ABOUT COURSE

How can we engage with porn in more authentic and creative ways rather than behaviours which are compulsive and limiting?
How can we truly understand the shadow side of our compulsions?
How can we turn patterns of shame and guilt into an engine for personal transformation and growth?

As a society, we have done a great job at demonising porn, often blaming it for the many woes of male sexuality. Yet its use continues its stubborn and steady rise, maintaining its position as most searched content on the web, and rising sharply in a time of when the use of digital media and self-isolation have reached an ultimate high.

This 4-week course is part 1 of a larger series which aims to help men engage with porn in a more authentic way.
We begin by unravelling modern ideas of pornography and opening ourselves up to other pathways for exploration.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE? 
The story of pornography expands well beyond today’s scrollable feeds of 90-second explosive clips. As a medium, it would have begun almost 30000 years in the form of ancient statues of sexual depictions, most famously that of Venus de Willendorf.

Over time, the most influential civilisations in history used it in very different ways to us.
In ancient Greece, images of sexuality (including homosexuality) were immortalised on ceramic plates, bowls, cups and plaques as a way of celebrating the human body as a tool of creative intelligence.
In Ancient Egypt, old papyrus which depicted scenes of sexuality were created as offerings and prayers to the Gods.

The digitalisation of porn in the mid 1990’s changed everything, increasing accessibility in a way that shifted our relationship to sexual spontaneity and creativity.
While some of us will identify as sex or porn “addicts” most of us operate in a mode known as “functional coping” in which we are not quite addicted to porn but have habits in which we use it as a regular coping mechanism allow us to operate in our daily life.

This course believes we should not try to “tune out” porn, but rather understand what is behind our habits and using it as an entry point for a journey of self-exploration and personal growth and transformation.

WHY WE USE PORN? 
An easy escape mechanism when faced with a challenge.
A coping mechanism to offer us dopamine hits when things get hard.
A place to find acceptance, love, aliveness and a semblance of connection.

Beyond ideas of sexuality, these concerns expand to the entire digital realm.
In an age of social media, we have become distracted from the depths of who we are.
We have become disconnected from our deepest inner mystery.

The focus of this programme is use porn use as the starting point of a rich process of discovery, exploration and awakening that can kick-start a transformative process, even integrating it in our use of Eros as a spiritual practice.
This series has is Part 1 of a 4-part series which plays with the following themes:Read More

SESSION LAYOUT: 

• Participants receive access to 4 weekly 120-minute group sessions each including the following:

  • Introduction: A short introductory lecture offering valid information about the various topics including neurology, somatic body work, and energy.

  • There will also be a compassionate and non-judgemental sharing and Q&A circle in which each participant can share their context and challenges.

  • A guided meditative practice: As a group we will dive into a group practice including elements of breath, sound, movement and optional self-pleasuring. This will allow us to drop below our patterns and narratives and awaken more deeply intelligent responses. We will awaken a connection to our highest power and allow it to come forward.

  • Energy transmission: Shamanic teaching happens by energetic transmission. Simply by setting a focused intention for our space, we will be supported by energies that can support our transformation.

• At the end of each session, participants will leave each session with suggestions of practices and exercises that can be done at home to integrate this practice into our daily life.

• Participants who which to continue the journey can continue for part 2 of the journey.