Workshops 2019

Rudiments are to drumming as letters are to the alphabet. In this class, we’re going to step outside the drum circle tradition to explore several sticking/hand patterns. We’ll transfer these patterns to our hand-drumming practice to build technique, increase muscle memory, and create our own learning benchmarks. All are welcome to play.

No previous drumming knowledge is necessary. If you’ve been playing hand drums for a while and want to transition to a drum kit, this is a great place to start.

 Connect on a deeper level. Share in the art of adoration and a practice of embodiment. Eye gazing. Ritual & practice. No partner needed.

Tantra Puja is a sacred ancient ritual that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is a beautiful ceremony of honoring & adoring the Divine that dwells within each of us, & brings us into a profound space of connection & universal Love.

In a Tantra Puja, participants take turn in a giving & receiving role & have the opportunity to express their unconditional love & adoration towards women & men alike. This ceremony opens people’s hearts in a way that allows them to see the inner beauty & the Divine within us all.

Taking part in these Pujas is a very powerful way to reconnect & relate with the feminine & masculine. It is through the practice of unconditional loving that we find that any emptiness or longing we feel within us can be filled with a simple act of giving.

This experience is open to couples & singles of all genders & sexual orientations.  We are dedicated to the highest degree of safety, clarity, & integrity for all participants.

Too often people approach Earth based spirituality through the medium of magic and esoteric ritual, only to find themselves feeling a
lack of connection. It doesn’t matter if their focus is on an all encompassing One, a Goddess and God, the multitude of gods and
goddesses found in the world and throughout history, or even the vital spark of divine spirit which animates all things…sometimes you
feel like you are having a conversation with no one.
This workshop will take the form of a conversation where we discuss how to go about growing an organic devotional practice,
regardless of what the focus of your devotion may be.

The stillness of the Earth is an illusion. In truth, the Earth, like all things, is in motion. It expands and contracts with the dawning and setting of each day. Tectonic plates grind against each other. In space, it dances around our sun as it flows through the universe. The Earth is alive and we can connect with it.

This class teaches a specific form of active meditation, appropriate for small groups but adaptable for the individual. content goes here.

Therapeutic Breathwork, or Conscious Connected Breathing, is a cyclic (without pause) breath that employs slightly faster and slightly slower than usual, breathing patterns that helps you move through repression of all kinds that may be holding you back or limiting your growth, vitality, and joy.  Modern trauma research tells us that repression lives in the body on a cellular level, escaping even our most thorough efforts to identify it and to heal through classic modalities alone. 

Therapeutic Breathwork is an effective tool for getting to the roots of: Depression, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, as well as many other physical, mental and spiritual ailments that keep you operating at a less than optimal capacity. 

Breathing in this way often brings on an altered consciousness state where the bigger shifts and deeper illuminations can occur.  The energy of breathing in a group can often excelerate and support our process beyond where we might arrive on our own.

In this workshop we will have a warm up, and a group check in, a brief talk on the process itself, then we will group breathe through an hour long playlist of supportive music.  There will be time to process your experience after.

This is a safe, and deeply rewarding process.  I’ve seen it change the course and quality of many lives, including my own. 

At it’s core, a Cuddle Party is about building communication around consent, and recognition of what each of us does/doesn’t want in our life, and how to say yes/no to those things.

This special evening workshop will offer an opportunity to experience something really special!   Cuddle Party is a playful social event designed for adults to explore communication, boundaries, and affection. You can come to a Cuddle Party to meet new people, to enjoy amazing conversations, to touch, to be touched, to have fun, to practice asking for what you want, to practice saying “no” to what you don’t want — all in a setting structured to be a safe place for exploration and enjoyment. You can even come to a Cuddle Party just to cuddle!  

Journey to the Underworld Based on the journey of the Sumerian goddess, Inanna, we will journey through quiet meditation into the
Underworld, releasing any negativity we have brought with us and anything that is not serving our higher purpose. Afterwards, we will
focus on mindful movements that will encourage energy flow throughout your body to engage your personal power. The Dance of
Inanna combines basic movements of tribal dance from around the world with energy work and is designed to honor your inner
goddess through dance. Using these movement combinations along with energy work, you will energize your soul and open and align
your chakras. Join certified dance and Reiki instructor, Mary Olson, for a journey of movement through the Chakras. The workshop is open to everyone. Wear loose comfortable clothing – yoga pants, shorts, skirts, etc. or come Sky Clad – to allow yourself to move freely. Everyone has the power of rhythm in them! Tap into this power, release negativity and reenergize yourself with the Dance of Inanna.

At no time in the history of western culture have people demonstrated a greater desire to live their lives and shape their relationships
on their own terms. This does not mean, however, that tradition is no longer valued. Many of us still prefer to incorporate aspects of

tradition into our lives and our relationships. Yet so many of us also highly value personal autonomy, i.e. the right to self-
determination. As we consider our options and the pros and cons of each, common questions include:

Is monogamy for us? Would we prefer to incorporate others into our intimate lives? Do we want emotional and sexual monogamy
that permits us to engage in BDSM activities with others? Do we want emotional monogamy but sexual nonmonogamy /swinging? Dowe want both emotional *and* sexual nonmonogamy, i.e. polyamory?

Do we (or do we not) value legal marriage? Are we willing to
vow to be together ’til death do us part? How do religion and spirituality influence our decisions and preferences with regard to
marriage? What about non-legally binding commitment ceremonies and handfastings?

These are just some of the many options available to us when we seriously and carefully reflect on what we want our relationships to
look like and how they will operate.  Come join the discussion as we explore together the many, many ways in which we can define our relationships and live our dreams.

How do we interact with the little mysteries that surround us? How do we honor nature and what lives there? Drawing from the subconscious eye, without judgment or expectation can be a powerful tool for tapping into the deeper energies in our lives. In this class, we will use meditative states and simple paper and pencils to interact with what is within and without.

Intentional Drumming can be intense at times, but it can also be a way to release. Drumming For Peace can be used for outer or inner peace. We will talk about how to play the drum properly, learn some rhythms, and then explore your own Rhythm of Peace.

There will be drums to borrow, but please bring your own if you have them. Let’s get drumming and experience a new level of
Peace.

Finding the lost pieces of your soul with self guided meditation. My name is Carrie Grubbs. I am a wife, mother, and grand mother, and an ordained pagan minister. I am also a desert shield/ desert storm veteran and an adult survivor of childhood trauma and abuse. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of PTSD in myself, I used the combined teachings of Don Juan and Celtic Shamanism to begin my own reassembly. I have overcome night terrors, impulsive behaviors, toxic relationships. In this class I will lead you through my path of self discovery and self healing and teach you the meditation techniques I use.

Have you ever thought, “If only {whatever}, I would/could be happy.” This is how we are taught to think, that happiness is a conditional state based on external situations. I’m here to flip this idea on its head and give you a peak into a world where happiness is a choice. Not always an easy one, but a choice nonetheless, and eventually a habit. It takes practice, though. Let’s take a dive into how all of this works, and maybe some ways we can bring that choice back into our hands.

Saturday 4:45 Large Oak

A  meditation which is the start of the druids contemplative life: the Light Body Exercise.  A few minutes to ground, center and (if your belief includes it) connect to the Divine.

Focus your mind on the breath, set a personal intention to carry you through your practice, or place your awareness on Mother Earth. Explore basic Yoga postures while linking your mind, body, and intention to the present moment. Class concludes with a seven to ten minute reclined or seated meditation.

Sound familiar? Just when we think we’ve got our act together, our relationships are going well and we’re maybe even feeling
confident, someone we love is attracted to someone new, and all of a sudden the bottom falls out. Or we meet someone new and want to explore our attraction to them, and contrary to what we anticipate, a poly partner starts freaking out. Why is this happening? Why do our emotions sometimes run so contrary to our will?

What’s a fair and reasonable poly person to do?  We need not be jealousy’s victims! Come learn to accurately analyze and identify jealousy’s complex underlying emotions. Devise an effective plan that works for you that will take away their seemingly overwhelming emotional power. With a bit of patience, some love and support, and the right poly relationship skills, we all have the power to make peace with jealousy.

The polyamory mantra is “Communicate, communicate, communicate!”  This is an important concept for all kinds of relationships.

Effectively communicating with others in a variety of loving situations can make a huge difference in outcome.
Sometimes it is necessary to communicate with others about our boundaries and negotiate them so that all concerned feel both safe enough and free enough to be happy in their chosen form of alternative relationship. Yet it isn’t always clear what we should say
and do so that everyone feels good about it, ourselves included. This workshop will help you navigate the sometimes murky waters of communication and boundary setting and will shine a positive light on key communications skills necessary to resolve conflict and
establish effective boundaries

Shamanic Journeys are ways for a person to find out information hidden beneath. In this particular journey, Shamanic Drumming helps you sink into a Theta state as you travel to the Lower Worlds to meet a spirit guide or animal that will help provide you with the tools you need to let go of the difficulties and roadblocks you may have encountered through the year. You will have the opportunity to let go and release everything from 2019 as we approach a new year. You may also encounter other helping animals, helping spirits, and
Teachers along with your Earthly stay. Shamanic Drumming will help you achieve a trance state in which you can connect with your helping spirits to communicate with as they assist in letting go, staying open to receive any messages they may have for you.

Self Pleasure Ritual/Intentional Orgasms Our bodies are so wise! We just have to know how to listen to them. Explore the benefits of self pleasure and learn to utilize the power of sexual energy. Be guided in a practice that will assist you in finding clarity, balance & peace. Optional lab. Nudity welcome. Bring a sarong, towel, your yoni & your favorite self pleasuring items.