Winter releases her grip and spring eagerly awaits an embrace…
Emerging tenderly from the cave to marvel at the earthly delights that a new season has to offer. There is new life in the air. Breathe a little easier as the clouds part and the warmer days arrive.
Spring has a different kind of love:
A warm breeze,
The sun softly carressing your skin,
A flower blooming,
What are you opening to this season? Can you expand a little more?
Come celebrate the arrival of the new season. Bring your sense of wonder, joy and curiousity to the Forest… and something yellow to wear.
WHAT IS A HUMAN FOREST?
For those of you that don't know, a Human Forest Experience is a human ecosystem connected by consensual touch.
Half of the room will be trees who will be blindfolded and receive loving, devotional touch from the other half of the room (the critters). You will have the opportunity to experience being both a tree and a critter.
These events can be powerful, healing opportunities for participants to experience intimacy and joy. Our priority to supporting participants to leave our events feeling opened, cared for and loved.
Come be part of a movement awakening people to the joy filled, healing and restorative power of touch.
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IMPORTANT:
In this event we focus on devotional, loving and non-sexually oriented touch. Note: there is no genitalia touch at this event.
All our events have been remarkably healing and opening for many participants, as seen in the testimonials above.
That being said, this is a touch focused event. If you have any history of trauma related to receiving or giving touch, please be in touch with us directly to seriously consider whether this event is right for you.
Participants are required to be on time to ensure they understand how to communicate their boundaries with clarity and respect via the consent and boundaries section at the commencement of the event.
About your facilitators:
Jehan Abeysekera - @jehany_army
Jehan is the newest addition to the Human Forest Project. Since 2021, he has been a strong supporter behind the scenes, advocating for the medicine that comes to a community whenever there's a Human Forest Experience in town. Now, he is actively taking part in cultivating that medicine.
Jehan's priority is building the foundations of safety in a space which provides more room for playful curiosity. He believes that there is magic to the Forest- it can be felt with our senses, when we strengthen the relationships to ourselves and each other. With his experience facilitating for the 'The Man Cave' (a Not-for-Profit helping adolescent boys develop greater emotional intelligence and awareness of consent), ultimately his focus is dismantling the barriers to developing a deeper connection with our community and nature.
Ali - @alicia.c.jade
With touch being her primary love language, Alicia (Ali) has been a long standing ‘Tree’ of the Human Forest events in Melbourne and experienced her first Human Forest at Burning man in 2017. Today, she is a facilitator of the Human Forest Experience, trained by the Human Forest Project. As a somatic trauma therapist, her innate wisdom, intuition and sensitivity are her guiding light. These gifts of awareness have been further refined through a dedicated spiritual practice of more than 10 years which included 5 years spent teaching yoga, and meditation, coordinating silent meditation retreats and various workshops at a well-respected yoga school in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Called to help and support others, Alicia has worked professionally in mental health with people from all walks of life. Academically, Ali has completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology, Bachelor of Science Psychology/ Psychophysiology, Diploma of Mindfulness Therapy, and Triple Vagal Method practitioner certification. With all this experience, Ali holds loving, compassionate, and non-judgmental spaces and has a profound love for nature that she can’t wait to share with you.
Things to note:
Bring:
- Comfortable clothing
- Some nibbles and/or drinks to share with others at the end
- An open mind
- Any friends that might be interested! ;)
Personal responsibility: Please make an assessment on whether you are feeling stable and resourced enough to explore the practices on offer in this event.
Arrival: Endeavour to arrive between 6:30pm - 6:45pm. To preserve the experience for all involved, doors will close at 7:00pm. Truly, it breaks our heart to have to turn latecomers away yet the disruption to the whole group experience by virtue of lateness does require management. We ask that you find understanding and consideration for the timebound nature of the container and make every effort to arrive on time.
Driving: Know Centre of You is on Chapel St and ample time to find a car spot is best to be factored into your plans. Park direct on Chapel St (spots unmetered after 5pm) or in Anchor Place, the open-air parking lot in the side street that runs opposite Centre of You (unmetered after 4pm).
Public transport - tram: Both the number 6 tram & 78 tram stop on the corner of High St/Chapel St. This is stop 31 on the number 6 tram (Moreland/Glen Iris) & stop 45 on the number 78 tram (North Richmond/Balaclava).
Public transport - train: Both Prahran & Windsor stations along the Sandringham Line will get you walking distance to Centre of You.
Finding Centre of You: Centre of You is nestled within the arcade that Chapel St Bazaar is in (217 Chapel St). It is up a flight of stairs with a wide landing at the half-way-point. Unfortunately, this current version of Centre of You does not have a wheelchair accessible lift. If you could use support in getting up the stairs or would like to discuss ways to make your experience at Centre of You more comfortable, please reach out via grace@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Accessibility: At COY we aim to ensure our community and events are inclusive and accessible while alongside upholding the needs and responsibilities of our business and the businesses of our collaborating facilitators. Should you be in a time of financial challenge and unable to pay the full ticket price comfortably, please reach out via grace@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram
Ticketing T&Cs: We get it, life happens, therefore we will gladly refund you up until 24hrs before the event start time. After that, we have a strict no refund/no transfer to future events policy.
If you are no longer able to attend and wish to pay forward your ticket to someone within the community, be in touch via grace@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Questions? Email grace@centreofyou.com.au or reach out via Instagram DM.
Tickets: $45.00 early bird, $60.00 general exchange (within 48 hours of event).