Music and Medicine: Meet Sari
Each and every soul has a story waiting to be told, and we are so happy for the opportunity to introduce Sari, an incredibly talented musician, facilitator, and Sacred Cacao Ambassador. Sari's passion for cacao and her dedication to sharing its transformational potential with others is truly a gift, and we are excited to delve into her journey and experiences with the heart-opening medicine of cacao.
Sari’s passion for music began at five years of age, a true soul calling that provided solace and comfort during turbulent times. Guided by the advice of family and educators, Sari decided to study architecture, with a vision of constructing innovative and ecological homes for communities in need. Sari followed that dream for a while, with music as a side hustle, supporting her financially through her studies, and more importantly as medicine for her heart.
After achieving her goals in architecture, Sari decided to turn her deep love for music into a professional career. She played in a band for a couple of years before realising something was amiss.
‘There was, let's say, a lot of unconscious behaviour and intoxicants.’ Sari tells us. ‘I was really deeply longing for a healthier way to connect with my music and a way to connect with spirit, because music always had a very deep spiritual connection to me.’
So how did Sari discover her heart-affirming connection to cacao medicine? On a spiritual journey through Costa Rica, Sari experienced cacao for the first time at an ecstatic dance party. She was amazed at how much energy it gave her and how radically it uplifted her mood. Sari describes the experience:
‘My first ceremony amazed me because put me in such a high vibrational state. I thought, "Wow, this is incredible!"
After that, I started substituting cacao for coffee. I was amazed because after the first month I had the same amount of energy, but my energy levels didn't peak as high or drop as low. My mood became more stable. I knew then that cacao was my medicine.’
A beautiful connection between cacao and Sari’s music soon revealed itself. Inspired by her travels through indigenous communities, Huni Kuin and Yawanawá in Brazil, Sari began learning sacred medicine songs and celebrating the healing power of music. She shares:
‘The power of music is that it can tell stories in another way and connect the mind and the heart through sound. Being in indigenous communities, I knew there was a lot of knowledge that they have to share. Knowledge about the land, and knowledge about the plants as well.’
The connection between music’s unique ability to transcend ordinary channels of communication, and cacao’s capacity to open the heart, showed Sari a powerful way to guide others in healing and releasing trauma. She now facilitates singing circles and voice activation workshops, to open the voice of the heart.
Last year, Sari joined Sacred on a journey to Peru to learn about the cultivation of cacao by the Ashaninka community. Something that truly struck a chord in Sari’s heart was how deeply the Ashaninka care for their community. Hearing their stories profoundly shifted the way Sari thinks about her place in the world, inspiring her to share their message of how essential it is to ask ourselves how we can give more than we take. She shares:
'The Ashaninka remind us to be more community driven, to ask ourselves how we can give more than we are taking. It can be simple, like baking something and offering it to strangers or giving to a loved one without wishing to receive back. This is a big lesson that I've learned from the Ashaninka.’
Sari’s dream is to shares messages of love and empowerment through her music, reaching a growing audience as she grows as an artist. She encourages the Sacred community to explore the range of delicious flavours and to nurture their curiosity. Take the time to learn about the Ashaninka people, understand the process of growing cacao, and consider the impact of the products you buy on the environment. Question everything you put in your body, because your body is a temple!
Lastly, Sari believes that what is truly sacred in life is the people around us:
‘More and more in my life, I'm learning that what truly makes me happy, and I believe for all human beings, it’s not how much we own or the titles we have. All of that is secondary to the people who surround us. The people who are there to support us, to share moments of tenderness, moments of laughter. This has been my biggest lesson from the Ashaninka; the power of community.’