Cacao & Rope - Spring Edition

Cacao Ceremony with The Art of Rope

❤️

Welcome to an afternoon of heart opening and rope bonding exploration.  

A half day retreat focusing on embodiment, sensuality and connection with yourself and others in an intimate and loving way. 

Sense-uality: Presence and embodiment- being with ourselves, sensing what is within and how it feels inwardly when engaging with Rope externally. 

Somatic practices meets rope bondage. 

This is a very unique workshop put together by two humans who saw an opportunity to blend their expertise to create a wholesome, nurturing, playful and intimate container combining Anouska's many years of experience holding spaces ceremonially guiding embodiment and intimacy, and Avis years of experience with rope tying… 

and so we dreamt up a space for people to explore the deep depths of what is happening on a cellular level when we slow down, when we stay totally present with the experience,  come at it from an embodied place and learn to speak with clarity and confidence in what we want and need. 

This is about being held in rope. 

This is learning the art of rope. 

This is about deep connection to yourself. 

This is about connecting to others with clarity, boundaries & trust. 

This is a LGBTQIA+ friendly event. Welcoming all ages 18+

For ALL GENDERS, welcoming singles and couples. 🏳️‍🌈

What to expect:

A warm welcome from your two hosts Avi and Anouska into a cosy, safe, playful, heart centred, and explorative container.

We will gather in circle to drop in and meet and greet all who have gathered together for this afternoon of delights.

We will sip the glorious Cacao and drop deeply into the poetry and art of rope together.

This event is about radically and truthfully honouring yourself, your desires and fears, your needs, and your boundaries. It's about tuning into yourself, to surrender, to all that moves through your body when you give yourself over to rope and another.

It's about daring yourself to be vulnerable, to be witnessed and to witness others also.

This evening, we will be holding:

• A Cacao and opening ceremony
• A talking circle (meet and greet, intention setting)
• An introduction to the hosts
• Talk on boundaries and consent.
• A guided somatic homecoming (meditation journey)
• An introduction to Rope and 2 starter knots.
• Self-Tie Rope play
• Demo Rope Tie
• Partner rope play
• Integration & closing circle
• social jam free time

About your hosts:

Both hosts are motivated to creating workshops to bring people together and deepen their connection to self and community.

Anouska is an Embodiment coach,  Retreat Facilitator & Creator of ‘The Red Tent Movement’.

She is a space holder for all things to do with embodiment, returning to cyclical ways, communication & Empowerment. She strongly believes when we lean into our edges and emotions we create more space for ourselves to blossom and expand into our full being. She is aware we are all made up of different parts and that in moments we can abandon parts of ourselves to refrain from drama, conflict or abandonment with others- she is passionate about creating a relationship with all parts of ourselves so that we prevent that from happening in the moments that matter. In this workshop we connect to parts deep within to assure all of you in welcome and present in this space. 

She is trained in trauma response and aware that this work can be playful and it can also bring up a lot for some people. This event for her is about learning how to be truly in your body, even through icky sticky feelings. It is about being true to yourself and speaking from an embodied and empowered place.  All emotions are welcome. 

   Avi is a part time rope artist and rigger. She trained in Drama with Physical Theatre before discovering the world of kink and the art of rope.

Experienced in BDSM she spent time apprenticing and working as a dominatrix before she discovered Shibari is 2013 falling in love with the art form. It had everything she wanted from it as a performance medium, an experience both in and out of rope and way to connect with people.

Shibari, also known as Japanese Rope Bondage it means 'to tie'. Since her style is not traditional, she prefers to say that she does rope and will both model and tie switching between the two.

Her style is a mish-mash of influences as has had the great fortune to do workshops with many international practitioners either as they passed through the UK or as she travelled.

She has performed and taught workshops around the world including Singapore, Sweden, Estonia, Cyprus, Berlin and across the UK.

Avi took a break from the scene and only recently came back to it by teaching at Burning Woman 2023. Bringing something different than her usual workshops, to an audience with no experience with rope. She focussed on the bit that matters most to her: connection and self. Knowing yourself and setting your boundaries is so important, especially as a woman, making that conscious decision to surrender or take what is offered, learn to communicate and read others. Rope facilities this and opens you up to power and vulnerability at the same time.

Rope Release - a process developed by Avi, with the focus being on letting the rope release you from shame or judgement, go into yourself and face where you are in this moment. As the rope ties you it is holding you, taking you on a journey and as it comes off you are released.

We as facilitators are here and ready to hold whatever comes up. We welcome all releases and emotions. Whether you've been tying for years or are a total beginner, we have shaped this evening to offer you something unique and soulful.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions to:

Avi - avianarope@gmail.com
Anouska - anouskacox@gmail.com

Instagram:

Avi.Rope - Avi's Private Account
Rope.Release -Avi's Public Account
Anouska.Zankhana - Anouskas public account. 

Consent and Boundaries are key tools within this work:
Consent. Part of our workshop is discussing boundaries and consent. 
As you arrive, we will ask you to sign in, we have created a consent form asking you to agree to keeping yourself safe and communicating as you need to.
 Our Ethos - Radical Self Responsibility & Self Empowerment, Total Body Sovereignty, Full Confidentiality and commitment to self.    

What will you need?

• Comfy Clothes - Layers are good as its still winter but will get warmer as we hope to have the fire on!
• water bottle
• blanket for extra comfort
• back support if you need it as we will be on the floor a lot of the time
• snacks for if you get peckish (there will be some fruits and of course cacao)
• Anything you might want for aftercare

At this specific workshops we do not welcome full nudity so that it creates a feeling of more safety for everyone.  

I will of course have rope for you all to borrow, but if you have your own you are welcome to use it. 

We are very much looking forward to seeing you 

Avi & Anouska