Summer Solstice Cacao Ceremony & Restorative Yoga Journey.

Honour the Solstice with cacao & restorative yoga to release lower-back tension, nourish your spine & return to stillness.

When life feels full, stillness matters.

Join Donna for a simple, heart-led Summer Solstice Ceremony weaving Shamanic Cacao with deeply restorative yoga.

The Solstice is a threshold - the longest day of the year, a reminder of light, cycles, and the moments where we’re invited to realign.

About this experience:

This 90-minute gathering is a gentle reset - a mini retreat to slow the breath, soften the edges, and let your nervous system find its way back to steadiness.
When we step out of the rush, even briefly, the body remembers how to rest. The mind loosens and the heart gently opens.

This is the gift of pausing before the year closes: meeting yourself with clarity, calm, and a sense of grounded presence.

Cacao ceremony:

Mama Cacao has been honoured for centuries as a plant of warmth, connection, and inner listening.
She softens the heart, clears the mind, and brings the feminine (the listener) and the masculine (the doer) back into balance.

We begin with nourishing cacao heart medicine, then move gently through the Andean Medicine Wheel - connecting with Pachamama, the Mountains, the Animal Allies, the elements, and the Four Directions that guide and hold us.

Restorative yoga - rest + receiving:

Restorative yoga asks nothing of you.
No pushing.
No stretching.
Just softening, breathing, and letting the ground support you.

These long, quiet shapes unwind the nervous system - the breath deepens, the spine eases, and the body remembers how to let go. It’s simple, honest rest. The kind we all need more of.

These practices soothe the lower back, open the breath, and allow space for the ceremony to settle within you.

About your facilitator:

Donna - @yoga_with_donna

Donna is a ceremonialist and a student of the Earth whose work focuses on simplicity and sincerity: to help people reconnect with themselves. She guides movement, breath, and ritual with a steady, genuine presence, letting the body remember how to listen and soften.

Drawing from Andean cosmology and the feminine wisdom lineages of Peru, Donna carries these teachings with humility. In ceremony, she works with intention and clarity - honouring Pachamama, the directions, and the quiet threads of the unseen that support every gathering.

Donna shares cacao as a heart medicine - a gentle way to return to softness, presence, and the simple beauty of being human. Her ceremonies are warm, grounded, and unhurried, offering people a place to rest, reflect, and reconnect.

With a background in yoga and Pilates, she helps others find ease in their bodies and steadiness in their nervous systems. Her approach is gentle, embodied, and sincere - a calm anchor in a world that moves fast.

A few notes from the facilitators:

In preparation for the ceremony please bring:

• An eye mask for deep relaxation.
• Sacred or grounding items (blanket, crystal, cushion, etc.).
• Water bottle and comfortable, warm clothing (light colours encouraged).
• Cosy socks if needed.
• Avoid strong perfumes out of consideration for others.

Important Information Regarding Cacao

• Avoid caffeine after mid-morning, as cacao contains Theobromine, a natural stimulant.
• Eat a light meal at least 2.5 hours before the ceremony.
• Health considerations: If pregnant, breastfeeding, or on heart medication, MAOIs, or SSRIs, please let Donna know in advance.

Things to note:

Centre of You has plenty of bolsters, blankets, and cushions for you to get cosy with. We recommend wearing comfortable, loose clothes to enable deep breathing and sitting/laying upon the floor with ease. Something to cover your eyes, if you wish to do so (eg. eye mask, scarf). A journal is recommended as are any familiar personal items that will aid you in feeling grounded (crystal, teddy, scarf, etc).

Personal responsibility: Please make an assessment on whether you are feeling stable and resourced enough to explore the practices on offer in this event.

Notice of Partial Moment Amateur Photography/Videography: There are many events held at Centre of You where no content is captured. The facilitator of this event however wishes to capture moments of this gathering for future marketing and community-sharing purposes. This will take place via their personal device captured by themselves or a representative. We recognise that being recorded can impact personal comfort and nervous system regulation and we want to honor your preferences. If you do not wish to have your image captured yet still wish to join, know that this is entirely possible at this event. Please speak with us at the door so we can honour your boundaries. If you’d like to review any footage captured at the conclusion of the event, you are most welcome to do so.

Arrival: Endeavour to arrive between 1:45pm - 2:00pm. To preserve the experience for all involved, doors will close at 2:15pm. Truly, it breaks our heart to have to turn latecomers away yet the disruption to the whole group experience by virtue of lateness does require management. We ask that you find understanding and consideration for the timebound nature of the container and make every effort to arrive on time.

Driving: Know Centre of You is on Chapel St and ample time to find a car spot is best to be factored into your plans. Park direct on Chapel St (spots unmetered after 5pm) or in Anchor Place, the open-air parking lot in the side street that runs opposite Centre of You (unmetered after 4pm).

Public transport - tram: Both the number 6 tram & 78 tram stop on the corner of High St/Chapel St. This is stop 31 on the number 6 tram (Moreland/Glen Iris) & stop 45 on the number 78 tram (North Richmond/Balaclava).

Public transport - train: Both Prahran & Windsor stations along the Sandringham Line will get you walking distance to Centre of You.

Finding Centre of You: Centre of You is nestled within the arcade that Chapel St Bazaar is in (217 Chapel St). It is up a flight of stairs with a wide landing at the half-way-point. Unfortunately, this current version of Centre of You does not have a wheelchair accessible lift. If you could use support in getting up the stairs or would like to discuss ways to make your experience at Centre of You more comfortable, please reach out via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.

Accessibility: At COY we aim to ensure our community and events are inclusive and accessible while alongside upholding the needs and responsibilities of our business and the businesses of our collaborating facilitators. Should you be in a time of financial challenge and unable to pay the full ticket price comfortably, please reach out via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram

Ticketing T&Cs: We get it, life happens, therefore we will gladly refund you up until 24hrs before the event start time. After that, we have a strict no refund/no transfer to future events policy. If you are no longer able to attend and wish to pay forward your ticket to someone within the community, be in touch via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.

Questions? Email hello@centreofyou.com.au or reach out via Instagram DM.