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Intimacy Shadows: Dissolving all the unsuccessful strategies for Love – With Wilrieke & Jamie Catto (UK)
18/02/2023 @ 10:00 - 19/02/2023 @ 19:00 CET
This is a workshop for everyone. It’s not about sex, yet it is. Come alone, bring your partner(s) or friends.
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● Intimacy Shadows – Dissolving all the unsuccessful strategies for Love ●
In this workshop, we tenderly bust all our foolishly inefficient strategies for getting what we want and clean the channel straight to the heart of direct, visible, powerful communication and action.
We want to enjoy all relationships, at home, at work, and in bed. Free of manipulation and control, free of complaint and game-playing. We are relearning how to be straight with each other.
Over this two-day process, we will explore the possibility of experiencing deeper and more nourishing connections in our relationships, in sex, in friendship, and in all areas of life. This includes both the vulnerability and the presence to share more and more of ourselves.
We will also examine the polarity of the yin and the yang* and our relationship to giving and receiving, sharing tools for being empowered in our vulnerability and taking responsibility for how we feel and what we need. In supporting each others’ unique journeys and excitements, you will use this weekend for shared and reciprocal growth’
*We approach this from a point of view where polarity is an agreement, and yin and yang have nothing to do with gender.
This is a workshop for everyone. It’s not about sex, yet it is. Come alone, bring your partner(s) or friends.
Creating intimacy has everything to do with permission:
• Permission to be safely curious
• Permission to be seen.
• Permission to be celebrated.
• Permission to not get involved – or to get involved.
• Permission to be exactly who you are.
There is an abundant river of sexuality, creativity, empowerment, and healing just waiting to pour into our lives. The only thing we need to do is to learn to open to what is already wanting to come through, to be able to tap into these flows and receive their gifts. In this workshop, we will be sharing a variety of game-changing tools to efficiently harness the different ways this opening can be specifically applied to experiencing more pleasure, more excitement, more creativity and a deeper presence with everyone in our lives.
Expect games and exercises that are filled with humour. They will make you reconsider your patterns, maybe make you feel a little uncomfortable, but then leave you with more freedom to be exactly who you are.
Influences of e.g. eclectic neo-tantra, Wheel of Consent, improv theatre, deep listening and, of course, your own insane giftedness.
This is a (light) pink event.
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This event welcomes folks from all walks of life. We are LGBTQIIA+ informed (Wilrieke and most of their team identify as such), slut-friendly, trauma-aware, and non-monogamy informed. White folks are overrepresented in our team and life experiences are coloured through that lens. We do come from different social backgrounds and have different life experiences when it comes to health, wealth, neurodiversity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
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We welcome folks with disabilities. We can adapt exercises so that they fit you. Where we can we will support you. If you have a person/animal that supports you in daily activities that you need to bring for your care, they can of course come with you without buying a ticket. Please reach out if you have special needs, and we will discuss how we can support you. In case we cannot comfort your needs, we will honestly let you know.
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What the weekend looks like:
This weekend is designed as a full-on deep dive. There will be stories shared and practical experiential exercises. For the breaks you bring your own food – maybe you want to share some of it potluck-style.
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Timings:
Saturday: 10.00h – 18.00h (doors open at 9.30h)
Sunday: 11.00h – 19.00h
Saturday: 10.00h – 18.00h (doors open at 9.30h)
Sunday: 11.00h – 19.00h
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About the Facilitators:
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Jamie Catto is the creative catalyst, producer and director behind the global philosophy and music project “1 Giant Leap” – nominated for 2 Grammys and won numerous awards globally.
Jamie is also a founder member, singer, art director and video director of Dance Music super-group ‘Faithless’.
Jamie is leading uniquely transformative workshops and one-on-one sessions. Drawing from the richly diverse wisdom, techniques and processes he has encountered during his ground-breaking filming, recording, philosophy voyages across all 5 continents, he is weaving these creative techniques and exercises to spark both Professional and Personal breakthroughs.
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Check out Jamie’s TEDx Talk on Transforming Shadows.
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Wilrieke Sophia (they/them) is a sex & intimacy educator, conscious kink facilitator, intimacy activist, TEDx speaker, writer, and founder of Exploring Deeper and Cuddle Workshops International. They identify as queer, sex-positive, polyamorous and kinky. Wilrieke is based near Amsterdam, The Netherlands where they openly combine being a mother of three daughters with their work.
The main focus of their work is empowerment through self-knowledge and understanding, radical self-inclusion, the embodied experiencing of boundaries and desires, and an extensive practice of consent – all based on a foundation of trauma awareness and neuroscience, embedded in experiential spaces based on intimacy practices. Wilrieke hosts sex-positive retreats, play parties, teacher training, and festivals. In several projects with colleagues, Wilrieke creates workshops and materials on accountability, abuse and power dynamics in the intimacy and wellness communities.
More about Wilrieke:
www.exploringdeeper.com
IG: @the.intimacy.coach
FB: Exploring Deeper with Wilrieke Sophia
www.exploringdeeper.com
IG: @the.intimacy.coach
FB: Exploring Deeper with Wilrieke Sophia
Check out Wilrieke’s TEDx Talk on Navigating Intimacy.
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About Exploring Deeper:
We all need touch. Here at Exploring Deeper we believe that satisfying intimacy needs to be available for everyone. To have that intimacy, a person needs to feel safe and secure in their own body. We need to know our boundaries and desires, and we need to know how to communicate them. How does a person change their life? By doing things differently, and then repeating that new way. When it comes to intimacy, our current society does not provide us with the means, tools, and place to practice our intimacy skills.
Exploring Deeper aims to create those spaces. Laboratories for exploring intimacy – deeper. We do that by creating events, sessions, materials, and professional training. All our products and services are based on the pillars of solidarity and inclusion. This means our events are meant to be a welcoming place to you, independent of race, gender, age (though 18+), s.exual orientation, relationship style, being neurodivergent or neurotypical, being disabled or non-disabled, or looks.
We acknowledge everyone is learning and may make mistakes in addressing others, ourselves included. Making mistakes is welcomed in our workshops. Intentionally causing harm by discrimination, racism, misogyny, shaming, bullying, spreading disinformation etc is not tolerated. As a team, we are actively speaking up against these issues, and repeated misconduct will lead to removing the person causing harm from the workshop and potentially withholding access to future events.
We all need touch. Here at Exploring Deeper we believe that satisfying intimacy needs to be available for everyone. To have that intimacy, a person needs to feel safe and secure in their own body. We need to know our boundaries and desires, and we need to know how to communicate them. How does a person change their life? By doing things differently, and then repeating that new way. When it comes to intimacy, our current society does not provide us with the means, tools, and place to practice our intimacy skills.
Exploring Deeper aims to create those spaces. Laboratories for exploring intimacy – deeper. We do that by creating events, sessions, materials, and professional training. All our products and services are based on the pillars of solidarity and inclusion. This means our events are meant to be a welcoming place to you, independent of race, gender, age (though 18+), s.exual orientation, relationship style, being neurodivergent or neurotypical, being disabled or non-disabled, or looks.
We acknowledge everyone is learning and may make mistakes in addressing others, ourselves included. Making mistakes is welcomed in our workshops. Intentionally causing harm by discrimination, racism, misogyny, shaming, bullying, spreading disinformation etc is not tolerated. As a team, we are actively speaking up against these issues, and repeated misconduct will lead to removing the person causing harm from the workshop and potentially withholding access to future events.
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A few words on team ethics:
Integrity and creating a safer space is super important to us, the team of Exploring Deeper. You, the participants, are not our personal dating pool. There are power dynamics that can be juicy, but also abusive. Members of our team, regardless of their role (which may be facilitator, assistant, co-facilitator, helper or participant) are informed about power dynamics and their potential harmful impacts. We have created an Ethical Code of Conduct that you can find here > www.exploringdeeper.com/ethics.
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SOME PRACTICAL INFORMATION
In the week before the event, you will receive an email with detailed information for this training. Make sure you sign up with an email address that you use. Check your spam filter if you did not receive an email seven days before the event.
In the week before the event, you will receive an email with detailed information for this training. Make sure you sign up with an email address that you use. Check your spam filter if you did not receive an email seven days before the event.
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LOCATION
The weekend takes place in Amsterdam at De Ruimte (downstairs) at the Weesperzijde.
The weekend takes place in Amsterdam at De Ruimte (downstairs) at the Weesperzijde.
Reaching the venue:
CAR – Use e.g. Routenet to plan your route. Maybe carpooling feels like an option for you; feel free to post your request in de event on Facebook.
PARKING – Parking is expensive in the area. You may need to park your car a few streets away. Check www.prettigparkeren.nl. A cheaper option is the P+R. www.bereikbaaramsterdam.nl gives more information about this.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT – From Amsterdam Amstel Station it is a 15 min walk. From both Amsterdam CS and Amsterdam Amstel metro 51-53-54, stop Wibautstraat is closeby. Use www.9292ov.nl to plan your trip.
CAR – Use e.g. Routenet to plan your route. Maybe carpooling feels like an option for you; feel free to post your request in de event on Facebook.
PARKING – Parking is expensive in the area. You may need to park your car a few streets away. Check www.prettigparkeren.nl. A cheaper option is the P+R. www.bereikbaaramsterdam.nl gives more information about this.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT – From Amsterdam Amstel Station it is a 15 min walk. From both Amsterdam CS and Amsterdam Amstel metro 51-53-54, stop Wibautstraat is closeby. Use www.9292ov.nl to plan your trip.
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Some FAQ’s:
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WHAT DO I EAT?
We will provide tea, water, and some chocolate. Bring lunch, and feel free to bring snacks to share!
We will provide tea, water, and some chocolate. Bring lunch, and feel free to bring snacks to share!
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WHAT DO I WEAR?
Wear what makes you feel comfortable during the workshops. Bring some layers, as you might get hot or cold.
Wear what makes you feel comfortable during the workshops. Bring some layers, as you might get hot or cold.
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HOW MUCH IS IT?
You find that info in the ticket shop. There is a limited amount of budget tickets, meant for people with limited financial resources. We trust you to choose the ticket that fits your situation. If you cannot afford the budget tickets but want to come – do reach out, maybe we can find a way.
You find that info in the ticket shop. There is a limited amount of budget tickets, meant for people with limited financial resources. We trust you to choose the ticket that fits your situation. If you cannot afford the budget tickets but want to come – do reach out, maybe we can find a way.
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WHY GENDERED TICKETS?
We want to include everyone, whatever your gender or identification is. That means there’s space for everyone, without one group getting overrepresented. Therefore there are tickets for people who identify themselves as male, female and other.
(We realize that there are many gender identities outside the binary norms. For practical reasons, we have summarized them as a category ‘other’ on the ticket sales pages. We apologize to anyone who does not feel represented by this category.)
Please only buy a ticket that represents your gender – and not any other ticket. Sold out = sold out.
We want to include everyone, whatever your gender or identification is. That means there’s space for everyone, without one group getting overrepresented. Therefore there are tickets for people who identify themselves as male, female and other.
(We realize that there are many gender identities outside the binary norms. For practical reasons, we have summarized them as a category ‘other’ on the ticket sales pages. We apologize to anyone who does not feel represented by this category.)
Please only buy a ticket that represents your gender – and not any other ticket. Sold out = sold out.
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WHAT DOES THE COLOUR CODE OF THIS EVENT MEAN?
We use a system of colours to explain what happens in an event with regard to sexuality:
White: clothes stay on, there is no sexuality or nudity. (e.g. cuddle workshops.)
Pink: partial nudity is allowed but genitals stay covered. Sensual play is possible. (e.g. energy sex workshops, exploring tantra and pink play parties.)
Red: full nudity and sexual interactions are possible (e.g. exploring kïnk, kinky tantra, red play parties.)
We use a system of colours to explain what happens in an event with regard to sexuality:
White: clothes stay on, there is no sexuality or nudity. (e.g. cuddle workshops.)
Pink: partial nudity is allowed but genitals stay covered. Sensual play is possible. (e.g. energy sex workshops, exploring tantra and pink play parties.)
Red: full nudity and sexual interactions are possible (e.g. exploring kïnk, kinky tantra, red play parties.)
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WHAT IF I CAN’T COME ANYMORE?
There are administration costs involved, but refunds are possible within certain timeframes. You are free to sell your ticket to someone else. We don’t mediate in selling tickets. Please respect the gender of the ticket, and in case we send pre/aftercare emails, forward them to the person you sold your ticket to. Check all details in our terms and conditions.
There are administration costs involved, but refunds are possible within certain timeframes. You are free to sell your ticket to someone else. We don’t mediate in selling tickets. Please respect the gender of the ticket, and in case we send pre/aftercare emails, forward them to the person you sold your ticket to. Check all details in our terms and conditions.
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WHAT IF TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT?
You can ask for a ticket in the FB-event, or go to the FB group Exploring Deeper Online Community.
You can ask for a ticket in the FB-event, or go to the FB group Exploring Deeper Online Community.
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WHAT IF I DON’T FEEL LIKE TOUCHING SOMEONE?
Then you don’t. We will never push you to do anything, nor to do anything with anyone. You can come, decide to keep all your clothes on and not touch anyone – and that’s perfect. You can also always sit out an exercise.
Then you don’t. We will never push you to do anything, nor to do anything with anyone. You can come, decide to keep all your clothes on and not touch anyone – and that’s perfect. You can also always sit out an exercise.
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HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THIS VENUE?
The backdoor of the venue has a small doorstep. There is a relatively accessible bathroom (not an all-access bathroom).
Amsterdam Municipality cars for disabled people park for free on the street in front of the building.
The backdoor of the venue has a small doorstep. There is a relatively accessible bathroom (not an all-access bathroom).
Amsterdam Municipality cars for disabled people park for free on the street in front of the building.
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WHAT ABOUT COVID?
Check our COVID-19 protocols here, and make sure you understand our cancellation policy. We ask for a self-test of max 24hr old for this event.
Check our COVID-19 protocols here, and make sure you understand our cancellation policy. We ask for a self-test of max 24hr old for this event.
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Ticket holders will be informed prior to the event through email. Always check your SPAM folder. If you have signed out for Wilrieke’s emails, these emails won’t reach you. Reach out to Wilrieke if you did not get any information five days before the event.
For this workshop, Exploring Deeper’s Terms and Conditions apply.
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To stay updated about workshops, events, and to read Wilrieke’s blog (with hundreds of articles and videos about topics like non-monogamy, s.exuality and dealing with insecurities), check www.exploringdeeper.com and sign up for our newsletter!
