Polywood 2025
TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
Polyamory 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 polyamory and those curious and want to deepen their understanding of this lifestyle. Our talk is here to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to understand and navigate this complex and rewarding way of life. Intended Audience: Anyone new to polyamory who is unfamiliar with commonly used terms and concepts.
Poly ABCs (Agreements, Boundaries, and Contracts)
In polyamorous relationships, clear communication and mutual understanding are essential for maintaining healthy and fulfilling connections. That's why we're excited to offer our talk on agreements, boundaries, and contracts in polyamorous relationships. 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 as things to consider when establishing boundaries. You'll learn how to create clear and concise agreements that outline the expectations and responsibilities of all parties, while also allowing for flexibility and growth within your relationships.Whether you're new to polyamory or have been practicing for years, this workshop will provide you with valuable insights and skills that you can apply in your own relationships. Topics will include negotiation, check-ins, defining your terms, and more. Intended Audience: Anyone new to polyamory or to making agreements in intimate relationships.
Owning and Integrating our Jealousies
Experiencing jealousy does not mean you’re doing polyamory wrong, it just means you’re human, and quite normal at that! Join me for an opportunity to reflect on what jealousy is, how it can appear in our lives, tips for navigating themes moments, and some mini exercises to help gel the whole. The information shared will be grounded in somatic teachings, mindfulness and communication. The exercises will be extrapolated from workshops led by “Authentic Relating Ottawa” (no relation to myself or this workshop) and content described in Kathy Labriola’s “The Jealousy Workbook”. This workshop will involve partnered role-playing/sharing exercises. Intended Audience:You may be most interested in this workshop if you are newer to ethical non-monogamy, experiencing jealousy with current partners, about to open up (ie: new partners) or change your relationship agreements. Jealousy is a feeling we (practically) all experience at one time or another but if even if you’re one of those rare few you may appreciate this workshop to help better support your partners (who are probably going to feel jealous at some point).
Comparisons in Polyamory
Comparison is the thief of joy, but it can also steal away our sense of who we are and what we want romantically. In this 90-minute series of group discussions, we’ll examine how our own patterns of comparison, conscious or otherwise, affect our intimate relationships. Whether they’re raising us up on high or casting us down into the dirt, internalized comparisons can get in the way of us treating both others and ourselves with the compassion and respect we deserve. We’ll build toward identifying what healthy self-focus can look like for us and naming the ways it can help our relationships flourish. Intended audience: This workshop is accessible to everyone, no matter their familiarity or experience with polyamory. The themes we’re discussing can be as valuable in friendships and families as they are in polyamory
Managing Shifts in Polycule Size
Some poly people value new connections that they add frequently. Others prefer the comfort of established bonds and find new connections stressful and unsettling. Each can find the other’s preference uncomfortable: people who want to introduce more connections can feel restricted if they can’t explore that want, or they may worry about the feelings that crop up when a new paramour settles into an established romantic group. Meanwhile, those who have a lower tolerance for newness can find frequent shifts in the composition of their romantic group challenging to their security with their partner and within the group. In this workshop, we discuss the ways that introducing new partners and metamours can shift the dynamics of a romantic group. We’ll cover the experience of a new person joining an established group, the member of a group who’s introducing a new partner, and finally a person whose group is shifting around them due to decisions by other members. In each case, we’ll talk about common pitfalls, misconceptions and challenges faced by everyone involved. Intended audience: People already familiar with the basic concepts of polyamory
Breaking the piggy bank: Transitioning a relationship from monogamy to polyamory
Many people come to polyamory by transitioning a monogamous relationship to a polyamorous one. This can be a wonderful experience, but there are many pitfalls and struggles in doing so. Breaking the piggy bank is about the ways in which this can go badly, the ways it can go well, and the mindset shift that is needed to make it all work smoothly. This will be a guided discussion about how best to navigate this transition, and will ask participants to think about the things in their lives that should change which are not necessarily obvious at the outset. Intended audience: adults who are interested in polyamory, or working on transitioning to it. Anyone is welcome, but the discussion will include sexual topics to a limited degree, to outline some of the challenges that opening up a relationship has.
Open Your Hearts to Intimacy
This workshop will explore ways of increasing intimacy in our lives. Participants will have the opportunity to practice different ways of communicating, through words, eye contact and touch (all with consent!) We will look at how we create safety for ourselves and for others, and how we make choices in our everyday lives. This workshop aims to provide a safe space to explore love and intimacy, to learn ways of speaking and sharing from the heart, and how to bring more love and connectedness into all of our relationships. This workshop will involve some movement, including standing. However, mobility issues can be accommodated. The nature of the workshop makes the arrival of latecomers rather disruptive, so please be on time as late entry may not be allowed. Intended audience: This workshop is open to anyone over 18. We encourage folks to attend, even if they have attended previous offerings of this workshop, as it’s a different experience every time
EVENTS
Meet and Greet Potluck
A Polywood tradition! We kick off the weekend with an informal meet and greet where you will meet the Polywood organizers and staff and get to know your fellow attendees. And what better way to begin the sharing and community building than with a potluck! Feel free to bring a dish, snacks, or drinks to share.
Cuddle Party
Event organizers 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 pajamas (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.
GAMES
Why Yes - Ice breaker game
From the book “F*ck No!: How to Stop Saying Yes When You Can't, You Shouldn't, or You Just Don't Want To” by Sarah Knight, this ice-breaker game invites you to look at the reasons why you say yes when you really mean no. How does it work? You'll be invited to answer some scenario-type questions, which will then be tallied and scored, followed by a discussion around the results. Why does this matter even more in polyamory? We often say "yes" when we mean "no" because of fear of disappointing others, or a desire to avoid conflict. While it might seem like the easier path, this habit can lead to resentment and stress.
Truth or Drink - Ice breaker game
Join us around a fire for Truth or Drink: Polywood Edition! This game is great for getting to know people in a casual atmosphere, and no alcohol is required. It involves asking a question off a card to one person, two people, or the whole group, and picking the most interesting answer. Questions range from mild to wild with 4 different levels to choose from! If you are asked something you don't want to answer, take a drink. This can be any beverage you choose. Due to the nature of some of the questions, this game is best for participants aged 18+