Receiving Touch
Overview
What happens when you let yourself receive touch without earning it or performing?
Many of us learned to be givers who focus on others’ desires and perform for them, often at the expense of our own needs. Saying what we want can feel vulnerable.
This workshop is gentle introduction to listening inward, naming the touch you desire, and allowing yourself to receive.
Expect simple touch-based games as opportunities to practice receiving touch and experiencing pleasure in a supportive container. This is a touchy+sensual, but not sexual, container. The space will be bottoms-on (shorts, pants, etc) and will not involve genital touch. All touch practices are optional. You can participate as partner or observer in each activity.
Several of the touch agreement games will be based on Betty Martin's Wheel of Consent. You can read more about that modality here. Bring a towel or cloth to sit on. Yoga mats and cushions will be provided. Open to anyone who identifies as male or non-binary. This is a trans-inclusive space. All bodies are welcome.
This workshop is offered through Men in Touch (https://www.menintouch.org/).
The last offerings of this workshop reached capacity. Please RSVP if of interest.
At this Event, You’ll be invited to:
Practice identifying and naming what you want
Practice receiving touch and affection, without obligation to reciprocate
Notice your nervous system responses to asking and receiving
Accessibility is Sexy:
Sensory environment: Low volume speaking, soft music, dim soft lighting, possibly scented candles.
Occupancy: ~15-20 people in a large open dance/yoga studio
Interaction intensity: Optional guided partner talk+touch practices. Participants are welcome to opt-out or take breaks.
Sexual content: Low. Some games will involve the choice to receive or give touch to non-genital body parts.
Physical access and mobility: The practice room is accessed by stairs. Activities are primarily seated or standing in place with minimal movement. Yoga mats and bolsters are available for sitting, and chairs are available on request.
If you have access needs or anything that would support your full participation, please don’t hesitate to reach out in advance — we’re happy to explore accommodations together.
Facilitators
This workshop is hosted by Matthew Cooper (he / they) and Reno Johnston (he / him).
Matthew is a facilitator, writer, and entrepreneur who loves unlocking people's innate play and pleasure. They bring more than a decade of experience leading workshops on masculinity, body image, and touch, drawing from modalities including Authentic Relating, the Wheel of Consent, and queer theory, with an emphasis on embodiment and play. Matthew is also the co-founder of financial health startup EarnUp, a former national champion athlete, and a longtime builder of community spaces; their writing can be found at misfit-monastery.com. They are based in Vancouver, Canada. IG: @seeksevens
Reno Johnston is a facilitator who works with the Body Electric School and leads as a Spiritual Life & Business Facilitator. He playfully and creatively helps people connect to their hearts, become more secure and unapologetically authentic, and experience more freedom and joy in their lives, careers, and relationships, through 1-on-1 and group coaching, workshops, and retreat experiences. IG: @itjustgotreno · itjustgotreno.com
Acknowledgement of Territory
This gathering takes place on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We offer gratitude to the caretakers of this land, past, present, and future.