Connective Touch

The act of physically touching or being touched is one of the most intimate experiences that we have of making connection with another person.  From infancy, being touched is an essential part of our being alive and thriving.  Despite  its importance, we rarely take the opportunity to learn and talk about  what we experience in touching and to recognize the kind of connection that we make with another in the process. 

Each of us has a unique  experience of touch.  We respond to touch in so many different ways within ourselves.  We either open or defend, relax or tighten, we can be in our bodies or be completely removed from the experience.  We can be in fear or feel completely nurtured.  We can be in our roles as bodyworkers or caregivers and be distant from our experience of connecting with another, or we can merge with another and loose our sense of location.

So touch is a way to see into ourselves with the possibility of making contact with another in a vulnerable and caring way.  It has the possibility to heal long held wounds, and to nurture our spirit in a loving way.

This workshop is an opportunity to explore how we are in touching, in a safe and non-sexual arena. You will learn:

• Breathing exercises to come in contact with your body
• How touching can be an "into- me -see" kind of exploration
• To see, acknowledge and explore possibilities of what happens for you in your body
• To learn and appreciate how touch is a form of communication between two people
• To experience and learn from our various boundaries, respecting both our defenses and our opening
• our physiological responses to various kinds of touch, how various parts of our anatomy respond to touch
• our psychological responses, both open and defended, that form and are part of our character
• How we block and how we open in our experience of another and learn to value both experiences
• If you are working with bodies either as a bodywork practitioner or Haven intern, how to use your own body knowledge to make contact with someone contributing to a healing process

Format: The learning will be done in an atmosphere of safety, while learning to notice and define your own boundaries. In this workshop, a "no" is equally important as a "yes". This workshop is not about exploration of sexual touching.

Faculty: Jane Olynyk, Gillian Enright

2012 Dates

Look for this program to be offered again.

Tuition: $555.00 (Accommodation and meals extra.)

Early Bird Tuition: $495.00 if you register and pay in full at least two weeks in advance.

Accommodation and Meals
The Haven offers a range of comfortable rooms and suites. All accommodation is designed to be shared by two or more people, though private rates are available. We make every effort to meet the needs of all our guests, but cannot guarantee specific rooms. Rates include three buffet-style meals per day.

There are three types of room: Basic, Forest view, and Ocean view.
Find out more about accommodations.