The Forest is a very special ritual built around touch, supporting your journey into yourself and your own body.
This Melbourne workshop begins with some fun introductions and group agreements. We then move into activities to explore and set our personal boundaries, and embodiment practices to help us arrive into the moment and our bodies.
After a break, the room is set up, and the ritual begins. An undressing ritual encourages you to remove as many or as few items of clothing as is right for you.
The group is divided in half. One half takes a position in the space and puts a blindfold on, forming a 'forest' of people. The other half of the group become creatures slowly making their way through the forest, engaging in touch exchanges according to the limits and boundaries of the individual 'trees'. Exchanges might be brief, or long, and are able to be ended by either party at any time. The group then swaps over.
The Forest is very special in the way that it supports your journey into yourself and your own body. It is very hard to project your experience onto another when you are blindfolded and don't know who is engaging with you! The Forest is also a stunning practice for overcoming the idea that touch is only enjoyable when it comes from particular people. (Although, that said, the workshop includes a mechanism where you can ask for someone that engaged with you to identify themselves to you afterwards, if they wish to).
This practice allows for a considerable range of activity. You may choose to experience the ritual fully clothed, and with strong limits on where and how you want to be touched. At the other end of the spectrum, you might choose to do it nothing but your underwear and with a fairly adventurous level of touch, noting that you are able to stop any contact at any time, without explanation. There will be some overall limits regarding levels of contact, and although it can be fun to take the undressing ritual to full nudity if you’re in the mood, the ritual itself requires that you at least have underwear on. (You can remain fully clothed throughout, if that’s right for you).
For this workshop, both sides of the group will have a quick practice run first, so that they know what it is like to be on both sides of the exchange before the ritual begins properly.
Debriefing and integration are included. People that have attended ‘The Forest’ are invited to attend the ‘Deep Forest’ at another date, which allows the ritual to go longer and deeper.
Gender and sexual attraction: Two version of this workshop run at various times. In the ‘mixed gender’ version, no reference will be made to gender (or anything else) for activities. Therefore, to participate in this ritual, you accept that you may be touched (within the limits you define) by people of any gender. In the ‘male-female pairings’ version, folks that identify as women are paired with folks that identify as men, and the group is divided along binary gender lines for the ritual itself. Queer and trans folk often prefer the ‘mixed gender’ version, but it’s completely your call.
Participants have often described the experience as unexpectedly moving, sublime, ecstatic, freeing, sometimes challenging, trust-building, and contributing to a journey of sexual self-discovery. It’s surprising how much of a training ground The Forest is in getting better at setting and naming your boundaries.
If you're interested in this workshop you may want to check out Deep Forest (the follow-on), Fun Little Sex Games, and the Curiosity workshop and play-space.
After a break, the room is set up, and the ritual begins. An undressing ritual encourages you to remove as many or as few items of clothing as is right for you.
The group is divided in half. One half takes a position in the space and puts a blindfold on, forming a 'forest' of people. The other half of the group become creatures slowly making their way through the forest, engaging in touch exchanges according to the limits and boundaries of the individual 'trees'. Exchanges might be brief, or long, and are able to be ended by either party at any time. The group then swaps over.
The Forest is very special in the way that it supports your journey into yourself and your own body. It is very hard to project your experience onto another when you are blindfolded and don't know who is engaging with you! The Forest is also a stunning practice for overcoming the idea that touch is only enjoyable when it comes from particular people. (Although, that said, the workshop includes a mechanism where you can ask for someone that engaged with you to identify themselves to you afterwards, if they wish to).
This practice allows for a considerable range of activity. You may choose to experience the ritual fully clothed, and with strong limits on where and how you want to be touched. At the other end of the spectrum, you might choose to do it nothing but your underwear and with a fairly adventurous level of touch, noting that you are able to stop any contact at any time, without explanation. There will be some overall limits regarding levels of contact, and although it can be fun to take the undressing ritual to full nudity if you’re in the mood, the ritual itself requires that you at least have underwear on. (You can remain fully clothed throughout, if that’s right for you).
For this workshop, both sides of the group will have a quick practice run first, so that they know what it is like to be on both sides of the exchange before the ritual begins properly.
Debriefing and integration are included. People that have attended ‘The Forest’ are invited to attend the ‘Deep Forest’ at another date, which allows the ritual to go longer and deeper.
Gender and sexual attraction: Two version of this workshop run at various times. In the ‘mixed gender’ version, no reference will be made to gender (or anything else) for activities. Therefore, to participate in this ritual, you accept that you may be touched (within the limits you define) by people of any gender. In the ‘male-female pairings’ version, folks that identify as women are paired with folks that identify as men, and the group is divided along binary gender lines for the ritual itself. Queer and trans folk often prefer the ‘mixed gender’ version, but it’s completely your call.
Participants have often described the experience as unexpectedly moving, sublime, ecstatic, freeing, sometimes challenging, trust-building, and contributing to a journey of sexual self-discovery. It’s surprising how much of a training ground The Forest is in getting better at setting and naming your boundaries.
If you're interested in this workshop you may want to check out Deep Forest (the follow-on), Fun Little Sex Games, and the Curiosity workshop and play-space.
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Tickets, Logistics, and Late Policy:
Tickets are released in ‘rounds’, where ‘round one’ and ‘round two’ tickets are discounted to encourage you to book in early. There is no other difference between the ‘rounds’ of tickets. Tickets range in price from $40 to $65. It is never possible to buy tickets on the door, nor by paying with cash. See our FAQ for more information on this. Workshops start at the advertised time, and doors will be locked ten minutes later. This is because late arrivals interrupt the dynamic of the group, and will miss crucial safety information. |
WHO THIS IS FOR AND NOT FOR...
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Version for M/F pairings:
INTENSITY: Different people have different experiences; for some, it’s a light and enjoyable exchange. For others, it’s fairly intense at times. It's a gentle and contained and carefully defined space, but it includes blindfolds and touch by strangers. WHO FOR: Those drawn towards ritual, developing their sexuality, playing gently at their edges, people wanting to open up to a wider range of touch and other people. WHO NOT FOR: Not for people that are uncomfortable with touch with a variety of people. Not for people unable to set personal boundaries, or whose abuse history is too close to the surface. WILL THERE BE PARTNER WORK? There will be some verbal exchanges and simple touch exercises in pairs, but most of the workshop is spent in the ritual described above. HOW WILL PARTNERING BE DONE? By the facilitator, randomly, where people that identify as women will be paired with people that identify as men. CAN YOU WORK WITH AN EXISTING PARTNER / FRIEND? No, unless chance puts you together. NUDITY: The undressing ritual can be done fully clothed, through to naked. The Forest ritual itself is done with underwear on at a minimum, for safer sex reasons. There is no expectation or requirement that you remove any clothing. SEXUAL CONTENT: The workshop is about sexual concepts, and touch in particular. COMMITMENT: You may leave the workshop before the ritual if you decide, after the practice run, that it's not for you. You may also set as many boundaries as is right for you, ensuring that touch only happens to the level that's right for you at the time. RATIO EXPERIENTIAL / THEORETICAL: Mostly experiential. Some theory / discussion relating to safety, boundaries, and conduct. BRING: A water bottle, and any snacks you might need. WEAR: Whatever you're comfortable in. |
Version for Paired with any gender:
INTENSITY: Different people have different experiences; for some, it’s a light and enjoyable exchange. For others, it’s fairly intense at times. It's a gentle and contained and carefully defined space, but it includes blindfolds and touch by strangers. WHO FOR: Those drawn towards ritual, developing their sexuality, playing gently at their edges, people wanting to open up to a wider range of touch and other people. WHO NOT FOR: Not for people that are uncomfortable with touch with a variety of people. Not for people unable to set personal boundaries, or who’s abuse history is too close to the surface. WILL THERE BE PARTNER WORK?: There will be some verbal exchanges and simple touch exercises in pairs, but most of the workshop is spent in the ritual described above. HOW WILL PARTNERING BE DONE?: By the facilitator, randomly. CAN YOU WORK WITH AN EXISTING PARTNER / FRIEND?: No, unless chance puts you together. NUDITY: The undressing ritual can be done fully clothed, through to naked. The Forest ritual itself is done with underwear on at a minimum, for safer sex reasons. There is no expectation or requirement that you remove any clothing. SEXUAL CONTENT: The workshop is about sexual concepts, and touch in particular. COMMITMENT: You may leave the workshop before the ritual if you decide, after the practice run, that it's not for you. You may also set as many boundaries as is right for you, ensuring that touch only happens to the level that's right for you at the time. RATIO EXPERIENTIAL / THEORETICAL: Mostly experiential. Some theory / discussion relating to safety, boundaries, and conduct. BRING: A water bottle, and any snacks you might need. WEAR: Whatever you're comfortable in. |
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By making this booking, I confirm that:
- I will not reveal the names or personal details of any person in the workshop.
- I have no reason to believe I am likely to fall into an altered states of consciousness (such as extremely strong moods, psychotic or schizophrenic states, numbness, trauma response) where I am unable to communicate and look after myself.
- I am able to take responsibility for saying ‘no’ to any activity, experience or exchange that is not right for me. I will put my knowledge of my body and my psychology ahead of anything I am asked to do.
- I have free will, and if I need to leave the workshop at any time, I can. If I do, I will let the facilitator know I am leaving if it's possible to do so, or get in touch with the facilitator/s afterwards to let them know why I left.
- I am an adult and I understand that this workshop is about sex and sexual practices.
- I don't believe I am currently suffering from trauma or abuse.
- I can understand complex instructions given in English.
I may request a refund up until 48 hours prior to the workshop. A $20-per-ticket admin fee will be deducted from my refund.
"I enjoyed both giving and receiving. I liked the undressing ritual, finding it very powerful."
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"Fabulous. Encountered the delightfully unexpected."
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"Loved it. Totally loved the opportunity to touch someone in a very safe way, and have them affirm that they liked it. To be touched in a moment that is all about the touch, and not about the social context, or the what next was just sublime."
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"I loved how the use of a blindfold disabled any prejudices one could have about physical attraction coupled with the enjoyment of touch. This really let us hone in on touch itself, and let go of our need to be physically attracted to someone to enjoy their touch. I place a lot of importance on physical attraction when it comes to being intimate with someone so I really valued experimenting with this and letting that go. It was an incredibly SAFE space and I myself, as well as those who I spoke with on the evening really felt that. Loved all of it!"
•
"Fabulous. Encountered the delightfully unexpected."
•
"Loved it. Totally loved the opportunity to touch someone in a very safe way, and have them affirm that they liked it. To be touched in a moment that is all about the touch, and not about the social context, or the what next was just sublime."
•
"I loved how the use of a blindfold disabled any prejudices one could have about physical attraction coupled with the enjoyment of touch. This really let us hone in on touch itself, and let go of our need to be physically attracted to someone to enjoy their touch. I place a lot of importance on physical attraction when it comes to being intimate with someone so I really valued experimenting with this and letting that go. It was an incredibly SAFE space and I myself, as well as those who I spoke with on the evening really felt that. Loved all of it!"