What would happen if you brought more presence into your touch?
Can you imagine a space where you give yourself permission to slow down to give & receive with presence, touch, and pleasure?
A two-day workshop for queers, survivors, changemakers, and anyone desiring to move out of conformity and into authenticity
In this two-day workshop facilitated by Adam Bee, you will be guided into your body to notice & reflect on what happens as you give and receive.
You will be asked to consider questions about your desires, your power, what you want to say no to, where you want to be touched, how you want to be touched, and what would make it better.
Using Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent as a map, you will get to navigate the different ways we give and receive. Some experiments will involve touch, and others will not (and even in the experiments where we welcome touch, you can always say no).
In this group container, you will have many mirrors in which to see yourself. And, we will see you in the ways you want to be seen. This is your playground to experiment, explore, and play.
This workshop is for all bodies and identities. While it does involve touch and the erotic, it is not sexual in nature. Everyone is asked to abstain from seeking arousal.
What’s going to happen
We will start…
The workshop will start with a slow and intentional container setting. We will do introductions, review the rules and agreements, do some things to get to know one another, drop into our bodies, and talk about the power dynamics that are noticeable in the room at that moment (there will be more later!).
After that, we will begin to slowly move into the embodied experiments of giving and receiving.
We will end…
You will be given the opportunity to be in a small group and imagine something bigger for yourself. Something you might have wanted for a long time, but couldn’t get the courage to ask. This is your chance. You and your group members will be navigating the ways you give and receive with and for each other. You’ll hold each other as you navigate the challenges that arise when asking for and receiving what you want. And, as with all of our experiments, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do — and neither does your small group.
In the middle…
We will be moving through a series of embodied experiments. Some will involve touch and some won’t. There are many ways we can give and receive with our physical, emotional, and energetic bodies. And while the aim of this workshop is to be in pleasure, we are not going to be chasing sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure and arousal are great, and in this space I want you to have the chance to experience the subtle and exquisite pleasures of everything in between.
The experiments will vary, but they tend to be centered around Harry Faddis’ Three-Minute Game.
You will learn what it means to bring a more intentional approach to your touch and pleasure — and how to set limits for anything or anyone that doesn’t resonate with that.
We will shine a light on how systems of power and oppression can often suffocate group and relational spaces making it feel unsafe and unwelcome for anyone who does not fit the standards defined by our white-bodied supremacist culture.
There will be group discussions, breakouts for intentional witnessing and sharing, meditations, and space for reflection.
While there are some points on the map I want to cover, this will be an emergent process and the energy of the group will guide us.
Logistics
Saturday, November 19 - Sunday, November 20
10 AM - 6 PM each day
Each day will include breaks throughout the day as well as 90 minutes for lunch.
We will be in chairs and on mats on the floor. Please wear something comfortable and layered as the temperature can be unpredictable.
You’ll want to bring a water bottle, a journal, and other items you can use as a resource.
There are bathrooms down the hall but no showers.
A strong enough container
Whenever we delve into conversations about desire & pleasure, a lot will arise in our bodies. When we also bring in the impact of power dynamics and systems of oppression, even more comes up.
Every type of body is welcome in this group. And, I am bringing awareness to the makeup of the participants so that we do not replicate the structural systems of dominance and power we see in our daily lives. I want to imagine and create something different together.
As with all of my groups, I set the intention to not have a group that is represented by more than 50% of white-bodied, non-trans, non-disabled folks.
My goal and intention in holding this space, or any space, is to create a container that is strong enough to hold all of you and all of me.
I no longer hope that the container will be safe enough because I don’t know if it can be. When we enter this type of deep inquiry that ultimately confronts our identities, it doesn’t always feel safe or comfortable.
But I know that if it is strong enough to hold me, you, and all of the group’s pains and pleasures, we have a much better chance of finding our communal and individual paths of joy.
Each participant will be expected to agree to the rules of the container. We will spend time throughout the workshop reviewing these as they can serve as a template for all of our relationships.
We will have safe words for moments that land in harmful ways so that they can be named and released, not held.
And the leadership team will do their best to name and acknowledge the micro- and macro-aggressions that inevitably arise in group space.
I expect tension and at least a little rupture. And I look forward to the deep pleasure of repair.
Facilitated by Adam Bee
I am an intimacy coach, facilitator, and guide. I do this work because I believe in it. It has changed my life and the world around me. And I have seen it transform so many others.
Unlearning what we have been taught about pleasure, pain, and giving & receiving is challenging. We don’t have many good models or spaces/relationships in which we can practice.
I started this work because I was miserable, and in that, I was determined to find something better for myself. I knew in my bones that there was more waiting for me in this world.
So I started the journey into my body. And over time I got better at navigating the challenges and obstacles that arise whenever desire shows up.
My passion and my genius lie in guiding and facilitating. I love bringing people together with intention and care. I love being in spaces where we can hold each other accountable and be in community. That is why I am doing this.
I am a white-bodied queer. I use they/them pronouns. However I identify, I realize that I receive many advantages due to my body and expression, and I recognize that it will impact this class.
Pricing and registration
There are two different sliding scales to acknowledge the historical and persistent disparities that certain bodies, expressions, and identities have in gaining access to resources.
It is also important to name that intentionally exploited and traditionally marginalized people have to do more work to show up and be present in group spaces like this.
And in group spaces, racialized, trans, and disabled bodies are often fetishized, sexualized, objectified, and discriminated against in ways that might make participating in this group more challenging.
Base tuition is $650
If you identify as Black-bodied, Indigenous-bodied, a person of color, trans, or disabled:
$250-$1050If you identify as white-bodied, non-trans, and non-disabled:
$650-$1050
*Payment plans are available.
*Body designation and identities: I recognize that there are inherent limitations when asking folks to make designations around their bodies and identities. It is always more complex than the boxes we provide and rarely clear or simple. I ask folks to choose what feels best for you.
After you fill out the form below, we’ll review your application. If you’ve never worked with Adam, you may be asked to set up a consultation. After that, you’ll receive a registration link to join. Your payment will reserve your spot.
This language regarding body designations is influenced by the work of Resmaa Menakem and Education for Racial Equity. If you are interested in learning more, we recommend visiting their website where they have resources for all bodies & individuals.
Space is limited to 25 people of all identities, expressions, and orientations
The Rules of the Container can be found here (exact wording may change)