko cacao creations we will also share the deep stories of cacao from our homelands and indigenous cultivation practises still used today.
Join us for a night of cacao, connection and deeper understanding on fa’a Samoa (the Samoan way of life.
