This month, two community members share their experience of our Brave New World of online courses and gatherings in the time of Covid. Sincere thanks to them both! Below there''s also news of the monthly continuance of the men''s program Bringing Pleasure Home, and details on the upcoming Town Hall meeting on transgender experience.
The Online Experience
Aislinn Canarr: From Skepticism to Joy
Moving from winter into spring with an eye on the schedule of Body Electric workshops, I looked forward to delving deep into my own work on eros, sexuality, and healing. I started the search for childcare so I could attend a weekend women's program in March. Then the country began shutting down because of Covid-19 and the workshop was rightly canceled. Still, I was disappointed. I had the energy to get started. Shortly after, BE began offering the special Sunday night series, and I attended as a way to keep my motivation and momentum going--and the price was right. At first I was shy and signed out before the small groups portion, but I could feel the power of the large group--folks I had never met before all gathered with the same purpose of supporting eros in our life.
When I saw the description for the online Art and Eros course, despite my burst of enthusiasm to sign up, still I hesitated. Could an online course really create the sense of cohesion, the sense of intimacy and vulnerability, that I would need in order to share and express myself? I am so incredibly grateful that I took the chance and registered. The instructors did a wonderful job of creating a safe container to share my art, which I had never done before.
As that course was ending, I knew a power could be created in a virtual experience. I registered for the women''s course Erotic Infusion to continue my journey of letting eros and joy and play lead my life. It was a powerful course, led by example, in allowing eros to permeate our lives. By sharing my experiences and the experiences of others, I was able to welcome the richness of eros into my grief, my rest, my pleasure, and my full self as I went through the world. These two courses have allowed me to open myself and integrate the principles into all of my life.
Despite my initial skepticism, these virtual events gave me the chance to connect with folks from all across the continent. I could afford overlapping courses since there were no traveling costs. I had access to multi-week experiences where I could learn and grow and use the material in my life. It was an incredible, worthwhile investment in myself and in the work of Body Electric. I look forward to the time when I can attend a Celebrating the Body Erotic workshop in person, but I know that my erotic journey need not wait, and I can find healing and great joy in the Body Electric online courses.
Adrian Schreiber: A Door Closes, and Another Opens
I first heard of Body Electric from a nude beach buddy of mine several years ago, who shared that a weekend workshop had been life-changing. After thirty-four years together, my husband passed away, and I entered a dark period devoid of sex. My friend''s comment stuck in my head like an ear worm, and finally I signed up for a weekend workshop in New York City.
Then COVID-19 brought everything down.
When Body Electric began online classes, I signed up for the Taoist Eroticism course. I began to get in touch with myself and rediscover my sexual energies. I came to understand that I could not begin to relate to another person sexually if I could not relate to myself. That realization, the wonderful structured breathing exercises, and learning how to do a Big Draw awakened me to possibilities of orgasm which I had not experienced previously. (My Big Draws are not always earth-shattering experiences, but sometimes I experience a completeness which I yearn to share with others.)
Other online experiences like the weekly Heart Circles and Bringing Pleasure Home with Steve Schwartzberg have introduced me to a community of men whom I could not otherwise have met--a community of sharing with no judgment as to age, etc., and a willingness to share our sexuality.
An in-person workshop lets us interact with a small group of men, but one of the singular benefits of online events has been the chance to participate in a wider and more diverse circle, and the depth of connections can be surprising. Despite my initial wariness of being paired randomly with a buddy at the start of Taoist Eroticism, he and I formed a bond, and we still remain in touch frequently. I''ve now encountered others in breakout groups more than once and have come to recognize them as friends. It's a pleasure to see them and hear their comments during the sessions, further cementing our sense of community.
I can't wait for the opportunity to share with them in person.
Bringing Pleasure Home: Full Moon Self-Pleasure and Big Draw
"Quarantine at its best"--that''s how one past participant described Bringing Pleasure Home, the self-pleasuring experience led by Steve Schwartzberg that''s become a staple of BE''s online men''s programming during the pandemic. It''s an opportunity to re-spark the conscious full-body joy of a BE gathering in the intimacy of your own home.
This 2.25 hour session, for men who have already completed at least one in-person BE workshop or the online Taoist Eroticism course, takes you through a guided journey of self-pleasuring touch and breathwork, culminating in a shared big draw. The workshop includes beloved Body Electric traditions such as one-on-one sharing, a disrobing ritual, and setting an intention. This workshop is designed for solo self-pleasuring, but if you are sheltering in place with an erotic partner, they can register as well -- you can easily turn the journey into a massage or shared experience.
Going forward, Steve will lead Bringing Pleasure Home monthly as a Full Moon offering, so mark your calendar for Monday August 3 and Tuesday September 1 at 7 p.m. EDT. You can register for August 3 here: https://www.bodyelectric.org/event-3868512.
The Transgender Experience
Everyone is welcome to a Body Electric Town Hall meeting focusing on the Transgender Experience. Transgender issues are complex and new to many people. Come and hear from a panel of transgender and non-binary Body Electric community members as they share their personal experiences and insights.
What is the experience of someone who is transgender participating in a BE workshop?
How can the BE community stretch to be more welcoming and skillful in meeting the needs of transgender participants?
How can we become better allies to transgender people?
We hope that by attending this event, you will gain greater understanding and learn how to better support the transgender community and trans people in your life. Trans Lives Matter.
This free community event will take place this Sunday, July 26, 8:00-9:30 p.m. EDT. You can register here: https://www.bodyelectric.org/event-3903108.
Introducing Our Local Coordinators: JoJo Bear (Bay Area)
In my body and out of my head!!
When I was 10 or 11, growing up in Brooklyn, I loved getting the other boys on my block to come over to my basement, where we''d all get naked and dance around. I''d put music on my small record player, and depending on the season, we''d remove our heavy clothing, our summer shorts, or even our Boy Scout uniforms. I enjoyed playing the ring leader. Those playful, innocent encounters were not only erotic but a discovery and exploration of freedom.
That is, until my overbearing Sicilian mother found us, and in the flood of embarrassment I concocted an elaborate lie to conceal the shame and guilt of being "found out." That moment stayed with me for years.
It's no coincidence that many years later, I''d be attracted to coordinating and facilitating for grown men. My journey had begun years before I could realize. I just had some uncovering to do to lead me up to this point.
Today, after a long road of much sexual, emotional, and physical work, I''ve come to realize how alive it makes me feel to hold space for people looking for liberation around their sexuality.
My journey started to open up even more learning from teachers like Joseph Kramer, Caffyn Jesse, David Cates and Betty Martin. Then somehow, I just got pulled into the Body Electric family. I felt like the long-lost cousin being welcomed in. I took my first CBE, then coordinated my first CBE. Now on my journey toward being a teacher for the Body Electric School, I feel so at home with my long-lost family, the risk-takers, the creators, the explorers.
And today the worry of mom coming into the room is only a memory!
You can read more about me and my work at www.metamorphicembodiment.com
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Click on the photo below to hear from JoJo talk about the Wheel of Consent! 
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