Abundant Michael: Events

The Wednesday Gatherings 9/14/11 - Wed Gathering in Rockville

The Wednesday Gathering is not just another dinner party, though it does include a good meal. This is a unique social gathering for people involved in Tantra, Radical Honesty, The Lord's Chapel, Beltane, Community for Spiritual Living, Shalom Mountain, polyamory, Paganism, BEST Events and other groups dedicated to openness, authenticity and integrity. It is an adult only event (18+).

In a magical environment full of great music, candles and in a truly sacred space, we chill out and relax and just see how much we can really show up.

Bring your joy, your sadness, whoever and whatever you are and just be in a place where love and acceptance reign. It's a great place to meet a new friend or see an old acquaintance in a new light.
 
More details on the Wednesday Gatherings at
http://www.abundantmichael.com/blog/page.cfm/SandboxGathering

DIRECTIONS
The gathering is at

614 E Lynfield Dr
Rockville MD 2085
202-380-6850

Please park at the parking lot at the end of the street - reach it by making 3
left turns and walking back 100 yards through the park

Note that mapquest gets in wrong in the last 100 yards, see
http://www.abundantmichael.com/blog/page.cfm/directions
for detailed directions and parking info

Dancing, Salt desert and Coca 9/7/11 - Wed Gathering in Rockville

Michael/Michelle here:
I love many Indian things - the country when I traveled there in the 80s, the food and spices, the music, some Bollywood movies and of course the dancing! I learned Bhangra dancing a few years ago and even if I was down or depressed 10 minutes of doing that dance and I was out of breath and happy again! Plus any minor sickness or stress and dancing just releases the stuck energy so I feel better and can easily rest fully. So this Wednesday Gathering on Indian Dance is great.

Here in Bolivia I visited the Salar de Uyuni in the south of the country - it is a vast salt flat from an ancient sea that dried up. Over 200 sq km it is like being on another planet - no animals, birds or plants. Just while salt on the ground and volcanic mountains on the horizon. I meditated on the salt - it is very cleaning of energies (I take salt baths at home to clean my aura). Away from anyone or any animal I heard a quiet humming in my head - to me it was the sound of god within each of us. A light that is always there but that I don't always notice unless I get very quiet. That night we stayed in a salt hotel - all the walls, floor, beds, tables, chairs are made of blocks of salt. Only the bathroom was not salt (it would melt with the water!). at I slept so deeply that night!

The next day we drove across the desert seeing wild gazelles and flamingos at icy lagoons. I thought flamingos were a tropical bird but here the temperature is -15 C at night and not so much warmer in the day! I explored lava fields and went for a dip in a hot spring. The hot water was great - the only problem was how to get in and out given that it was -10 C with a strong wind outside the pool!! On the final day we got up at 5am to drop off some fellow travelers at the Chilean border before heading back to Uyuni. Our driver, as many Bolivian workers do, was chewing coca leaves to stay alert. I guess it is a bit like drinking a coca-cola in the States. (In fact the original coca cola recipe in the 1890s included coca leaves...). Since president Evo came to power here a few years ago coca production has been liberalized and you can buy coca tea bags at the super market. Just don't try to bring them back to the USA as DHS will take them and may be fine you too because they are illegal in US (they think coca = cocaine which is a crazy as saying poppy seeds = heroin). I haven't tried coca tea but others say it is a mild pick me up.

Love
M/M

PS We have three talented healers living at my house: Randy, Rukmini and Sandra. Plus myself remotely. Learn more about what we can do and help support this Sandbox gathering place at http://abundantmichael.com/blog/page.cfm/Sandbox-Healers

This Wednesday gathering we learn how to do joyful Indian folk dances with Padma Foye. What would yo do with more joy and energy? How do you move stuck emotions (energy in motion) in your body? How would it help your life to express yourself fully in dance right now?

Indian folk dance (Garba and Raas) is mainly performed to express joy. All folk dances portray some expression of life and meaning. These dances are easy to learn and so much fun! And there is no need to be exact in the steps - these are dances for farmers and it is the intent you bring to your moves, not how well you do them that matters! 

Padma Foye is from the State of Gujarat in India. She enjoys performing and teaching Indian folk dances because this form of dance is spiritually uplifting to the dancers and the observers.  

- Michael/Michelle
http://www.abundantmichael.com/

 

 

Rainbow Gathering guide

Here is some useful info if you have not been to rainbow before. I have been to five gatherings and enjoyed them all!

  • Gathering this year is somewhere in national forest in Washington state - exact location will be announced nearer to June. Google Rainbow Gathering 2011 for details and directions
  • I use a 2 person tent - that means two fit in and not a lot else. Or one person plus some stuff. On the plus side it only weights 3 lbs. (have to carry on your backs for 2-4 miles all the stuff you will use...)
  • You will need sleeping bag - it can get cold in the mountains even in June - one year was about 35 F one night ... so cold that I could not sleep even wearing all my clothes (that year I didn't bring sleeping bag thinking oh it will be warm!! :-) A mattress pad is a good idea too - I use a blow up one that is light and good plus my yoga map and sheep skin too.
  • There may be a raw food kitchen - if so I plan to be near it - you can bring some food to contribute. It is a no money event but can give dollars to the magic hat at a kitchen if you want. Or help out or bring food to give or contribute your beauty and magic in other ways. Most food is vegetarian (meat doesn't keep so well when there is no electric for refrigeration - but some kitchens will try...).
  • Most kitchens are very careful about hygiene but a few are not so eater be aware. Need to bring your own bowl and spoon and cup. Most kitchens have a 3 stage wash station that ends with bleach water - it is very important for group health that everyone uses the beach water - in 1987 several thousand folks got sick when less care was taken...
  • Water needs to be  and filtered, purified or boiled before drinking so bring something to do that. Many kitchens will have filters. Water comes from mountain springs but after a few weeks and few thousand people it may get contaminated... Treat it like Mexican tap water that needs some help before you drink it and you won't go far wrong
  • There are no showers or toilets in the woods - people will dig latrines or go in the woods and bury it. Bring some toilet paper when you are walking! Wash in mountain streams (cold!) - most days I just wash my face, armpits and groin as it is very cold jumping in a mountain stream (I have tried!). Some folks bring shower bags that heat up in the sun.
  • There is a lot of non-electronic music at rainbow - so bring what you want to play. There will be yoga too so might bring a mat (doubles as extra pad under the bed!). If you feel inclined you can give workshops or teach or play with others in any way you can dream up. It is all self-scheduled organically with a notice board near camp 411. There is also  self made mp of the site showing kitchens etc at 411.
  • One July 4th there is silent mediation all morning followed by a group circle (of 10,000 people!) and Oming then a party and kiddie parade to pray for peace on our planet. For me this is the most spiritually moving part of Rainbow.
  • About 85% of people with be doing drugs - mostly marajana and I think E. I tend to stay away from less conscious folks. And with 10,000 attendees that is still 1500 more conscious and interesting people to meet, plus some of the drug users are conscious when they are not using :-) There is no alcohol in the main area (alcohol is used at A camp on way in)
  • There will be a road block with police and forest service on way in and out. Depending on how right wing the politics in the country is at the time of gathering they may be friendly or abusive. I have never had any trouble (looking clean and friendly helps I think). The forest service has taken the view since about 1985 I think that gathering on public land for more than 75 people requires a permit. Rainbow tribe takes the view that the first amendment of the United States constitution allows for peaceful assemble on public land. However rainbow is deliberately not organized as hierarchy rather a consensus group. So there is no one "in charge" who can sign for the group officially. Some years someone signs anyway. Other years the police will remind you on way in that it is an illegal gathering - however it is a national park and anyone can enter. If they have reasonable grounds (eg broken tail light, driving mirror covered up with mala beads, open pot smoking) then they will search car and persons - best not to give them any reasonable grounds. If they don't have reasonable grounds that under the 4th ammendment they can only search car and persons with your consent - I recommend politelynot giving it. They will issue tickets for car issues, speeding or bad parking which need to be paid in a special court they set up about 15 miles outside camp in nearest town. The speed limit in some parts of the forest may be 15 miles per hour. I have never had a problems and I have always been prepared and careful too and ask angels to bless all the people involved too. :-)
  • Some police may wander the gathering in groups - some local police may be friendly, some national police (DEA etc) may appear more like a swat team. Every one at the  gathering acts as a peace office and helps keep things working well. For such a largenumber of people problems are rare and I stay aware of my cercumstances and the vibe and do magic to protect my stuff and my self.
  • I am not a late night party person and plenty of people will stay up all night drumming and dancing by various fire circles - if you are into that go for it and if not suggest ear plugs! (I tried to camp at least a hillside away from the loud noises!)
  • Figure on doing a lot of walking every day - the site is about 5 miles across
  • Be ready to smile, make eye contact and receive and give hugs to many people you meet during the day. Be ready to hear shouts of "we love you" from across the hillsides. Expect to be greeted with "Welcome Home" reminding us that Rainbow is home and home is anywhere we chose to make it. And that "Babylon" is the outside "non-real" world which is a bit crazy these days... Rainbow is comparitive sane!
  • Have fun, play, be open to new people and experiences and take care of yourself too - it is impossible to do everything or meet everyone, so let spirit be your guide and remember that everything is perfect. :-)

Bliss Beginners Tantra Intensive Sunday 4/3/11

 

Tantra is an ancient form of Yoga and is unlike most forms of Yoga today it is non-postural yet it activates, clears and balances the Chakras (energy centers) of the body.  When these centers are balanced, you feel more alive; you look more attractive and sexy, you manifest what you desire.

 

Tantra originates from 6000 year old Egyptian, Indian, and Tibetan practices that teach us what our bodies are capable of: more pleasure, agelessness.

 

Wouldn’t you want these benefits if you found the practices quick and easy?

Learn something new and transform your life.  

Sunday, April 3rd. 10AM - 7PM
Cost: $160 if you register in advance (includes DVD, newsletter & handouts)
$175 at the door
Classes offered in NY, Philly, Baltimore, West Palm, Boston, Phoenix
Call (202) 686-7440 for more info on Butterfly Tantra or
Click www.butterflyworkshops.com


Are you suffering from the relationship blues?

Many of the people who attend Bliss™ have come to a place in their relationships where they are feeling stuck or flat. Intimacy that may have been there has vanished.
Maybe you've seen some of these issues:
§ If you are a man, are you feeling too stressed to get it up? Or is it all unexpectedly over with before things even get warmed up?

§ If you are a woman, do you feel like your life is so busy that you have no time to be sexy? Are you just feeling bored in the bedroom?

§ If you are a women, would you like more time being ravished and less time with the "slam bam, thank you mam" approach of sexuality?

§ As a man or a woman, has past sexual abuse made intimacy challenging? Would you like some simple techniques that you can use to express yourself more sexually but aren't sure how yet?

§ Do you find yourself drinking or taking drugs to let loose sexually? Would you like to find ways to move past this?

These are the types of topics we cover during the Bliss™ workshop. Even with many of the topics feeling heavy, we have discovered simple ways to ease into covering the topics with fun together. (And at no time are you required to discuss any topic you don't wish to. We allow participants to move at their level of comfort.)
Bliss™ is tailored to helping participants to find the problems that are coming between them and their partner and doing simple exercises that help remove these obstacles.
* * *
A few of the things you'll get while attending Bliss™…

§ Find out how to prolong lovemaking. At the same time, we'll show you how to achieve deeper and more present in lovemaking, too. The process is simple and overlooked by most.

§ Learn to how use sexual energy to rejuvenate the body — using it to stimulate creativity and to also reverse the aging process!

But with Bliss™, we go even further than bedroom time — we look at what is holding you back as a person…
§ Feel great about yourself – happy, more attractive, self-confident, increase your capacity for more pleasure, experience joy and fulfillment as a way of life.

§ Be more healthy by finding out simple ways to eliminate stress along with toxins from your body. We will show you ways to become more safe and whole.

§ Create a more full life for yourself. We will show you easy ways to create intentions — finding a lover, a more fulfilling career, the money you deserve, along with less stress.

§ Learn to more easily navigate those challenging relationships in your life — family, friends, co-workers — anyone that challenges us.

* * *
Who attends Bliss™…

The people who have attended Bliss™ are both singles and couples. They are people who are ready to grow in their sexuality. They have come to a place in their lives where they aren't ready to settle — they want to grow, blossom, feel more.
Many couples have attended Bliss™ struggling with their relationship — and afterward, feel like they've been given a new lease on their connection. Our friend and student, Michele said this:
TESTIMONIAL

"Our marriage was on the rocks. We had visited three psychologists in the last six months with no success. A weekend with Laurie is all it took to finally find the triggers that were preventing us from being closer. Now we are like two kids in love again!
– Michelle, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
* * *
What you can expect when you attend Bliss™…

During the Bliss™ One-Day Intensive workshop, we will be sharing a number of fun group exercises together. While in the comfort of our private studio, we will sit and discuss the small things that create blocks in our life.
TESTIMONIAL


"There is great magic in seeing how body based wisdom such as Tantra can grow a person and turn him completely around for the better… Thank you for the gifts you gave me when I needed it the most."
–Wes Wolcott, Hemet, CA
We've found that one of the challenges that lovers often have is to move more deeply in lovemaking. We've created a series of easy and fun exercises that can be done as singles or pairs that help people touch the right places in themselves and each other.
Note: even though this course covers our human sexuality, all participants will remained clothed throughout the course and we have a strict "no sexual contact rule" in effect throughout the workshop.
* * *
ATTEND BLISS

Our next Bliss(tm) workshop will be held in:

Washington, DC on
Sunday, April 3, 2011

REGISTRATION

Registration fee only $160 from today until April 2, 2011.

$175 at the door.

Reserve your spot today! (Only 7 spots are left until we are full!)

Location: address given when you register

 

To register call: (202) 686-7440 or for more info www.butterflyworkshops.com

 

Laurie HandlersLaurie Handlers is a spiritual leader and dynamic speaker.  She holds a Masters degree in Education and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology.  She has taught Butterfly Tantra workshops for women, men, couples and singles since 1999.  She is an international presenter and workshop leader and has been featured in articles, on radio and TV in the United States and abroad. You can order her Shamanic Release & Latihan CD her Bliss: Beginner’s Tantra DVD or her new book Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy on her website below. You can catch pod casts of her radio show at www.tantracafe.com.

 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Laurie's Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy book:

  • “If I could distill all my advice about Tantra and sex into one sentence, that sentence would be, Make love in the unknown. In answer to all your fears and doubts about sex, I’d simply say to you, bring back your beginner’s mind. Come to the bedroom with no expectation. Come with openness in your heart for whatever happens.”
  •  “In Tantra you'll feel more peaceful, more tolerant, more aware of the world that has nothing to do with doing; everything to do with being.”
  • “Intimacy with another requires first and foremost coming to peace with your own emotional and physical needs.”
  • "Through Tantra, the power of sexual energy is able to render transformation."

 

Kink friendly events compared

Here is my take on various kink friendly events

 

All these events are ok to attend as a single and many singles do attend. There are lots of workshops and rituals you can attend either single or partnered at all of them. I would guess about 50% of attendees are single.

Here are some comparisons - I am interested in what others think too

Event Size When Cost Ages Kinks   Who Notes
DOWF 1000     20-80 BDSM, Poly, Trans, pagan - all kinks represented and respected Friendly, welcoming to newbies Greg  
DOSC 500     20-80 BDSM, Poly, Trans, pagan - all kinks represented and respected " Greg  
Beltane 400?     20-80 Pagan centered, sex positive with BDSM and poly on the side Friend, free form Cat and FSA  
Fires Venus 300     20-80 Ritual centered, tantric plus what you get at Beltane Structured groups make making friends easy Cat  
NFNC
Network for New Culture.
80 Weekend event during year. Summer Camps in July and August So including all meals, a weekend events are usually $50-$150 (sliding scale), a 10 day event is $500-$1000 (sliding scale), and for those who cannot afford even that, scholarships are usually generous and easily available. 20-80 Poly, sex positive Very supportive, expects you to grow and supports you when buttons are pushed Michael and Sarah

NFNC stands for the Network For a New Culture, a grassroots non-organization devoted to personal growth, social change, and intimate community  (www.nfnc.org).  New Culture hosts a variety of events, as well as creating an ongoing community of folks who value transparency, sex-positivity, personal choice and freedom, sustainability, intimacy, and more  (http://cfnc.us/newculture.html).    There is a strong sense of extended family, or “tribe”, among folks who have participated in New Culture events.  Strong friendship networks and intimate connections often form during events, and these connections are nurtured in a variety of ways so that they become part of a person’s everyday life.

 

The events are all-volunteer, and costs are kept as low as possible; while there are transformative workshops and powerful experiences at these events, they are meant to be part of a new way of living, loving and celebrating, not just isolated “escapes” from regular life. 

 

New Culture Summer Camp East will be July 8-17, 2011 (www.cfnc.us).

 

New Culture weekends occur frequently; here are the dates and locations of the ones that are already set for 2011:

 

January 7-9 in Arlington VA

February 25-27 in Plainfield MA

March 25-27 in Kinnelon NJ (near NYC)

 

There are a variety of other evening, day-long, and weekend New Culture events throughout the year.  We have an announcements list for these events that anyone interested in New Culture events can be added to; just send the request to info@cfnc.us.

 

There are many New Culture groups around the US and Canada, including Boston, Toronto, New York, Philadelphia, DC, Seattle, Eugene OR, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and San Diego.  Some of the major events are:

 

Spring Camp in Santa Cruz in April (4 days)

Summer Camp West in southern Oregon in August (10 days)  http://www.nfnc.org/sc/

Fall Camp near Seattle in September (8 days)

 

2012 movie and Evolver group

If you haven't come across Evolver check it out for consciousness and thought changing stuff. Somewhat similar to the worldwide Transition Town movement. Evolver is screening "2012: A Time for Change" movie December 9th.


2012
Directed by Emmy Award nominee João Amorim, the film follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic wisdom of tribal cultures with the scientific method. As conscious agents of evolution, we can redesign post-industrial society on ecological principles to make a world that works for all. Rather than breakdown and barbarism, 2012 heralds the birth of a regenerative planetary culture where collaboration replaces competition, where exploration of psyche and spirit becomes the new cutting edge, replacing the sterile materialism that has pushed our world to the brink.
More info at http://www.facebook.com/robin.gunkel#!/event.php?eid=112886885444138

Evolver
We have events at least once a month that span a broad range of consciousness-related topics, from food production to peak oil, entheogenic medicines to visionary film screenings. Please join us and share your ideas, stories, projects, communities or anything else related to the evolution of collective and/or individual consciousness.
More info at http://www.facebook.com/robin.gunkel#!/group.php?gid=210773933913

DC Area Spiritual Resource Center

I just found the DC Area Spiritual Resource Center website. It lists numerous spiritually minded and artistic events, workshops, yoga, kirtan, seminars, classes, centers and information. The author is Marc who teaches a weekly Tai Chi class in Bethesda.

Playa del Fuego - Burning Man festival in Delaware 5/27-5/31/10

I have been to this several times - great art and music and interesting people.

Playa del Fuego is Burning Man festival in Delaware - a celebration of
the spirit of radical self-expression, community, and participation. And
plenty of music and fire art! Playa del Fuego is the burning event of
the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Spring 2010 event will take place this
May Memorial Day weekend,(5/27/10-5/31/10) from Thursday 5 pm through
Monday noon. Tickets are $50 for 4 days (what a deal!) for camping. The
cut off for online tickets is Saturday March 27 (first tier), Tuesday April 27, (second tier) . FYI Tickets often sell out with in 10 minutes of the posting time.

More info at
http://www.playadelfuego.org/

Sandbox Sleepover weekend Friday 4/2/10 - Sunday 4/4/10

The Sandbox sleepover weekend is Friday 4/2/10 - Sunday 4/4/10. Come co-create a stronger Sandbox community! I was inspirited both by the New Culture weekend and the Sandbox cabins/kitchen at Beltane.

 

Please RSVP here.

  • opening circle Friday night to create safe container and introductions
  • plenty of unstructured time to hang, interact, play
  • workshops, some dance/movement
    • Contact improv dance
    • a morning yoga class
    • Millie wiccan ritual
    • Buddhist meditation (developing bodichitta)
    • Aural sex (yes the ears!)
    • Cuddle pit
    • Finger (and other body parts) painting
    • More to come
  • closing circle Sunday lunch
  • space to sleep over if you chose or commute to and fro
  • shared meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner
  • everyone helps out with prep and clean up like at Wednesday gatherings
  • support for clear communication throughout the weekend
  • Cost is on a sliding scale donation basis so that all that want to attend can. Suggested donation $50 for the whole weekend - Friday night, all day Saturday, Sunday til after lunch closing circle. If you only come for part of the weekend then make a partial donation.

Sheri Winston's Tour de Sex 3/3/10 - 3/9/10

Sheri Winston's Tour De Sex Is Coming To DC & MD

Empowering, Entertaining Erotic Education for Everyone Would you like to have BETTER SEX than you ever dreamed possible? Now you can ... with the help of a great sex teacher! "Sheri is an amazing, articulate, accessible teacher"—LaSara Firefox Allen, author, Sexy Witch


SPONSORED BY:

  • Mar 3| Sandbox – Smith House| 614 E Lynfield Drive, Rockville, MD | www.abundantmichael.com
  • Mar 4-5-6-7|Friends of Sheri | Private Home in Arlington, VA. | For details: coyote.connection (at) gmail.com
  • Mar 9| Sugar | 927 West 36th, Baltimore, MD | 410-467-2632

All classes are for men and women, singles and partners, regardless of skill level, gender or orientation. They’re also all “clothes on, hands off” and most important, fun and comfortable!

 

WED, Mar 3 6:30pm-10:00pm COST: $20 (includes dinner) Sandbox (Rockville) Sneak Peek at Women’s Anatomy of Arousal—A mini presentation & book signing of Sheri Winston's acclaimed book of the same name. Learn about the female parts even gynecologists don't know about & how to make them ecstatically happy! Discover how much you've been missing! Chat with the author & get a preview of the longer class (on Fri 3/5 & Tues 5/9).

 

THU, Mar 4 7:30pm-9:00pm $15-$25 (suggested donation) (Arlington) Hot Wholistic Sexuality—An Introduction to Sexual Integration & Empowerment. Discover a transformative new model that integrates your sexuality with yourself and your world, in an empowering vision of pleasure, passion, power and possibilities.

 

FRI, Mar 5 7:30pm-10:00pm $25-$50 (suggested donation) (Arlington) Women’s Anatomy of Arousal—Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure (For Men & Women) Find out what you’ve been missing. The clitoris is just the tip of the volcano! Women have as much erectile tissue as men do—a whole network of structures responsible for female sexual pleasure. Expand arousal and orgasm with this essential, empowering information. Draws from and expands upon on the acclaimed book of the same name.

 

SAT, Mar 6 10am-1pm & 3pm-6pm $25-$50 AM only (sug/don) $45-$95 Full Day (sug/don) (AM prerequisite for PM) (Arlington) Orgasmic Abundance Intensive—Use breath, movement, sound, intention, imagery and awareness to increase your own arousal and develop your orgasmic capacity. Learn to become absorbed in experience, amplify sensation & surrender into mega-orgasmic states. Basic solo-hands-off arousal skills in the AM. In the PM, we’ll build on that to explore solo-orgasmic meditation practices to awaken your inherent aptitude to become turned-on and ecstatic.

 

SUN, Mar 7 1:00pm-6:00pm $40-$80 (suggested donation) (Arlington) Touch Intensive—Get in Touch. Really Feel. Connect with your Body Wisdom. Get lost in the pleasure of contact. Get tuned in & connect. Delight in expanding your touch intelligence. Add new vocabulary to your contact communication. Learn to give with attuned attention & actively receive with responsible responsiveness. Become a master of touchology!

 

TUES, Mar 9 7:30pm-10:00pm COST: $20 Sugar (Baltimore) Women’s Anatomy of Arousal—Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure (For Men & Women) See March 5 th description, above.

 

Sheri Winston, CNM, RN, BSN, LMT Wholistic Sexuality Teacher, Founder & Executive Director of The Center for the Intimate Arts Info & Pre-register: www.intimateartscenter.com  or Pay at the Door

Re Man Meditation 2/24/10 - 3/2/10 India

Want to have a "Golden Aura"? Then go to the Re Man meditation at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains in North India next to the holy Ganga river with Internationally renowned Healer and Yogi Guru Dev Singh Khalsa.

Every spring a large group gathers near Rishikesh to Chant the Re-Man for 7 days until until 11,000 repartitions have been completed.

 

This year my yoga teacher Darshan Kaur is going. I am interested in going another year.

 

Network For a New Culture reunion

I attended my first Network For a New Culture event last weekend in Arlington VA - I met lots of old friends and made lots of new ones. Organized by Michael Rios and Sarah Taub the weekend started with a Friday night opening circle and dinner - a chance to get to know people. On Saturday I taught a Getting Real workshop that was fun. Then came the ZEGG Forum - a signature NFNC event for expression, mirroring and growth. I did some deep expression with the help from several people. I also ended up teaching a Shamballa meditation and some Kundalini Yoga. The kind of community connection and open hearted people at NFNC reminds me in some ways of PDF and also Rainbow Gathering. If you are looking for some deep personal transformation in a supportive community then check out their Summer Camp East or West.

Deva Premal and Krishna Das concert coming to DC 4/8/10

Deva Premal and Krishna Das will be performing “An Evening of Sacred Song and Kirtan” together in DC April 8th.  I heard Deva Premal, Mitten and Monose in concert in DC in the Fall and it was a magical experience. I have lots of their CDs and plenty of Krishna Das CDs too, you can see if they are visiting your city in March and April at Deva Premal's website event calendar. Places include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, DC, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, and Dallas.

Deva Premal and Krishna Das have been recording much-loved albums of kirtan and mantra since the mid-90s.Their CDs are the sound track for workouts in yoga studios around the world, and their concerts have attracted ever larger global audiences with the sense of joy and well being they offer.

Yoga Journal has dubbed Deva & Miten the “Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash of Chant.” Krishna Das has been called the “Chant Master of American Yoga” by the New York Times.

BEST Sacred Touch Workshop 3/27/10 2pm - 8:30pm

I have been to BEST events and they are a great way to give and get a lot of touch and improve your boundary setting skills. What a great way to celebrate Valentine's Weekend!
 
Experience the gift of giving and receiving sacred, caring touch in a safe and loving, supportive environment. This is an opportunity for boundary setting, practicing trust, overcoming body issues, or simply sharing terrific six-handed massage!
 
The Beings Enjoying Sacred Touch Workshop is the foundation experience from which the Wednesday Gatherings and Sandbox Explorations evolved. BEST WORKSHOPS ARE AN IDEAL FIRST-TIME EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD OF SACRED TOUCH. 
 
When we are clear with ourselves about what we want and don't want, we are better able to embrace our completeness and create safety for ourselves in all situations. That work is exactly what the Beings Enjoying Sacred Touch Workshops are all about. BEST Workshops are your opportunity to give yourself the gift—and responsibility—of your power to say 'no' and to say 'yes' with clarity and conviction!  
 
BEST is about exploring the beauty and wonder of sacred touch. It's about giving and receiving touch for touch's sake. It's about making your own choices about what you want. It's about empowerment and responsibility, and most of all, joy and pleasure.
 
Registration and Complete Information: 

These workshops fill up quickly! The March 27 BEST Workshop is already a third full!
 
Co-led by David E. and Amy S.!
 
Who Is Welcome?
People who fully embrace the sacredness of the event. Previous tantra or massage experience is not required. You must be 21 years of age or older to register for this event.
 
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Beings Enjoying Sacred Touch Workshop
 
March 27, 2010 -  2:00 PM to 8:30 PM
 
A private residence in Annandale, Virginia.
 
Registration and Complete Information: 
 
This is a private event, all registrations to be paid in advance.

Foraging Food

I came across foraging at Rainbow Gathering this summer - eating a wild food salad. Interesting article from the Gaian-Mind festival folks on foraging and other eco activities.

"For 99% of human history we've been foragers. Our nomadic ancestors gathered and hunted for food. Gardening, farming, and animal raising are recent developments in human history going back only about 10,000 out of 3 million years of our evolution as hominids.

The goal of The Gaian Mind is for our eco-arts and education collective to nurture a culture of ecological awareness and provide the means to connect urban youth and families with bioregional natural living systems.

-We hope to build and test replicable modules of alternative sustainable natural living systems that can be applied/adapted to any community throughout the world. Malcolm X advised that the only way for communities to experience liberation would be to create better working systems that make oppressive systems obsolete. We combine this axiom with the wisdom of indigenous cultures and the science of ecology which tell us that the answers to the world's problems are to be found in the ground beneath our feet. The path towards global peace, harmony, and liberation we believe starts by developing permanent local subsistence strategies that rely on the abundance of nature, not the scarcity of the industrial economy, for survival. Our purpose is to reunite people with each other and the land to restore resilient systems of human ecology.

-In this life-time we're committed to growing bioregionally sustainable communites that can survive with or without the global industrial economy.

Kundalini Yoga and Music Spirit Fest 9/17-19/10 WV

If you like chanting and Kundalini yoga then check out the first Spirit Fest 9/17-9/19/10 in the mountains of West Virginia. Three days chanting, singing, dancing and practicing Kundalini Yoga. With morning Sadhana it is like a mini Solstice nearer to DC!

http://www.spiritvoyage.com/musicfestival/

Music Performers and Yoga teachers include

  •     Snatam Kaur
  •     Gurmukh
  •     GuruGanesha Singh
  •     Nirinjan Kaur
  •     Sada Sat Kaur
  •     Gurunam Singh
  •     Sat Kartar
  •     Satkirin Kaur Khalsa

 

 

Dark Odyssey Winter Fire 2010

This a great sex positive event in DC - covers sacred sexuality, BDSM, transgender, poly and more. I have been to many Dark Odyssey event and I highly recommend it. It has sessions on sacred sexuality, BDSM, transgender, tantra, poly. Plus there are several play spaces - a sex play room, very well equipped dungeon and parties. All the people I have met there have been respectiveful and open. It is like going to an erotic candy store but if you don't like certain favors no one is going to force you to try them. And you will not be judged if all you like to do is suck on large mints and nothing else. Many Sandboxer have been to past DO events, so it is likely you will see some people you know. You might think of it as Beltane in a hotel.

Michael

http://www.darkodyssey.com
February 26-28, 2010
Washington, DC


We also want to let you know that we have some great new presenters coming
to Winter Fire for the first time. Our presenters come from all across the
country to share their skills, experiences and classes with us all. With
over 45 workshops and special events scheduled they add to our amazing
community of sex-positive people.

BRAND NEW PRESENTERS TO WINTER FIRE
If you have been following us on Twitter you may have seen some sneak peaks
to this year's presenter line-up! We are happy to announce an amazing
line-up of first time Winter Fire presenters this year. They include:

   * Angel & Sebastien - Activists & educators on gender, kink,
spirituality, and society.
   * Bobby - Polyamorous Dominant, speaker, trainer, and transgender
healthcare advocate
   * Danielle dv8 - Matriarch of House dv8, personal trainer, energy
worker, and yoga instructor
   * Julian Wolf - Leather Queer Educator and Author of "Carnal Conundrums"
column in the Weekly Alibi
   * Lqqkout - Fun-loving rope geek, sex educator, and Minneapolis
TNGÅ“"Min-KY" board member
   * Mistress Max Rulz - Mistress, Educator, and founder of "Just Us -
Women in Kink" BDSM support group
   * Q - International Ms Bootblack 2008, sexuality educator, and
alternative porn actor
   * Sir C - Bondage expert, polyamorous Master and BDSM educator

Be sure to follow us at twitter.com/darkodyssey
<http://twitter.com/darkodyssey> for the latest news on presenters!

All this happens in an upscale hotel located near the Capitol in Washington, DC, with all the amenities you'd expect at a nationally known hotel and an amazing rate of only $129/night! You can book your hotel room at the same time you register, and be included in the attendee's room block.

Reminder: we have extended the current registration rate through December
15, so don't miss out on your chance to register at the current rate!

Dozens of community organizations have signed on as participating groups in
Dark Odyssey, and we add new groups every day. Check the website to see if
your group is one of them, and you'll be entitled to a registration
discount.

Visit our website, http://www.darkodyssey.com for more details. We hope you
will join us for this exciting event!

Best Regards,

The Producers of Dark Odyssey:
Tristan, Colten, Greg, and Karri

Register Now: http://www.darkodyssey.com/winterfire/registration.html
Follow us: http://www.twitter.com/darkodyssey

Core Energetics Process group

FYI several Sandboxers have been in the previous version of this group and said they got a lot out of it.
FYI Barra will be presenting at Sandbox on Wed 1/6/10 - save the date!
Michael

 

Core Energetics is an evolutionary form of body-psychotherapy, based on the ways in which energy and consciousness work together in the transformative process of healing. It holds that we all harbor energy blocks in our bodies that keep us from living our lives fully.

Energy blocks are unconscious defense mechanisms to prevent wounding, which likely happened early in life, from happening again. These defenses are called blocks, which stop the free flowing expression of who we really are.

Along with talking about the issues in your life, we use certain modalities, like body readings to uncover the stuck places and physical processes to move that stuck energy. This frees you up to explore the issue from a different perspective.

                                               

A Core Energetics process group is composed of individuals who are committed to change in the context of a safe space. Group provides a magic that cannot happen in individual work

The group process involves a physical warm up, grounding exercises, role plays, deep interaction with group members, moving energy through physical modalities, connecting at a deep level.  By using and moving the energy in the body you can learn important things about yourself that you were not aware of, and make changes that allow freer expression of your essence.

The process of this evolutionary work is to unblock our defenses, move the stuck energy to create healthy flow and to transform the negative, distorted emotions from the Core. This is done by penetrating the mask, softening the body armoring, transforming the negative emotions of the shadow self, and expressing primal wounds.  The Core Self is then experienced as loving, joyful and connected.

In January, I am starting a new Core Energetics process group in Falls Church - a mixed group that meets on Wednesdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Groups are magical... wonderful ways to explore, risk, and grow. A great way to engage in the powerful work that is Core Energetics.

 

If you are interested and want to try something new for 2010, reach me at 703-786-7065, or barra3 (at) gmail dot com


Yule party 2009 thanks

For this Yule party I surrendered control of hosting - both to the many helpers and to the universe and turned down the perfectionist voice in my head that said I "should" do this or that. I also set a clear intent that the event would be easy, fun, spiritual and growthful and exactly the right people would turn up for that to be. Thank you universe for helping!

Thanks everyone who helped, if I missed your name below it is not due to lack of gratitude; rather it is lack of sleep on my part!.
Thank you to

  • Thia for long hours of help on the basement and backyard and love and support for me and for looking after herself
  • Millie for early set up, cuddle area design, apple cutting lesson and magic
  • Leonard for candles and light in back yard, greeting, lots of clean up and for bearing his chest to all
  • Gail for leading the quarter callers, calling East, cleaning up spilt candles in basement and for having firm buns in Santa Baby outfit. And for being so empowered that when you wanted to be sure that there was great dance music you brought your own dance mix CD along and got the dancing going.
  • Marley for offering to call a quarter and gracefully being ok that someone else ended up calling it and for lots of dish cleaning without being asked
  • Edie for smudging, calling South so passionately, sharing her Yule poem in circle, washing dishes for reuse and for doing healing on me when I got overwhelmed
  • Roseann for calling West so beautifully and clearly
  • Roger for calling North with gusto even though he was a quarter virgin until the party
  • Ondre'a for fire tending and bring her magic powders to add to the fire
  • JudyRose for doing a wonderfully spiritually smudging for the circle abd for sexy dancing
  • Anthony for playing violin to both get people to the ritual and for the improv quarter music
  • Hillary for enthusiastically leading people to the ritual even when they were distracted by the party upstairs, for starting the pagan singing by the fire (what an unexpected delightful surprise)
  • Davinda for leading the singing of beautiful native American songs by the fire
  • Penelope for sharing her laser wand healing with me and others and for changing out of jeans into one of my sexy red skirts in mid-party then doing a yoga demo in it too
  • Floyd for dancing up a storm with me and at least 20 other women
  • Jeanne for helping with clean up and food and drinks and for unzipping her bond-girl jump suit just a bit more
  • Barb for calmly organizing the food area
  • Kathleen for helping to greet
  • Lori for helping to greet
  • Erika for offering to play piano
  • David G for helping to clean up (as he always does at Wednesday gatherings too)
  • Randy and Richard for starting the fire and making it roar
  • Alex for teaching me Tibetan breathing healing methods and a wonderful shoulder rub
  • David H, Reed, Kathy et al for helping start Sandbox all those years ago
  • Tom and Melanie for doing an impromptu tantric yoga set on the dance floor at 2:30am
  • Everyone who stepped up and helped out when they saw something needed doing without being asked.
  • Myself for setting a clear vision, inviting interesting and diverse people and for looking after myself before and during the party so I could be a centered, calm, playful and welcoming hostess.

Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again
love
Michael/Michelle

Thanksgiving lunch Thursday 11/26/09 1pm Rockville

I am hosting a Thanksgiving Feast for those who choose to spend 
Thanksgiving afternoon in the company of a warm group of friends rather
than with family or on their own. We will be hosting the gathering at my
house in Rockville. We're begin gathering at 1:00pm. We shoot for lunch
at about 2:00 and wrap up at 7 o'clock. We're asking all who attend to
bring a dish. Organic if possible. Feel free to bring a friend. Please
let me know by Nov 20.

RSVP and directions at
http://www.abundantmichael.com/blog/page.cfm/Thanksgiving

Playa del Fuego - Burning Man festival in Delaware 10/08-10/12/09

I have been to this several times - great art and music and interesting people.

Playa del Fuego is Burning Man festival in Delaware - a celebration of
the spirit of radical self-expression, community, and participation. And
plenty of music and fire art! Playa del Fuego is the burning event of
the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Fall 2009 event will take place this
October Columbus Day weekend,(10/08-10/12) from Thursday 5 pm through
Monday noon. Tickets are $35 for 4 days (what a deal!) for camping. The
cut off for online tickets is Tuesday, Sept. 8th at 9pm. FYI Tickets often sell out with in 10 minutes of the posting time 9pm.

More info at
http://www.playadelfuego.org/

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