The Somatic Playground
Moving at the Rhythm of Connection and Trust!
The Somatic Playground is back for our THIRD YEAR!
Get on the WhatsApp group (link below) to stay informed of connected events and upcoming Somatic Playground classes!
Praise about The Somatic Playground!
"Oh my goodness, I have so much fun attending these events!! Now Monday nights are one of my fave nights of the week. 🤣
The Somatic Playground is a friendly and supportive place to explore many fun, body- and awareness-based connection activities. So often I noticed myself contemplating things I learned or connections that moved me during the event. It’s such a nourishing and community connected way to grow and develop in really playful and empowering ways! I’m grateful and will keep coming back." ~ Carley
"Facilitated exercises have created a comfortable space to explore ourselves and engage in deeper interactions with others. The building of the Somatic Playground community, and its varied range of teachers, has given us a path into exploring other communities in the Bay Area. As a couple, it’s been a wonderful place to learn about ourselves and our relationship" ~ Kai & Eric
"I had high expectations because of my experience with the work of the producers of Somatic Playground and I was NOT disappointed. I wanted to go deeper into what's possible within the realms of sensation, creativite expression, and attunement to myself and others. Relatable facilitation, great models for conscious relating and body presence. I comenoutbof the classes totally alive with an amazing experience of soft and juicy self intimacy and awakend connection to myself and others." ~Katharine
"I love Somatic Playground because it enables me to try out different skillsets in a group of likeminded individuals and hosts week after week building a community and learning while we do it. Every week is different but hinge upon similar goals to connect more deeply with people through targeted exercises, games, and frameworks created by the diverse array of highly skilled facilitators. // There is something for everyone through Somatic Playground, whether you’ve been immersed in somatic workshop spaces before, are comfortable with sensual, or you’re brand new, nervous, or are wanting a beginner space, different classes offer different levels and interests making it accessible to a diverse array of folks. There really is space for everyone no matter how you identify or what other types of events you attend. // My favorite part is often being able to discuss and debrief, which happens in each class in between exercises and time for open play. It’s a really incredible space and I’ve made some deep friendships through it, learned skills, and healed parts of myself and am excited to continue on in this wonderful community." ~ Elle
"I've really got a lot out of this series, appreciating the variety of approaches from the facilitators. They've brought me movement, stillness, breath, depth. I've found better connection with my own inner experience, and I'm enjoying the company of a community of somatic fellow travelers!" ~ Joseph
"I attended a class at The Somatic Playground to get out of my comfort zone and meet positive people. I was scared because it was the first time exploring a more emotional side of me and I was doing it in front of strangers. I couldn’t have chose a better place. Every one was so open minded and accepting of me, I felt safe and comfortable the whole time. It was an unforgettable experience!" ~ Brian
"The Somatic Playground hosts workshops that create a safe and welcoming environment where participants can dive deep into introspection while having embodied connections. From the beautiful rope workshop to the "Play Your Way to Authenticity" workshop, each experience is a testament to the care and creativity of the facilitators. The combination of trust-building activities, guided meditations, and interactive games create a sensory based journey and camaraderie among attendees, leading to the feeling of genuine community." ~ Heather
"Thank you so much for organizing the Somatic Playground a second time. When I started attending last fall my partner and I were just beginning to explore more movement and somatic awareness activities. I came to the workshops initially intending to connect with others in ways that I was not yet conversant. As each workshop is different, with a full-fledged teacher sharing their passions and skills, I have left each one filled with a broadened sense of community and support in finding out together just how deep and full and mysterious living can be. The work here is important as it brings together many teachers and students to explore the beauty of being fully alive." ~Kent
What is the Somatic Playground?
✨ Weekly Monday classes with some of your favorite FireLight & SoulPlay teachers, and more!
✨ A place for you to learn, embody, and grow somatic, primal, emotional, and energetic intelligence!
✨ A space to co-create community with a common language around relating & intimacy!
✨ An opportunity to slow down, connect, and move at the pace of connection and trust!
✨ A time to play, move, and dance together!
Join us for a series of collaborative exploration at The Somatic Playground!
These in-person events take place on Mondays 7-10pm
Get ready to immerse yourself in a unique experience of connecting with yourself and others in a playful, expressive, & intimate way. Through various somatic exercises and activities, you'll discover new ways to move, connect, let go, and build trust with those around you.
Whether you're a seasoned dancer or have never stepped foot on a dance floor before, this event welcomes everyone. We're cultivating a thoughtful space to explore your body's language, express yourself freely, and connect with like-minded individuals.
In the Somatic Playground, we will cultivate a community of somatic attunement and relational intelligence. Each week, a different facilitator will guide you on a journey of research, play, and practice, honing your abilities to dive into your somatic, emotional, primal, energetic, and relational bodies - learning to listen through touch and taste the pathway of motion. An open jam will follow as a way to continue exploring together sparks and curiosities from class.
So, mark your calendars and come join us at The Somatic Playground for an evening filled with exploration, movement, touch, and connection. Don't miss out on this opportunity to let loose, meet new people, and discover the joy of moving at the rhythm of connection and trust.
Our Community Agreements
As teachers, facilitators, and participants, while we support everyone engaging with sovereignty (making good choices for themselves and others), we also understand that trauma has a huge influence on people's behavior and experience, so we are trauma informed in the ways we teach, engage, and/or participate in these classes. We also recognize and continue to learn to be aware of the power dynamics that exist or might arise as we engage, and seek to level the playing field of power whenever possible, and engage with utmost attunement, care, and consideration for each other.
Erotic energy may emerge but is not the goal. Sensual touch is welcome - we are exploring all that is possible in terms of how we relate to each other through sensing. Sexual touch and intoxication are not a part of this container.
Diversity and Inclusion
For each class series, we seek to include a diverse group of facilitators to express the full range of humanness, bodies, and experience around race, age, gender, identity, sex, sexual orientation, and more. Some series may appear at first glance to favor some subgroups, and while may be accurate that this is what was available at the time, we continue to include facilitators who fit all of these subgroups.
Similarly, and in collaboration with the Plura App/Community, we seek to include a diverse group of humans and celebrate all experiences, bodies, and identities, especially of those who have historically been less favored or appreciated.
Please reach out with any questions.
Refunds or Transfer
If it ever turns out that a class wasn't for you or that you missed a class for any reason, we'll be happy to refund you! 🫶
No one turned away for lack of funds, text/whatsapp (+14155050786) or email us (thesomaticplayground@exquisite.love) to chat!
Tickets
Dec 8 🌟 Hema Ganapathy - Slow the F@#$ Down
[Alchemy House, Oakland]
(address sent to participants)
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Dec 15 🌟 Willow Faith - Play With Me! A Hypnotic Somatic & Sound Experience
[Alchemy House, Oakland]
(address sent to participants)
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Dec 22 🌟 Adam Chacksfield - Erotic Shadow Play
[Alchemy House, Oakland]
(address sent to participants)
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Dec 29 🌟 Philippe Lewis - Trusting in Maybe: Exploring Our Growth Edge
[Alchemy House, Oakland]
(address sent to participants)
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Jan 5 🪢 Be - One Rope Play
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Jan 12 🪢 Jim Donovan - Erotic Shadow Play: Accessing the Raw Power Beneath Your Shadow
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Jan 19 🪢 Francesca Gentille - Dark Opal Tantric Puja
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Jan 26 🪢 Jason Rich - Sensual Wrestling: Discovering More Yum Within
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Feb 2 🪢 Eve Soboleva - The Body–Soul Alchemy: Transforming Shadow into Power
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Feb 9 🪢 Glory Moonfire - The Tease: Undressing in Rope
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Feb 16 🪢 Heather Atles - Connection Lab
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Feb 23 🪢 Sascha Nicole - Wild Temple Touch: Elemental Somatics for Connection & Play
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Mar 2 🪢 Claire Rumore - Dancing the Erotic Blueprints: A Sensual, Embodied Exploration
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Mar 9 🪢 River & Chuck - Creating Your Sexual Menu: Discover and Describe your Biggest Turn-ons
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Mar 16 🪢 Philippe Lewis - Attuned Spanking for Beginners
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Mar 23 🪢 Michael McDonald - Shadow Play
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Mar 30 🪢 Coco - KinkaTypes: Explore Your Many Wild Sides!
$30 prepaid | $40 at the door
Classes
Dec 8 🌟 Hema Ganapathy: Slow the F@#$ Down [Alchemy House]
This workshop aims to guide participants on an inward journey towards embracing the art of slowing down, reconnecting with themselves, and finding peace amidst the chaos. It will include a combination of results of scientific research, guided meditations, interactive discussions, experiential activities, and reflective exercises. Participants will leave with practical tools, renewed inspiration, and a deeper understanding of how to cultivate a slower, more intentional way of living that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit.
In a world that constantly asks us to go faster, slowing down can feel radical – and deeply healing. This workshop blends modern science with ancient yogic and tantric wisdom to help you re-train your body and mind to move at a sustainable pace.
You’ll learn:
• The science of slowing down, how stress hormones, nervous system regulation and brain wave states influence our sense of time
• Yogic practices: breath work, gentle postures and mindfulness techniques that signal the body to shift from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest”
• Tantric approaches: embodied awareness, subtle energy practices, and rituals that help you experience presence and pleasure in each moment
• Practical tools: simple shifts you can integrate into daily life to create spaciousness, focus and ease – whether you have five minutes or an hour
Through a balance of guided practice, reflection and group connection, you’ll discover how intentional slowing down can restore energy, deepen relationships and reconnect you to joy.
This workshop is for anyone feeling the pull toward a gentler, more conscious way of living. Come ready to breathe, move and rediscover the beauty of the unhurried moment.
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Bio:
Hema, The Holistic Mystic is a Holistic Empowerment Mentor and helps clients release what's blocking them from achieving their full potential so that they can freely live a juicy life of purpose, passion and abundance. Hema works with clients on a variety of topics including abundance mindset, intimacy and relationship coaching as well as healing generational trauma
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Dec 15 🌟 Willow Faith: Play With Me! A Hypnotic Somatic & Sound Experience [Alchemy House]
Step into an evening of wonder, play, and deep nervous system reset. Play With Me invites you to reconnect with your child-like curiosity, soften protective patterns, and rest in the safety of sound and trance. This guided hypnotic, somatic, and sound experience blends movement, breath, and imagination to soothe the body, expand awareness, and renew your sense of aliveness.
Through a playful arc of practices, you’ll discover how easy it is to return home to yourself—with curiosity, whimsy, release, and presence as your companions.
What You’ll Experience:
- Learn how hypnosis can regulate your nervous system & prime your brain
- Receive tools to interrupt unwanted thought patterns
- Explore gentle somatic movement & free-form dance
- Practice with partners for hypnotic attunement, feeling seen, and whole-group improv play
- Shake it out with shaking medicine for emotional release
- Expand with awareness tools that deepen presence, curiosity, & play
- Integrate through a guided group hypnosis for manifestation and nervous-system reset
Flow of the Evening (Subject to change)
- Tangible Neuroscience – learn a few simple takeaways on how the brain works and how self-hypnosis can be used as a form of self-directed neuroplasticity
- Soft Landing – arrive, settle, and orient your nervous system
- Somatic Play & Dance – explore gentle somatic movement and free-form expression through curiosity and play
- Partner & Group Practices – hypnotic attunement, connection, and whole-group improv games
- Shaking Medicine – release stored energy and tension through rhythmic shaking
- Guided Hypnosis & Sound Bath – manifestation, integration, and deep rest
- Closing Ritual – sharing, journaling, and take-home nervous system tools
Bio:
Rachel “Willow” Faith Currie is a Certified Integrative Hypnotist, trauma-informed yoga teacher, somatic practitioner, and founder of Thriving in Theta—where science, sound, and soul converge. With over 15 years as a classically trained ballerina and a lifelong love of dance, Rachel brings both discipline and wild freedom into her offerings.
Her background spans autonomic nervous system regulation, subconscious and mindfulness coaching, and somatic healing, enriched by a BA in Sociology and a decade as an elementary school teacher. She is affiliated with the International Association of Counselors and Therapists (IACT) and draws on a vast repertoire to meet people where they are—whether in intimate 1:1 sessions or expansive group journeys.
Yet her magic is more than credentials. Rachel delights in neuroscience, somatics, and the mysteries of the subconscious—but also in kittens, twerking, forest bathing, primal screaming, ceremonial space holding, jewelry making, and ecstatic movement. She embodies the truth that healing can be both sacred and playful, rigorous and wildly sensual.
“I choose to see people as a quantum physicist would see them—already living the life they desire.” From this perspective, she guides participants into experiences that regulate the nervous system, unlock creativity, and awaken the soul’s deepest knowing.
Rachel believes every being is a multifaceted jewel in this human tapestry, each learning and expressing uniquely. When you step into her space, expect a blend of hypnosis, movement, and magic that invites you to breathe deeper, move freer, and remember the exquisite pleasure of simply being alive.
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https://thriving-in-theta.newzenler.com/
Dec 22 🌟 Adam Chacksfield: Erotic Shadow Play [Alchemy House]
What if the parts of you that you’ve been taught to hide - your anger, fear, jealousy, desire... - weren’t problems to fix, but portals to healing, erotic aliveness, and wholeness?
In this workshop, you’ll reconnect with the energies you’ve exiled to the shadows – and experience the vitality, freedom, and power that come when these aspects are finally welcomed home.
Expect:
• Guided practices to help you access and express the energies you’ve hidden or disowned.
• A safely held space to explore the parts of you shrouded with fear or feel shame.
• An embodied introduction to the practice of erotic shadow play as a path of healing, integration, and liberation
Come ready to be surprised by the gifts hidden in the very parts you've been taught to avoid.
Bio:
Adam is devoted to empowering people to thrive inside consciousness, love, and desire rather than suffering in shame and fear. He leads transformative retreats and workshops in North America and Europe, and coaches individuals and couples. Adam facilitates with embodied authenticity, love, and clarity. His teaching has been deeply informed by his work with the Light Dark Institute, The Somatica Institute, and Jeannie Zandi.
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Dec 29🌟 Philippe Lewis: Trusting in Maybe: Exploring Our Growth Edge [Alchemy House]
Trusting in Maybe is about claiming and owning our growth edge where we becoming more mature, secure, and aware, and trusting in the messiness that comes along with it. It can look like understanding the nature of honest accidents, not trying to be perfect, and co-creating a space of mutuality and mystery which allows for fun and play while also having enough structure and boundaries for the purpose of knowing when things are within bound (and as such, okay even if surprising/challenging/difficult, ie within a person's "soft" boundaries) or out of bound (ie past a person's "hard" boundaries).
In this class, "maybe" represents what isn't quite known yet, but about to surface in order to be integrated as a "yes" or a "no". It's a space of discovery and exploration, which can both be exciting and scary all at once. This class is for those who want a more conscious approach to the wide expanse between "hell yes" and "hell no" and find themselves oscillating and moving between the two during an engagement.
Bio:
Philippe is a passionate relationship educator and founder of Exquisite ❦ Love. With a mission to empower men and women in making informed and positive choices for themselves and their partners, Philippe guides individuals on transformative journeys to become sovereign beings through the art of connection, trust, consent, intimacy, and love. Drawing from the profound insights of attachment theory, he helps people explore the depths of human connection and understand the dynamics that shape their relationships.
Philippe's impact in the realm of personal growth and self-discovery extends far and wide. As a co-founder of The Journey to Secure, he fosters a supportive community of like-minded individuals on a shared path of growth and an earned attachment style. Additionally, his role as a coordinator with the International School of Temple Arts, showcases his dedication to fostering open-mindedness and personal exploration.
Over the years, Philippe has been instrumental in founding vibrant communities that tackle essential topics. The Open Relationship Community, the Attachment Community, and the Consent Community provide safe spaces for individuals to engage in emerging discussions, redefining societal norms, and promoting healthier relationship dynamics.
Philippe is also well known for the creation of a vast array of conscious play spaces and playground such as Club Exotica, Love Underground, The Erotic Playground, and the FireLight micro-festival, as well as embodiment spaces such as The Somatic Playground where participants can find and learn about how to relate with each other at all levels.
While Philippe's professional accomplishments are inspiring, he cherishes a role that brings him immense joy and growth - that of a proud and loving father to a 13-year-old teen. This cherished relationship teaches him the invaluable lessons of surrendering to love and embracing life more fully with each passing day.
Philippe's life's work revolves around illuminating the path to enriched human connections and fostering a more compassionate and understanding society, one relationship at a time. His dedication to personal growth, coupled with his commitment to empowering others, sets him apart as a true visionary in the field of relationship education.
Join my Announcements WhatsApp group: www.bit.ly/4fMV38H
See my Offerings page: www.exquisite.love/this
IG @scorpiodreaming & @exquisiteheartlove
Jan 5 🪢 Be: One Rope Play [Kink Store SF]
One Rope Play is a form of rope bondage that uses a single rope to explore the dance between holding and being held. Like in an exquisite dance, this practice focuses on following impulses to explore creativity, spontaneity, and connection. Perfect for both beginners and experienced riggers, One Rope Play emphasizes presence over technique. You’ll learn to move other bodies into positions that support the feelings of safety, security, and surrender, while flowing in and out of being bound.
You can come with someone and be partnered the entire time or come alone and the first half of the exercises partners can switch around, building trust and rapport with others until we dive into a full rope scene near the end. Rope will be provided but feel free to bring your own.
Bio:
Be (pronoun Be) is passionate about the intersection of embodied movement/dance, sensuality/sexuality and kink/BDSM. Be loves creating safe(r) spaces for play, exploration, growth and healing as a means of becoming more fully who we are.
Be has been creating these spaces for the last 16 years in the Bay Area through classes and events, always pushing the envelope of what’s possible to explore. From a range of 2nd base events, Womxn in Charge, Bi/Pan Playful, Dripping Womxn and classes/playshops such as Intro to Kink, G-spot ejaculation, Contactsage, Acrosage, Aquaprov, Rope Dance and One Rope Play.
Be brings 20 years of experience as a bodyworker that shows up through an embodied calming/nurturing presence. Along with 8 years of Somatica training for a deeper understanding of sex, intimacy and relationships.
Jan 12 🪢 Jim Donovan: Erotic Shadow Play: Accessing the Raw Power Beneath Your Shadow [Kink Store SF]
There's untamed power within you—a force that pulses with creativity, love, and unique gifts meant for the world. You've felt it before: moments when you're fully alive, unguarded, and authentically yourself. But more often, this power remains buried beneath layers of social conditioning and the need to belong.
We learn early to dim our brightness, to smooth our edges, to become palatable versions of ourselves. These protective strategies serve us, but they also cage the very essence that makes us extraordinary—the part of us that refuses to apologize for taking up space.
Your deepest gifts often hide in your shadow: the qualities you've rejected, the impulses you've suppressed, the parts of yourself you've deemed "too much." What if these rejected aspects hold the key to your most authentic power?
In this transformative workshop, we'll explore the dynamic relationship between personal power and erotic energy. Eros is the life force that drives creation, connection, and authentic expression. Through guided exercises, embodied movement, and shadow work, you'll discover how to channel this primal energy into self-expression for greater access to your power.
This is a clothes-on exploration designed to help you reclaim the playful, wild, and unapologetically powerful aspects of yourself. Come ready to move beyond the comfortable confines of who you think you should be and step into who you truly are.
What You'll Experience:
• Shadow Integration Techniques - Learn to identify and embrace the rejected parts of yourself that hold your greatest power
• Embodied Practices - Move beyond mental understanding into felt experience through conscious play
• Erotic Energy Channeling - Discover how to harness your life force energy for creative expression and authentic presence
• Authentic Power Mapping - Identify where you give your power away and develop strategies to reclaim it
• Playful Edge Exploration - Exercises to expand your comfort zone and access your raw vitality
• Supportive Community - Connect with like-minded individuals in a judgment-free environment
Come ready to unlock the fierce, creative, and unapologetically authentic version of yourself that's been waiting to emerge.
Bio:
Hi, I'm Jim Donovan, a consciousness explorer and healing facilitator. For over 20 years, I've worked as an executive coach and workshop facilitator, guiding people on their journey back to their authentic selves.
This work is deeply personal to me—I've navigated my own path through energetic repression, which ignited my passion for personal growth and transformation. What I've learned through my own healing journey, I now bring to others with compassion and understanding.
Erotic Shadow Play represents the culmination of my work—a powerful modality designed to help you access your raw, authentic power. What excites me most about this approach is its foundation in play. Through playful exploration, we can work through layers of repression, unlock our hidden gifts, and reconnect with who we truly are.
When we do this inner work, we don't just transform ourselves—we bring more of our authentic gifts to the world.
Learn more at primalenergetic.com
IG: @thejimdonovan
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jim.donovan.7528
Jan 19 🪢 Francesca Gentille: Dark Opal Tantric Puja [Kink Store SF]
A puja is an ancient Tantric ritual where you are guided through exquisite connections with others in a spirit of devotion. Dive deeply into your heart through sacred connections, sensual delights, energetic expansion and love. It is the ideal environment to explore passion & compassion.
Join Francesca for her Black Opal Puja to sample the sweet, savory & spicy delights Tantric Kink has to offer. Tantalize your senses, embrace heart expanding intimacy, coming home to wholeness, while getting high on energy itself.
Francesca will guide you through an evening exploring your heart, your energy, your sensations, your desires and a deeper connection with yourself and others. Combining the energy & breathwork of Tantra with the dance of power & surrender in Kink/BDSM.
The Black Opal Puja is an interactive experience where you will have the opportunity to enjoy guided exercises including breath work, energy play and conscious touch and be able to choose a variety of partners through the evening.
This event is LGBTQ positive and welcomes singles, couples and triads to join in the fun. Couples may choose to stay together if that feels the most important for them.
This is a sensual ~ PG rated event where we sensitively explore energy & touch. This is the perfect place to come and explore Tantra or Kink whether you're dipping your toes in for the first time or a reasoned pro!
Please bring:
• An item to contribute to our sacred altar
• Pillows to sit on and sarong/scarf
• And some finger food to share in the potluck tea.
• No toys are needed. Your body & energy are all the tools you need to ignite your partner.
Come dressed in something that makes you feel sacred and sexy
Bio:
Francesca Gentille is a certified clinical sexologist, Passionate Monogamy and Conscious Non-Monogamy coach, as well as a Tantric BDSM educator presenting at international BDSM conferences, event spaces & dungeons in San Francisco, Montreal, Rome, Puerto Rico, London, Dublin, Brussels, New Orleans, New York, Miami, Amsterdam, and Prague. She is a leading expert in the therapeutic use of BDSM and Tantra in recovery from trauma. She has researched and presented on Sex Workers and their Clients at The American Association of Sex Eductors, Counselors and Therapists. She is a Professor at the International Institute of Clinical Sexology. She is the founder of The Inner Aspect Method of archetypal sexual empowerment, and the co-creator of Shamanic Kink ~ the transformational soul of BDSM.
Learn more at ShamanicKink.com
IG: @francescagentille
FB: https://www.facebook.com/francesca.gentille/
Jan 26 🪢 Jason Rich: Sensual Wrestling: Discovering More Yum Within [Kink Store SF]
Sensual Wrestling is a somatic, transpersonal exploration where contact improv, playful grappling, and primal energy meet the charged dance of push–pull. It’s a space to awaken passion, curiosity, power, and erotic charge through body-to-body communication. We’ll be in continuous verbal and non-verbal dialogue with whoever you’re wrestling with, keeping the interaction attuned, consensual, and alive.
We’ll move along a spectrum of tension, sometimes soft and gentle and sometimes no so much while still embracing the importance of the soft nuances.
You’re welcome to come solo and build trust and rapport with new partners, or arrive with someone and stay paired throughout. Together, we’ll create a container where we get to play, purr, challenge, ignite, melt, growl and discover what emerges in a shared field of presenced touch.
Bio:
Jason is a practitioner who embraces the full spectrum of human sensation and experience. With 25+ years of bodywork practice, he integrates diverse modalities to support people in navigating the tensions, patterns, and internal conflicts that live in their bodies.
He does not avoid the dark—he engages it with curiosity and respect, holding space for the parts of ourselves that are often exiled or overlooked. His work invites people into deeper embodiment, emotional clarity, and authentic self-contact.
Jason has facilitated Sensual Wrestling for 4 years, some within solo workshops and at SoulPlay, FireLight, and other private events.
Feb 2 🪢 Eve Soboleva: The Body–Soul Alchemy: Transforming Shadow into Power [Kink Store SF]
Have you ever felt that wild surge of desire… only to tame it down to “be appropriate”?
Who hasn’t?
It’s time to reclaim what was once silenced. To dance with the parts of you that were turned down, criticized, or hidden away in the name of conformity.
On Monday, January 2, step into a consensual, judgment-free space where your sensuality and erotic nature are not only welcome—they’re celebrated.
This is your invitation to explore the core of your erotic soul essence and dare to express it somatically—through movement, breath, sound, and body language.
You’ll be gently guided through a series of solo, partnered, and group practices designed to un-tame your inner dragon and reconnect you to the raw pulse of your desire.
Previous participants describe this journey as:
Healing. Revealing. Liberating. Satisfying. And wildly fun.
In this immersive experience, you will:
• Share your body-mind and soul
truths without overthinking or needing to explain yourself
• Be seen, felt, and celebrated in your authentic, ever-evolving erotic expression
• Discover the beauty of radical self-acceptance and embodied freedom
• Move, laugh, groan, moan, and savor the vibrant aliveness within you
• Experience empathetic reciprocity—where your desires are met without judgment
• Indulge in the full spectrum of sensual playfulness and connection
• Meet kindred spirits and playful allies who resonate with your unique vibe
Let’s move, breathe, sound, and celebrate this passion for life—together.
Because your erotic aliveness is not something to hide—it’s your birthright to embody.
Bio:
Facilitated by Eve Soboleva
Transformational Muse | Leading Love & Intimacy Coach | Trauma-Informed Somatic Guide
Temple Creatrix in Hawaii & Bay Area | Expert in Light & Dark Play | 10+ Years of Facilitation
Eve is devoted to awakening Erotic Intelligence as the foundation for a passionate, connected life. A SunDancer on the Shamanic Sweet Medicine Path, she weaves deep embodiment, playful exploration, and soulful liberation into every experience she creates.
Feb 9 🪢 Glory Moonfire: The Tease: Undressing in Rope [Kink Store SF]
Join this beginner-friendly rope class to explore power exchange, teasing, and humiliation. With just a few key rope techniques, you can attach rope to clothing, expose bare skin and make your partner blush! We'll explore negotiation and boundary conversations to support mutual pleasure in the exploration of touch, exposure, and intimacy.
We’ll start with gentle partner exercises to foster trust and attunement, then move into a guided rope exploration. Through practicing presence and intentionality in the tying process, you will learn how rope is a tool for connection.
Come solo or with a partner. You’ll be invited to explore both tying and being tied, giving and receiving. We’ll rotate partners so you can learn from and connect with others in the room. Bring your own rope if you have it; loaner rope will be available.
Bio:
Glory Moonfire (they/she) is a non-binary rope switch and intimacy facilitator. Passionate about transforming culture in community, they have hosted many community gatherings focused on creativity, play, and loving outside the box. Their rope work is built on the belief that presence is the foundation for spiritual transformation in kink. Having studied depth psychology, somatic trauma healing modalities, and practiced in parts work and Andean shamanism, they bring a unique therapeutic and transpersonal lens to rope bondage.
They founded Bound to Rise with Daniel Moreh in 2023 and have since shared rope as a tool for connection in San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Los Angeles. Their rope art has been showcased throughout the Bay, including at the Annual Sexuality Fair at UCSF and VoxBody Studio in Oakland.
Explore private lessons and therapeutic sessions through Rope as Medicine:
https://www.ropeasmedicine.com/
Join Glory’s mailing list:
https://forms.gle/rhfsesknRLnS5qMP7
Hear about future Bound to Rise events:
https://forms.gle/oApBRG2Fe61BsJBT8
Feb 16 🪢 Heather Atles: Connection Lab [Kink Store SF]
The Connection Lab invites you to explore what it means to belong—through embodied presence, meaningful play, and brave little experiments in being human together.
This playful, low-pressure workshop is all about helping you feel seen, safe, and genuinely connected—without needing to overshare or perform.
Whether you’re craving deeper connection, want to meet new people, or just want to feel more like yourself in social spaces, this experience will meet you there with tools to move past the weather report and into authentic, sexy, soul-stirring connection.
What to Expect:
• Shift from autopilot into presence
• Loosen the grip of social anxiety or awkwardness
• Practice authentic, heart-centered communication
• Learn tools to create connection that feels nourishing, not draining
• Practice the art of being truly seen
• Turn awkward moments into connection gold
This isn't therapy or another lecture on communication. It's a living lab where you'll practice real skills with real people and walk away with both new friendships and tools you can use immediately.
Bio:
Heather Atles is a Relationship, Sex, and Intimacy Coach guiding individuals, couples, and groups into deeper connection, embodied sensuality, and authentic expression. Drawing from modalities such as Somatica, consent-based communication, breath work, and embodiment practices, she supports people in cultivating relationships that are vibrant, conscious, and deeply nourishing—both with themselves and others. Heather’s work blends emotional attunement, playfulness, and presence, helping people access more pleasure, clarity, and aliveness in their bodies and relationships. She creates spaces where tenderness is celebrated, desire is honored, and connection becomes a playful and transformative art.
Feb 23 🪢 Sascha Nicole: Wild Temple Touch: Elemental Somatics for Connection & Play (A Tantra–Ayurveda–Somatics fusion workshop) [Kink Store SF]
Wild Temple Touch is a playful, trauma-informed journey into touch as ritual and relational medicine. Drawing from Tantra, Ayurveda, and somatic movement, we’ll explore the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether – as living qualities of touch and presence. Through solo, partnered, and group practices, participants learn how to offer and receive touch that is grounding, fluid, clear, playful, and subtly attuned, within a sensual/non-sexual, consent-forward container. No experience is necessary; all bodies and identities are welcome.
Bio:
Sascha Nicole, CYT, AP is a clinical Ayurvedic therapist and Tantra practitioner devoted to the art of right relationship and embodied connection. Her work weaves somatic attunement, elemental energetics, and trauma-informed touch into healing experiences that feel grounding, playful, and deeply human.
Her facilitation invites a sensual presence- slow breath, subtle touch, and the dynamic intelligence of the body- while staying rooted in therapeutic clarity and consent. Sascha serves individuals, couples, and communities throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Colorado, guiding people into deeper intimacy with their bodies, their truth, and the pulse of relational presence.
Mar 2 🪢 Claire Rumore: Dancing the Erotic Blueprints: A Sensual, Embodied Exploration [Kink Store SF]
Activate and cultivate your erotic expression through the power of movement! In this dynamic and immersive experience, you'll discover, embody, and dance the five Erotic Blueprints—each with its own unique rhythm, energy, and sensual essence.
Through curated music and guided movement, you’ll explore:
🔥 The qualities, superpowers, and shadows of each Blueprint.
🎶 The music and movements that best activate each erotic archetype.
💃🏽 How to flow between one, two, and eventually all of the Erotic Blueprints, unlocking deeper pleasure, intimacy, and self-awareness.
By the end of this event, you’ll not only understand all 5 of the Erotic Blueprints (including the one(s) you’re most drawn to) —you’ll feel them, move them, and embody them in a way that transforms your relationships, your confidence, and even how you move on the dance floor and in life!
✨ No dance experience needed—just curiosity, playfulness, and a desire to explore your erotic energy through movement.
Bio:
Claire Rumore is an innovative intimacy coach, erotic educator, and conscious sexuality researcher based in the SF Bay Area. With expertise in the Erotic Blueprints, Urban Tantra, somatic sex coaching, and emotional intelligence, as well being as a lifelong dancer, she guides individuals and couples in exploring, embracing, and expressing their multidimensional sexual, spiritual, and relational selves. Through private coaching, local events, bespoke intensives, and personal retreats, Claire creates truly transformative experiences. She is also a co-creator of "Subtle Sexuality," a sexual orientation centered on slow, attuned intimacy.
Find out more at www.ClaireRumore.com and www.ExploreSubtleSexuality.com
Say hello at Hello@ClaireRumore.com
Mar 9 🪢 River & Chuck: Creating Your Sexual Menu: Discover and Describe your Biggest Turn-ons [Kink Store SF]
Come identify the emotional set and setting that holds the juiciest erotic charge for you so you get more of what you want in bed! You will discover your most arousing blend of words, touch, and energy. With this personalized erotic menu, you can communicate your desires to a partner and discover their erotic language in return. Expect embodiment, interaction, and fun!
Bio:
River Black is a Sacred Intimate and a Somatica-certified Sex and Relationship Coach with a practice in Berkeley, CA. As a sexual healer, she believes all bodies are sacred and conscious pleasure is a healing force. River teaches workshops on embodied boundaries, consent, and polyamory and frequently organizes Playing in the Dark erotic shadowplay workshops.
Chuck Rockey's passion is to empower people to bring more pleasure and sensuality into their lives. He combines lessons from the Somatica® Institute, the Orgasmic Meditation community, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and developmental psychology to teach about touch, emotional intimacy, and hidden routes to pleasure. As a facilitator, he is skilled at creating a container of safety, acceptance and eroticism that lays the ground for deep transformation and freedom. Chuck’s a certified Somatica Sex and Relationship Coach, Orgasmic Meditation Life Coach & Trainer, and NLP Master Practitioner.
Mar 16 🪢 Philippe Lewis: Attuned Spanking for Beginners [Kink Store SF]
It all begins slowly. Gently touching your person’s back and buttocks, feeling the response of their body, noticing muscle tone, softness and hardness, bones, skin… and sensations. As you attune and warm up their body to yours and yours to theirs, you begin to feel what they are feeling, delicately matching their nervous system, taking a hold of it with both hands, and guiding it on a ride to pleasure, intensity, and… subspace.
Spanking, when done well, creates a deep bond of relating between spanker and spankee. Through warming them up, checking in, and connecting with their whole body, trust is established, and slowly but surely, every part of them relaxes, opens up, and allows you to create a journey of sensation and pleasure like they have never felt before.
You know what you are doing, and you are doing it well. So well in fact, that they discover not only a new way to surrender, but also a new way to connect and be with you and with themselves.
Join us for a class and learn one of the oldest forms of sensation play in the world. And though it’s also one of the most popular forms of punishment too, you’ll learn to reclaim it and offer it as a beautiful and rewarding experience.
(Note: Please bring a willing spankee for you to practice with)
Bio:
Philippe is a passionate relationship educator and founder of Exquisite ❦ Love. With a mission to empower men and women in making informed and positive choices for themselves and their partners, Philippe guides individuals on transformative journeys to become sovereign beings through the art of connection, trust, consent, intimacy, and love. Drawing from the profound insights of attachment theory, he helps people explore the depths of human connection and understand the dynamics that shape their relationships.
Philippe's impact in the realm of personal growth and self-discovery extends far and wide. As a co-founder of The Journey to Secure, he fosters a supportive community of like-minded individuals on a shared path of growth and an earned attachment style. Additionally, his role as a coordinator with the International School of Temple Arts, showcases his dedication to fostering open-mindedness and personal exploration.
Over the years, Philippe has been instrumental in founding vibrant communities that tackle essential topics. The Open Relationship Community, the Attachment Community, and the Consent Community provide safe spaces for individuals to engage in emerging discussions, redefining societal norms, and promoting healthier relationship dynamics.
Philippe is also well known for the creation of a vast array of conscious play spaces and playground such as Club Exotica, Love Underground, The Erotic Playground, and the FireLight micro-festival, as well as embodiment spaces such as The Somatic Playground where participants can find and learn about how to relate with each other at all levels.
While Philippe's professional accomplishments are inspiring, he cherishes a role that brings him immense joy and growth - that of a proud and loving father to a 13-year-old teen. This cherished relationship teaches him the invaluable lessons of surrendering to love and embracing life more fully with each passing day.
Philippe's life's work revolves around illuminating the path to enriched human connections and fostering a more compassionate and understanding society, one relationship at a time. His dedication to personal growth, coupled with his commitment to empowering others, sets him apart as a true visionary in the field of relationship education.
Join my Announcements WhatsApp group: www.bit.ly/4fMV38H
See my Offerings page: www.exquisite.love/this
IG @scorpiodreaming & @exquisiteheartlove
Mar 23 🪢 Michael McDonald: Shadow Play [Kink Store SF]
There is wisdom within our darkness, past our identity and past our sense of right and wrong. When we look into and through our edges and conflicts we uncover nutrients that we’ve been unknowingly hiding from ourselves. And it’s a process that doesn’t have to be painful; it can be playful! Shadow Play, a Relational Alchemy experience, is an exploration of those shadows through connection, embodiment, and playfulness.
In this workshop we’ll experience and explore:
• Connecting deeply with each other, stepping into both trust and play
• Playing with your stories, rather than indulging or fighting or running away from them
• Using embodiment and process to playfully bring energies to life
• Meeting your shadows, what they really are, and the gifts they contain
Bio:
Michael McDonald is a transformational coach for visionary entrepreneurs, executives, and as a mentor to other coaches. With a style that’s part Mr. Rogers, part Inception, he helps leaders shift from conceptual to actual, from empowered to awakened, and from complexity to simplicity. His life’s work is to raise the consciousness of humanity, one conversation at a time. He is the creator of Relational Alchemy–the art of transformation through intimacy–and has been facilitating experiences in the Bay Area, at festivals, and for teams since 2011.
“Something awesome is trying to happen, and your job is to allow it.”
michael@authenticintegrity.com
Mar 30 🪢 Coco: KinkaTypes: Explore Your Many Wild Sides! [Kink Store SF]
Kinkatypes is an invitation to explore, be seen, and tend to your many wild sides. Through improv and connection games, you’ll honor, play with, and express different sides of yourself. This bold journey, should you choose to take it, gives permission to be more YOU (and have some freaking fun!), with the option to make it as kinky or fantastical as you’d damn like.
It’s about unearthing the many you’s inside of you so you can feel more belonging and vitality on this playground of life.
Enjoying these games with friends is fun, and you’re also welcome to come solo and make new friends when you’re here. We’d be lucky to have you (all the you’s) at coco’s kinky playground’s debut at Hit Me Up!
What inside yourself do you want to explore? Your inner brat? Teacher’s pet? Dominant? Goddess? Servant? Mischievous goblin? Angel? Needy simp? Come explore & play with me at the link store 3/30. Bring friends or make new ones there. 😀
Bio:
Meet coco - Goddess of play, Priestess of Power, Founder of SweetieSM.
I create kinky playgrounds where we learn the power of surrender, let those shunned parts shine, support couples deepen their connection, and inspire individuals to turn play into radical self love. Come join me. :)
Empowered through certifications and trainings in Authentic Relating, AcroYoga, Masters in Social Work, Shamanic Kink, Tantra Dance.
IG @cococonnects
You're awesome. Let's talk!
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