Polywood 2019

Workshops:

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Acroyoga

Acroyoga is a movement practice that combines yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutics. Practicing Acroyoga can improve body awareness, communication, self-confidence, and trust in yourself and others. Improved strength and flexibility are some other benefits that come with the practice but with a focus on play and connection you won’t notice you are getting a work out. During this 90 minute playshop you will learn several level 1 poses and some foundations of AcroYoga in a playful and safe environment. We will warm up with games, exercises, and fun drills, followed by accessible progressions into the level 1 poses. Everyone will be invited try all roles and to try new things. Come ready to move and play! This playshop is targeted at people with little or no experience in Acroyoga and to those looking to refine their level 1 techniques.

**SUITABLE TO ALL LEVELS - no previous experience in Acroyoga or yoga needed

** NO NEED TO BRING A PARTNER

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Children’s Art Show

Come see the creative works of the children of Polywood at the new Art Show! See what the kids have created through teamwork and mingle with other art appreciators.

 

Communal Potluck Meet & Greet

A Polywood tradition! Join us at the Standing Stone fire-pit to kick off the weekend with good food, good drinks, and good people. Polywood organizers will be providing a selection of wine, including tasty creations from our friends at Mountain Gold Meadery, non-alcoholic beverages, and some snacks. Additional edible contributions are always appreciated.

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Cuddle Party

Psykhe will be hosting an adults only cuddle party. This will be a consent mandatory, alcohol-free place to engage in PG-rated cuddles and puppy piles. Wear your pyjamas (think comfy, not sexy), bring any pillows or stuffies you desire, and relax, chat, share a back rub or other welcome touch, cuddle, or just hang out. This will be an opportunity to enjoy amazing conversations, to touch, to be touched, to have fun, to practice asking for what you want, to practice saying “no” to what you don’t want — all in a setting structured to be a safe place for exploration and enjoyment.

 

Embracing Anarchy: How Throwing Away the Rule-Book Can Lead to More Satisfying Relationships

Relationships, whether they are with family, friends, coworkers, partners or our own self, and whether they are romantic, sexual or platonic, are an important crucible in which we discover and shape our identities and a crucial part of a life well-lived and worth living. Because relationships are so important, we have created and maintain a variety of formal and informal systems, rules and guidelines for how to be in relationship with one another. While some rules are helpful (e.g. don’t lie, cheat or steal), others can seem more arbitrary, and may lead to more confusion, hurt and missed opportunities than they aim to prevent. Relationship Anarchy (RA) aims to do away with the various rulebooks and our mental models for relationships and instead focusing on small set of clear core values that can help enhance any relationship. In this facilitated discussion, we will explore RA's core concepts, share ideas, experiences, and tools to help strengthen our relationships.

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Family Yoga

Join Stef Caissie for an all ages yoga style class for the entire family. We will have fun with yoga poses with animal themes, breathing exercises, light meditation/humming and relaxation. Allowing parents and children to experience dynamic play together, for a deeper connection. Suitable for children and adult/children aged 4-108.

 

Family Acroyoga

Do you love to climb all over your parents like a jungle gym? Come learn new ways to connect and embrace your love of movement. Together, you and your parent (or older friend) will play, explore, and bond with new poses and fun movement activities. Take playing “Airplane” to the next level! This workshop combines games, yoga, and Acroyoga and is intended for children ages (6-12) and their parents (18+). Children, please bring an adult with you.

 

Flying Solo: The benefits and struggles of practising solo polyamory

Does the idea of living with your partner(s) make you uneasy? Do you feel guilty about needing a lot of alone time when in a relationship? If so, then this workshop is for you!
In a supportive non-judgemental group setting, we’ll go through what it means to be solo poly, and how it differs from other forms of ethically non monogamous relationships.

 

GSpots & PSpots & Sex Toys, Oh My!

This workshop will cover erogenous zones and orgasms of all gender identities, and how to choose quality, body-safe accessories for different types of sensual/sexual play. Covering sexual aspects of both cis and trans folx, this unique workshop normalizes sex equally among all genders and orientations.

 

HAI Mini Workshop

Join us for a beautiful 2.5 hour experiential workshop (exercises & group sharing) to explore ways of increasing intimacy and connection in our lives; communication tools to take to our partners, relationships, children, workplace and family lives.

Attending a mini workshop is a great way to get a taste of what the Human Awareness Institute (HAI) has to offer with these key themes:

~ Love, intimate and sexual relationships
~ Partnership, communication and being happy with others
~ Improving body image to improve your relationships
~ Making healthy relationship choices for you
~ Finding love, being honest and creating intimacy
~ Safety: How can we create safety around us so that we can be ourselves, where our vulnerability will be honoured?
~ Choice: How often do we relinquish our choice and do "what is expected of us?" The workshop helps us examine our relationships to choice, how we can increase our awareness of choice, and expand our choices in our day-to-day lives
~ Communication: The exercises look at focus, active listening, responding without fixing and sharing quality time
~ Intimacy: What is love, What is Intimacy? What are we saying when we hug? What is the person saying who is hugging us? How can we make a space of safety for people to express themselves?

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Hatha Yoga for all ages and experience

We will flow through gentle yoga poses with strong focus on breath and how it connects to the mind/body experience. Utilizing sacred sounds to bring us deeper into our core selves while merging our voices into a collective whole. Light meditation followed by deep relaxation to allow us to completely release all of our cares and worries to settle back into our natural state of Being.

 

Informal Social / Land Tours

Have you registered and set up your camp site? Pop over to Cloud 9 (big white tent near the Standing Stone) to meet some fellow campers,. Or embark on a walking tour of the land to learn more about Raven’s Knoll and all she has to offer.

 

Leaning into Difficult Relationships and Hard Conversations

How do we ground ourselves in our needs, desires, and power in the face of our own fears, others’ judgement, disapproval, and hostility? This workshop will explore communication and self-awareness, and relationship building strategies as we navigate relationships with those we love or want to be closer to.

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Living ethically non monogamous

Ethical non monogamy is practiced in a variety of different ways. We all have our own unique way of living a non monogamous identity and/or lifestyle and have learned what works and doesn't work for each of us. What makes non monogamy ethical? What makes non monogamy unethical? What can each of us share with others regarding our life living non monogamously? Please come and join in on an interactive discussion and share your thoughts and feelings.

 

Nesting Partners, Friends and Others: Things to Think about before Co-Housing

From saving money to saving the planet, there are so many reasons to live together. Are you thinking about moving in with friends, partner(s) or even complete strangers? Make sure your reasons match up with theirs, and that everyone knows what they’re getting into. Let’s talk about some key things to consider before taking the big step.

 

Poly 101

What is polyamory? How does it work? How is it not just cheating? Is it the same thing as swinging or polygamy? What's a “Triad”? Don't you ever get jealous? How can you build solid, healthy relationships that work? Join us to explore answers to these questions and more in this introduction for those new to poly and those curious about what polyamory is and isn't.

 

Poly ABCs

What are they and how can your relationships benefit from them? In this panel, we will discuss different types of agreements and contracts as well things to consider when establishing boundaries. Topics will include negotiation, check-ins, defining your terms, examples of contracts, and more.

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Polycule IMPROV-ments

Being in multiple relationships often thrusts us into uncharted territories and unexpected social situations. Improvisation helps us develop and hone our creative thinking, collaboration, communication. our ability to perceive and understand different perspectives, and so much more. Is this just a thinly veiled excuse to play improv theatre games? Is it an opportunity to develop and reflect on how improv can enhance our polycules? In true poly fashion, Why not both? Play. Laugh. Learn. No previous experience required.

 

Polywood Closing

We can’t run away and live in the woods forever (we checked); eventually, we go home. And so it goes with our weekend away in Polywood. Join us to close out the weekend with one last gathering with friends new and old … until we meet again.

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Polywood Opening / Welcome Message

Join us at the Standing Stone for the official opening of Polywood. Meet the event organizers and staff and learn about the upcoming weekend.

 

Q&A with L&J

You gotta love these poly conferences... So much insight and experience to gain! And yet sometimes you still leave with more questions than answers. Let's face it - you can't cover it all in one weekend! Our workshop will try to fill some of those gaps.

Take part in an on-the-spot Q&A, forged in the collective learnings we've all had at Polywood past and present. We have index cards of questions we have received from past participants to discuss in a round table setting. There will be a spot set up throughout the weekend for anonymous questions or feel free to approach us in person. We don't bite... Unless you ask nicely..

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Relationship Escalator

“Is this relationship going anywhere?” If you’ve heard this cliché (or perhaps thought or said it yourself): welcome to the relationship escalator. This workshop will cover what the Relationship Escalator is and how it can affect poly relationships.

 

Sacred Sexuality + Tantric Intimacy

In a safe and welcoming space that respects boundaries, explore your curiosities and learn tantric tools to experience your body as sacred, sexual, and powerful. This class will offer tantric tools and techniques to: Expand your capacity for pleasure, awareness and sensation Empower your truth - practice asking for what you want, and honoring your no Create a sacred sexual experience + deepen intimacy and authenticity in relationships We'll begin with a welcoming circle to create establish a safe space to explore with confidence and support. Relax with a guided grounding meditation before we tease apart social norms and have open conversations around sex, intimacy, love, and relationships. Through non-sexual, guided exercises practice presence, curiosity, and mindfulness. You'll takeaway practices and wisdom you can incorporate in your daily 

life including: Communication technologies for healthy relationships How to create a sacred space for deeper intimacy Introduction to the Modalities of touch and 7 types of intimacy Open to ALL genders, orientations, lifestyles, and experience levels.

 

Sex Worker Q and A

Sex work is the world's oldest profession and one of the least protected trades. Hear from two people who have spent years in the industry about their experience. They will share how they stayed safe, the effect it had on their relationships, and how one retired. Additional topics covered will be diversity within the industry and the effect of the newest laws.

 

Subversive: Power Dynamics in Polyamorous Relationships

Ever wondered about how to manage the different degrees of power and privilege in your multiple relationships? Maybe you just want to exchange power sexily in the bedroom and want tips on how to do it anti-oppressively? If so, this workshop is for you! Using discussion and activities, we'll go beyond just recognizing our privileges and explore ways to leverage them for our paramours and metamours, and use power in ways that are consensual and pleasurable for the folks involved. Note: A pre-requisite understanding of anti-oppression principles are encouraged for taking this workshop, but not mandatory.

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