The Art of Relating Authentically in a Disconnected World
embodied skill building weekend mini-retreat
This experiential workshop, comes from a lineage of offering consensual touch practices for those seeking an embodied experience of receiving and giving. It aims to provide you with tools and practices to create safe-enough protocols and agreements to negotiate your needs for touch and intimacy with others.
when
Saturday & Sunday
Feb 22 & 23, 2025
Sat: 10am – 6pm + 2 hr lunch break
Sun: 9am – 5pm + 2 hr lunch break
where
Private venue in the North End of Boise.
Who is this for?
- For people who want to learn how to trust both their boundaries and their desires.
- For folks looking to gain greater fluency in asking for what they truly want from others.
- For people looking to identify and understand common reasons why people operate out of consent (including habitual patterns, held religious trauma, institutionalized systems of oppression and power).
- For people looking to gain access to more choices for themselves in their body and in their relationships.
- For individuals looking to learn a more nuanced understanding of giving and receiving touch outside of the cultural expectations of sexual relationships.
- For people who want to cultivate the skill of differentiating between the act of giving versus doing, and between active and passive receiving states.
- For those seeking to decrease the risk of harm by learning and using a common language for communicating consent within a community container.
what is this about?
What would it be like to be gentle, clear and respectful – as you ask for what you want?
What would it be like to feel comfortable saying No or setting a limit, and doing so with clarity and grace?
Many people take this workshop to clarify and enhance their personal or intimate lives. What surprises them is how much it affects the rest of their lives too.
Drawing deeply from the model of The Wheel of Consent, created by Dr. Betty Martin, this model of interaction is based on exchanges of touch – but applies to so much more.
It sheds light on troublesome and confusing interactions and clears them up. It invariably describes and teaches an embodied understanding of the fundamental dynamics of most human relating.
The Wheel of Consent distinguishes between who is ‘doing’ and who it’s for. With this distinction four kinds of touch become possible, opening a rich and varied possibility of experience. It shows you how to notice what it is you want, how to trust that, value it and communicate it.
The real meaning of ‘Receiving’ and ‘Giving’ become clear – and they are not what you might think they are! You learn to tell them apart, learn when to use each of them, and come to appreciate and enjoy each of them.
Many people have found this workshop and the Wheel of Consent to be life-changing. The Wheel brings clarity, ease, freedom, gratitude, and generosity in all your interactions.
what do you need to know about this workshop?
~ You do not need a touch partner for this workshop
~ is experiential – you will have the opportunity to practice and explore.
~ respects your boundaries – you never have to touch anyone you don’t want to.
~ lets you start right where you are. New to the idea or wildly experienced.
~ gives you a game to take home that makes the whole thing easy, fun, and if you like, sensual and sexy.
~ teaches you the 4 Quadrants – how to create them, find them, feel them, and a glimpse into where they can take you.
~ is fun!
**Coffee/tea and snacks will be provided.
**You are responsible for your own lunch. (The venue is walking distance to beautiful 13th street eateries as well as the Boise Co-op)
**No one will be staying at the venue overnight.
how much?
$200
how do i sign up?
Step One: To sign up and reserve your place in class, click here to book your spot.
Step Two: [PLEASE CHOOSE FRIENDS & FAMILY OPTION] Send $125 non-refundable class fee through Venmo @Sherika-Tenaya and in the memo please put your name, email, phone number and workshop title in the memo.
OR
You can send your fee through Paypal @ sherkamartinez@gmail.com
Testimonials from Past Partipants
Dear Sherika Tenaya,
I wanted to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for the positive impact you’ve had on my relationship with my wife. When I first began working with you, I struggled with communication, especially when it came to understanding how to truly connect with my wife.
We were both facing difficulties in safely expressing our needs to one another, and I was particularly challenged by how to handle rejection.
When my wife would say no to a request, it would often hurt my ego, and I felt as though she wasn’t just rejecting the request but rejecting me as a whole. However, through the role-playing exercises we did together, I learned a new, healthier way to make requests. This approach empowered my partner to feel safe in denying my request without triggering my ego or making her feel guilty. One of the most valuable lessons you taught me was the concept of saying, “Thank you for taking care of yourself,” which has been transformative in how I approach our interactions.
Additionally, the lessons you shared regarding the Wheel of Consent have profoundly deepened my understanding of boundaries. This has helped me earn my partner’s trust and approach both my requests and my offers with integrity. The result has been a stronger, more secure connection between us, allowing for more exploration, joy, and mutual respect in our relationship.
Sherika, I cannot thank you enough for the wisdom and guidance you’ve provided. Your work has made a significant and lasting difference in my life and relationships. I highly recommend your services to anyone looking to improve their relationship with their partner.
With sincere appreciation,
– B.J.
Dear Sherika,
My partner and I just had one of our most successful conversations and I wanted to say thank you.
He and I both have seen big positive changes for him on several levels including self esteem and confidence, physical connection to his body and heart, and communication growth. As you can imagine these changes have led to more safety and connection between us.
We were just saying how we think we would have a much healthier adult population if we had all received this kind of education as young people.
We have been impressed that the safe, clear, and subtle exercises and activities seem to meet him where he is and create important and immediate take aways. Even our first consult gave us tools right away to build connection, trust, and pleasure.
Thank you for supporting us,
E.Y.
