Dear Community,

I have the opportunity to complete an 8 month intensive training held by the UK-based 

Sea School of Embodiment to become a certified somatic sex educator. The word somatic comes from the Greek word "soma" which means "the living body," so this approach to sex education focuses on helping clients access the living wisdom and guidance of the actual felt sensations in the body to create and reclaim a fully embodied, empowered sexuality.  

 Here’s a link to the school for anyone curious to check it out: https://www.seaschoolofembodiment.com/

Any money raised will go towards the cost of tuition and a one month sabbatical from work/travel costs/lodging for the in-person portion of the training in Portugal, May/June of 2022.  It will also help cover bills while I pull back from full time massage for studies and practicum.

For me this work is about Re-Membering (in our actual bodies) our royalty and self-worth, which in turn doesn’t leave much room for patterns of chronic stress or being so hard on ourselves. 

 A few of the things I'd like to offer out of this education are:

•Therapeutic, conscious touch/massage for the pelvic floor including post-surgical and scar tissue remediation. 

•Facilitation of safe spaces for people to work through shame and any numbness or dissociation in their bodies.

•With continuing education I'd like to help people unwind and heal sexual trauma in the body.

•Self-esteem/sex education groups for adolescents, teenagers and young adults:

We talk about our young people losing their innocence when they have first sexual encounters, on the contrary I believe they lose it when they learn to fear, suppress, or feel shame around their sexual feelings.  I've come to understand innocence as an "original inner knowing" of our true nature; a deep self and body-affirming knowledge of the life-generating power our bodies hold at their core. When our young people know, respect, and value their sexual selves, this inner knowing/innocence functions as an "innoc"-ulation against low self-esteem, shame, and the abusive side of sex in our culture.

•In general I just want to roll out the Red Carpet in our communities for celebration of our sensual erotic selves and the holy wonder and pleasure of being in a human body!! 

This feels like a big step forward into my heart's deepest passion. Thank you for considering supporting me in this way.

With love and gratitude, 

Annie J