SANTA CRUZ Platonic Touch Workshop: JANUARY 29th Edition

About our ticketing procedure: This event is gender balanced. Due to the high demand for men’s tickets, men will have several days (at least Tuesday-Thursday of the event’s publication week) to sign up for the wait list and a random drawing will be held on that same week’s Friday. You will be notified by the end of the day on Friday if you have been assigned a ticket and will have 24 hours to claim it before it is offered to the next randomly assigned person on the waiting list. If you are not notified, it means you have not yet gotten off the waiting list.

About admittance: Only fully vaccinated folks (two weeks out from your final dose Covid vaccine) may attend this event. Proof of vaccination is required. If you do not provide proof of vaccination, you will not be allowed in to this event. In addition, participants will be required to take a rapid antigen Covid test upon arrival. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate how to gather safely in our new world.

This workshop and social event offers participants opportunities to learn about and practice communication skills, explore consent, and discover the power of platonic touch. Attendees will practice identifying and asking for what they want, saying no to what they don’t want and yes to what they do want, and experimenting with platonic touch in a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment. If you…

• have been suffering from skin hunger and lack of touch in your life
• need a safe place to relax and rejuvenate
• are looking to connect with an inspiring and welcoming community
• want to stretch out of your comfort zone
• desire nurturing, healing touch that is completely non-sexual
• want to learn more about boundaries and communication
• long to discover the sound of your own empowered “NO”
• wonder what it feels like to only say “YES” when you really mean it, instead of when you are trying to take care of or please other people
• have no idea how to answer the question “what kind of touch do you like?”
• feel overwhelmed by both a desire for connection and a desire to run away from connection

….then our Platonic Touch Workshop & Practice may be just what you have been looking for!

More details about this event:

WHAT TO EXPECT: Participants will be required to take a rapid antigen Covid test upon arrival (provided). Once they have received a negative result, they will be escorted into the indoor workshop space. The facilitator will then begin the process of leading a welcome circle and workshop that lasts about an hour. This portion of the event will introduce participants to one another and offer guided exercises and support to practice communication skills. Afterwards, there will be approximately two hours available for practicing touch, eating snacks, or just hanging out. Our event ends a few minutes before 6:00pm with a brief closing circle. NOTE: Touch is not required at this event. Every activity is optional. You are welcome to come and observe only! You get to choose THE WHOLE TIME.

PUNCTUALITY: Allow time for losing your keys and getting caught in traffic and looking for parking in order to be on time. Doors open at 1:00pm and close PROMPTLY at 1:30pm. In order to provide a safe and respectful environment for all participants, there will be no admittance after 1:30pm.

PARKING: A parking lot is currently under construction to provide space for up to 15-20 cars. However, we often have 30 people attending our events, so we encourage you to carpool!

CLOTHING: Wear pajamas or comfortable lounge wear. Shoes are not allowed in the carpeted space where we will be gathering.

FOOD & BEVERAGE: Please bring a snack, a potluck dish, or non-alcoholic beverages to share with the group in the kitchen area.

PERSONAL HYGIENE: Avoid perfumes or any other strongly scented products, as some people may be sensitive to these. Make sure you have showered or bathed recently.

TICKETS: You must reserve your spot by purchasing a ticket through Eventbrite. Once you have purchased your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with exact location details. Your email address will also be added to the Platonic Touch email list, so you can receive emails about upcoming events, as well as links to register. You can unsubscribe to this list at any time.

FINANCIAL AID: If you are facing financial hardship, I invite you to use the promo code SUPPORT to get a 50% discount on your ticket. There are a limited number of these discounted tickets available, so please only apply it if you need the discount in order to attend.

ABOUT ME: I am a Certified Cuddle Party Facilitator. I also have more than ten years experience working in the field of early childhood and parent education which help me bring empathy, compassion, clarity, creativity and strong leadership into my role as a Cuddle Party Facilitator. I love creating safe spaces for people to connect to themselves and each other.

To learn more about Cuddle Parties, click here: http://www.cuddleparty.com/ (I choose to call my events Platonic Touch Workshops & Practice because I have found that the term “cuddle party” can be intimidating to individuals new to the world of platonic touch. It’s important to me that my events appeal to a broad spectrum of people and feel safe for everyone. If you are feeling intimidated about attending, please know that one of the foundational rules of our events is that you never have to touch anyone you don’t want to, ever. In fact, not touching or cuddling is always an available and viable option. Aside from practicing touch, there is also space for chatting, writing, coloring, reading, napping, and eating snacks!)

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please message me through Eventbrite.

All good things, Autumn Vandiver