Navigating Intimacy – A Two Day Exploration into Boundaries & Desires with Wilrieke Sophia

Most of us have learned to ignore our boundaries and desires. And this is problematic. By not knowing what it is that we want, we turn to the next best thing: we do what others want. Or what we think others want. Or what we think society wants.

Making choices in this way is very often not fulfilling. On the contrary: we might cross our boundaries, or even traumatize ourselves.

Especially in the realms of intimacy, there’s a lot to gain.

What happens inside you, when you meet someone you really like and want to connect with?

Can you decide for yourself what speed you want things to move? Can you tell them exactly how you do and don’t want to be touched? Do you feel confident about what you would like to explore with them?

Or, perhaps, do you feel insecure? Are you an ‘all-or-nothing’ intimacy type, where once you say yes to someone, it’s hard to say no to certain things (because you said yes to connecting, right)? Do you always find yourself being attracted to the ‘wrong’ types who leave you feeling used and empty?

We all have an inner compass that tells us exactly what we want and don’t want: our Inner Navigation System. Your built-in GPS.

Tuning in to our Navigation System will connect us to what we want and need. It can help us to navigate life in a way that is nourishing, empowering, and fulfilling.

This is an incomplete list of benefits of a strong connection to your Navigation System:

When we let go of the conditioning that we carry in our nervous system, and rewire ourselves, we can change the way we interact with others.

When we slow down and start listening, we can sensitize our connection to our Navigation System. And once we know how it works, we can always go back.

And not just in the bedroom!

Intimacy is an amazing playground to explore our Navigation System. But strengthening my connection with my inner Navigation System has also helped me make confident decisions around running my business, parenting my kids, establishing boundaries towards friends, stopping online bullies, flirting with new people, and feeling confident when I find myself in parties where I don’t know anyone.

Navigating Intimacy is a playground in which, for two days, you will learn how your Navigation System communicates with you in your unique way. You will learn about your boundaries and desires, and practice in a playful way.

The workshop consists of practical exercises, reflection, sharing, and a guided space to practice. You’ll work alone, in pairs, and in other group constellations.

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About Wilrieke Sophia:

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.

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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 places 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+), sexual 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) will not individually date people they meet in the workshop. They will not have any form of fluid exchange with participants.

We might support you in your exercises or provide a service during the play party (we’re always keen on helping you improve your spanking skills for example!).

If we have pre-existing partners or lovers in the workshop, we will disclose that at the opening of the workshop when appropriate.

If you are curious about our Guidelines for Team Members, feel free to check the full document out here: https://exploringdeeper.com/ethics

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Some Practicalities

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.

LOCATION
The weekend takes place in Utrecht, Kanaalweg.

ACCESSIBILITY OF THIS LOCATION

The elevators in this building are out of function – the owner won’t fix this to our regret. There are stairs to enter the building. On the ground floor is an all-access bathroom. The workshop is on the first floor. There are two stairs to get there. There are several bathrooms on the first floor (no all-access bathrooms), and a kitchen with lunch facilities. There are mattresses in the workshop space.

SLEEPING

The workshop doesn’t include standard lodging. There are options nearby.

WHAT DO I EAT?
We will provide tea and water. Feel free to bring snacks, and bring food if you are here for the afternoon as well.

WHAT DO I WEAR?
Wear what makes you feel comfortable during the workshops. Bring some layers, as you might get hot or cold.

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.

WHAT DOES THE COLOUR CODE OF THIS EVENT MEAN?
We use a system of colours to explain what happens in an event with regards to sexuality:
White: clothes stay on, there is no sexuality or nudity. (e.g. cuddle workshops.)
Pink: partial nudity is allowed but genïtals stay covered. Sensual play is possible. (e.g. energy sex workshops and pink play parties.)
Red: full nudïty and sexual interactions are possible (e.g. exploring kink, red play parties.)

WHAT IF I CAN’T COME ANYMORE?
There are administration costs involved, but refunds are possible. You are free to sell your ticket to someone else, e.g. in the Facebook group Exploring Deeper Online Community. We don’t mediate in selling tickets. See Wilrieke’s terms and conditions for all details. In case we send pre/aftercare emails, forward them to the person you sold your ticket to.

WHAT IF TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT?
You can ask for a ticket at the Facebook event or in the Facebook group Exploring Deeper Online Community.

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.

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COVID: Check our COVID-19 protocols here. We may ask for a self-test of max 24hr old for this event.

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 seven days before the event.

For this workshop, Exploring Deeper’s Terms and Conditions apply.

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