Blog

I’m going to take a break this week from writing about specific topics, because so much of my energy is focused on developing Touch Practice workshops in various places. While I will always have a special place in my heart for one-on-one work, our group events have been very powerful. Because there’s so much interest in Touch Practice, working in small groups allows me to share it with as many people as possible.

I’m not quite ready to release specific dates and locations yet, but you can expect that information by early April, sometime within the next few weeks. I’m still finalizing details with a whole team of people that helps me in this work, for whom I’m very, very grateful. (Thanks, team!)

I want to give you a sneak preview about what and where these workshops will be. While we’ve been brainstorming, dreaming and planning, there might be some of you out there who can help build or steer some of these workshops. This is all a cooperative effort. Like every aspect of Touch Practice, it’s about practicing partnership. We do the work together.

NEW ENGLAND REGION RETREATS: Summer and Fall 2012

There will be at least one retreat weekend (and probably several) held at a private retreat facility about an hour north of Boston. Based on previous workshop demand and e-mail lists, I anticipate that one workshop will fill immediately, and I’m willing to offer additional weekends depending on the demand. These will be Friday evening-to-Sunday noon residential events for groups of between 12 and 24 men.

Likely dates are: one weekend in either June or July; possible additional weekends in September, October, or early November. The estimated individual expenses for a weekend will be $150-200 total, which includes your meals, lodging and other workshop expenses. Touch Practice itself is free of charge, so there is no fee for the workshop itself. My hope is that participants will carry it forward as a free practice for others, as well.

REGIONAL HOT SPOTS: Possible future retreat locations 

There are sometimes geographical clusters of men who will gather together to sponsor their own local workshop. It is often less expensive to fly one of me somewhere than to get a whole group of men to New England, and it means only one of us needs to leave home. The pioneer regional workshop earlier this year in Tampa was organized by a really wonderful bunch of guys, and together we created a memorable weekend. (Thanks guys!)

Even when it involves distant travel for me, it is unlikely that the individual cost for a weekend of Touch Practice work will ever exceed $200, and in most cases it will be much less, often less than $100.

Pacific Northwest: Seattle/Tacoma/Vancouver

I try really hard not to play favorites, and to love everyone equally. But if you asked me to pick out one city in the entire country with a high concentration of huggers, I’d probably pick Seattle. Maybe it’s the constant rain; people are just trying to get warm. Or maybe it’s the amount of coffee consumed. I don’t know, but the Pacific Northwest has some sort of cuddle vortex going on.

There have been discussions with several people about a possible workshop in that region, so if that should set up, I’ll be sure to announce it when it does. Meanwhile, if you live in this area, might be interested, and haven’t already been in touch with me, by all means feel free to send me a note and say hello.  I can tag your e-mail so that you’ll be notified if and when a workshop emerges.

Ontario

While Seattle seems to have The Vortex, Ontario has more of what we might call a Snuggle Swath (Cuddle Corridor?) reaching from Toronto to Ottawa. There are a bunch of men who have indicated interest in gathering a regional workshop somewhere on the lee side of the lakes. If you live in this general area and would like to be kept informed about upcoming plans for a workshop in your area, drop me a note.

Great Basin

I have had a large number of e-mails from men who live in the area bordered by Sacramento, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Northern Arizona. The interactions I’ve had with Touch Practice in this part of the country are often very rich, sometimes challenging, and always interesting because of the pronounced cultural impact of different beliefs and spiritual practices, including Native American, Mormon, and fundamentalist Christian practices, among others.

These very different practices obviously influence how men interact with and conceive their bodies, what they believe, and how (and why) they boundary themselves, so this part of the country is always a very interesting place for me to practice. Compounded by the fact that there are sometimes hundreds of miles before the next big town, there are men in this area hungry to explore conscious, mindful touch that fits within their boundaries, but skillful partners can be hard to find.

If I haven’t already heard from you and you’d like to be kept informed as workshops develop in this area, please be sure to let me know.

Thanks to those of you who have been helping me build and conceive these workshops, and to all of you who have given me encouragement. I’ll return next week to writing about various topics in Touch Practice. Thanks also to the people who work privately with me in one-on-one Touch Practice. I haven’t been as available for individual work since putting a lot of energy into various regions of the US, and I appreciate your patience with me being a little less available these past few weeks.

Have thoughts you’d like to share?

Touch Practice is a sacred practice for me, and part of that is keeping confidences sacred. While a name and e-mail address are required to post a comment, feel free to use just your first name, or a pseudonym if you wish. Your e-mail address will never be seen by or shared with anyone. It is used to prevent spam and inappropriate comments from appearing in the blog. I’d really like to hear from you!