Exploring Shame with Vandan Lifedancer

What is your relationship with shame? If shame is a part of your life (even in a small way) come and join us to explore what shame is, how it affects you and what you can do about it.
Many people carry shame about having shame.

No-one is under any obligation to talk about themselves unless they want to. 

Vandan (Martin Guinness) is a life coach and counsellor with a lifelong passion for sociology, psychology and philosophy. who also facilitates group workshops (including workshops about Shame). He has studied in the UK, USA, France, Australia and India. He is also the author of the novel Melting. His latest book, The god that you are, a reflection of his life’s learning, will be published shortly.

Vandan is also founder of The Leela Centre in Darlinghurst, Sydney, a centre for exploration and self-development.

He is also a multi-award-winning producer and director of more than 50 documentaries, feature films and television series. You can see his film credits here. 

Fighting Fairly in Love and Relationships with Tod McHendry

There's a reason why they say it's easy to be enlightened on a mountain top but if you want to see how "zen" you really are, get into a relationship!

It's possible to communicate about difficult subjects or uncomfortable feelings in a way that brings you closer together rather than doing damage to the relationship, hurting each other's feelings, breeding resentment, or creating distance. Relationship coach Tod Thompson will help you bring powerful communication tools on board so that you can "fight fairly" and come out the other side of conflict feeling more whole, connected and intimate with your partner. These skills are also relevant in friendships and with colleagues.

The workshop draws on elements of imago therapy, non-violent communication, twelve step recovery and tai chi. Once you have this capacity to work with each other's emotions, relationship can become an exciting journey of self-discovery and healing, as it brings up parts of yourself that you can't access alone.

Single people wanting to learn these relating skills are very welcome.

Tod McHendry has always had an intense interest in human beings and the human condition. This has expressed itself through involvement in a wide variety of lifestyles and practices from Thai Massage to trading financial markets. He got involved in the recovery movement over 17 years ago and as part of that exploration he developed a keen interest in psychology and counselling, specifically a variant of Gestalt termed Conscious Integration. Todd was recognised for his emotional courage, empathy and technical aptitude and was asked to co-lead and later lead emotional exploration process groups. Todd has always had a keen interest in the nexus of sexuality and authentic relating and the issues that arise through relating and how those issues can be a portal to healing less than optimal formative experiences.  Since 1992, Tai Chi Chuan has been a consistent source of experiencing and healing on the physical, emotional and energetic levels for Todd. It has been a source of great insight and inspiration and a touchstone in being present and harmonious in relationship.

Love and Madness with Natalia Je and Sarah Roffey

Have you done or felt things that you can’t rationally explain? Is 'madness' always unacceptable, unwelcome, warranting ‘treatment' or need for surveillance and protection? 

Lust and longing can drive one out of their (rational) mind. Similarly loss of love/lover, or infidelity and betrayal can plunge one into depths of despair or into fear and trembling.

The modern Western discourses on sex and sexuality education tend to privilege rationality and the language of reason. We talk about consent, responsibility, politics, ‘conscious’ sexuality, emotional maturity, overcoming jealousy etc. What these narratives neglect is that in sex, there can be madness and distress: times of unreason, of alterity, turmoil, uncertainty, dread, elation, suicidality or murder fantasies, fascination, grief and loss; that extreme and altered states and actions may follow.

Perhaps you will discover that madness has touched your life as well. This workshop will extend an invitation to give some space to madness - to encounter madness within us, and madness of others; to be mad alone or alongside someone else.

Within its scope we will consider diverse understandings of madness and distress (outside of the dominant bio-medical model of ‘mental disorder’) and explore our own brushes with madness at the intersections with sex and sexuality.

The above topics will be explored with curiosity and delicacy, a great attention to language and respect for diversity of experiences. Psychiatric survivors and people with lived experiences of madness and distress or neurodiversity are welcome to attend.

Debriefing will be available afterwards by facilitators. 

The Lightness of Touch - The Brevity of Commitment with Paul J Warren

This is a workshop about physicality, movement and meaning. Two words in our modern times that are laden with misconception, ... touch - commitment. What happens when we swap the meanings of these two words? How do we than interact with one another. Definitions and our roles with each other can become clearer.

Paul J Warren is one of Australia’s most experienced Directors of Photography. Shooting in the broadest range of cultures throughout the world, his portfolio is extensive and displays a huge variety of formats, styles and content.

Paul’s first feature film ‘The Cup’ was in Official Selection for the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. The feature film ‘Wrath’, released worldwide, is another example of his versatility in working with demanding stories and locations. Paul's understanding of all the current formats and their impact on the story from pre-production right through to post-production is invaluable. He also teaches specialised digital camera courses at AFTRS.

Paul is also a dancer. He has been dancing Argentinean tango for the past 16 years.

"... tango by its very nature is an improvised dance relying on intuition and generosity within the embrace, and demands of its dancers, openness to the intuitive moment to create a 'dialogue' within the embrace".

The Bordello with Peter Banki, Ph.D

The Bordello is a light-hearted fantasy role play structure which gives you the opportunity to explore and learn more about your sexuality. As a client in the bordello, you have permission to ask for what you want on the basis of spoken, mutual consent as the elementary condition for anything that may happen. The structure encourages you to be bold both in what you ask for and also in what you might be willing to provide as a service to another. All participants will have the chance to experience both roles, i.e., that of client and the service provider. There will be no money exchanged, but rather clients will offer a tribute, which the service provider might be willing to accept or not accept.

This workshop does not seek to make any comment on the realities of sex work or the lives of sex workers and their clients. It is a fictional bordello which is created for the purpose of helping people to explore and learn more about their sexuality. 

Bring an alluring costume!

Yoni Massage with Elisa

Yoni massage is a practice intended to truly honour a person with a vulva. Open to all people people with a vulva and their partners/lovers/friends no matter what gender.  If you do not have a vulva and you are not accompanied by someone with a vulva, this workshop is not for you

Hailing from Rome, Elisa became interested in alternative sexuality early in life. Elisa has been a linchpin of the growing polyamory community in Rome before moving to Sydney in 2015. An experienced kinkster, Elisa has worked as a pro-domme in both her old home and new. Since moving to Sydney, she has opened new avenues into tantra and body awareness practices, and is excited to share her story and experiences with you!

Objects for Erotic Play with Ira Zev

When is the caress of your hand, the intimacy of genitals, penetrating eye contact, or the slap of buttocks, not enough? When in a relationship do you bring something else out… and what is the thing you bring? What objects are fun in sex play, and why? Is it for extra sensation, sensation deprivation, power play, or something else? A household item?  Dress up? Sex toys?

Let’s surprise each other by bringing something we like, something that may be outside the box…..!

Join us to have a laugh, do some games, and explore what makes objects a nice adjunct to human touch in sex play.

Bring along one of your favorite sex objects! Or bring them all!

Sensual Rope with Peter Banki and Natalia Je

This workshop will not be about complicated knots or mastery. You will learn a few of the technical basics of Japanese bondage, and discover rope as a conscious touch and a loving encounter. Bondage need not be beautiful and perfect for it to feel alive and to give pleasure. For it to go deep, it is not necessary that the rope turn you on.

When tying or being tied, you feel your pleasure/displeasure, fear, anger and all the nuances of the whole rich pallet of human feelings…and you take to heart what is there. And perhaps this has a healing aspect. All experience levels in bondage are welcome. Experience with attentive touch, breath work and tantra is advantageous. 

It is possible to come single or with a partner. Ropes are available, although it is also advised to bring your own, if you have.