RITUALS: An Experience of Life and Death Through Power, Rejection, and Surrender

Welcome to RITUALS. This experience will take you on a deep journey both intrapersonally and interpersonally. Your journey will be centered around some key areas including POWER, REJECTION, and SURRENDER. There will be teachings and workshops for you to learn and prepare for the rituals. Most of this event is experiential. This is unlike anything you have been to before. 

In order to participate in RITUALS, you are required to fill out this APPLICATION and be approved before purchasing tickets. Anyone who purchases tickets and is not approved will be refunded minus ticketing fees.

This event is facilitated by Andy Buru.
Andy is Swedish, based in Berlin, and has lived in Japan. Many of his teachings are inspired by the slow, intentional grace of Japanese culture. With over 20 years of deeply embodied experience, Andy is a teacher of conscious and consensual sadomasochism, esoteric eroticism, Japanese rope bondage, European theatre studies, medical massage therapy, and neuro-somatic teamwork, each representing an important period of his life. He aims to create magical rooms where people can rest, heal and grow in their relationships to surrender, power and desire. At the most basic level, Andy works with bodies. In the present moment. Inviting them to participate in a new experience that may transcend into the spiritual. Andy is the author of "Rituals and Paradoxes: The Intimacy of Belonging in Sadomasochism and Esoteric Eroticism." To find out more about Andy, visit his website here.

What You Can Expect:
60% Ritual

20% Power Play / BDSM

20% Play Party

0% Rope

Definitions and More Info

Example Schedule (subject to change):

Saturday
9:30am Arrive
10:30am Workshop
1:30pm Break 
2:00 RITUAL: Rejection 
4:00pm Break
4:30pm Workshop 
6:30pm Dinner Break 
8:30pm RITUAL: Submission 
10:30-11pm Closing

Sunday
9:30am Arrive
10:00am Workshop
11:30am Break
12:00 RITUAL: Death
2:00pm Meal Break
3:30pm Workshop
5:00pm Break
5:30pm Play Party
8:30-9:30pm Closing

Important Info From Andy:

CONSENT

While consent, boundaries, and trauma awareness are paramount in my group processes, I do not offer a beginner-friendly nor theoretical introduction to the topic, like twenty good questions to ask when engaging with a new play partner, extensive self-inquiries on knowing what you want and how to communicate that, or learning how to interact with an unknown body for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll get to practice these skills in every exercise, but I will assume you already have a basic knowledge of them. Instead, I aim to help you dive deeper into these often emotionally fraught waters of intimacy and not knowing. One that, in an embodied way, balances artfully and respectfully between safety and bravery.

How consent, boundaries, and trauma awareness are dealt with differs substantially in different cultures and communities, so I’ll communicate in person how it works in each of the spaces I offer, as it also varies based on the topic and level.

Required: Please Read This Article on Consent before joining the workshop.

If you are looking for a further introduction to consent, I recommend getting familiar with the work of Betty Martin and their School of Consent.

WHAT IS A SEX POSITIVE SPACE?

Working with the eros as a group process often raises questions about sexuality, nakedness, and consent, especially when using modalities from the space in between esoterism and sadomasochism. Most bluntly, people ask me if it's a swinger's party or an orgy that they are going to. Or if something that is often considered very private or even sacred to them will be kept safe in the presence of others. The best answer I can give is by defining a sex-positive space.

It means welcoming all forms of sexuality, and very importantly, that includes no sexuality. It's a sex-positive space, not a sex-mandatory one. It includes all forms of orientations, genders, sexes, practices, kinks, devotions, or fetishizations. Simultaneously, it's not a "safe space" nor a separatist space for any one kind of orientation. It praises the idea from BDSM that "Your Kink Is Not My Kink, But Your Kink Is Okay", which means if another person's sexual orientation is triggering to you, then you move yourself elsewhere. But, still, everyone is submitting themselves to a shared and often fairly particular theme, and if you deviate too far from that theme, you'll likely and lovingly be told so.

It also borrows the idea from contact improvisation that "a dance" can be anything from fingers lightly touching for a fraction of a second to hours of diving deeply into slowness, embodiment, and vulnerability. And both are valued equally. It aims to abandon the normative relationship escalator, which assumes that A must lead to B and C—a flirtatious compliment to a coffee—a date to a kiss—Netflix and chill to a one-night-stand—an innocent play to a long-term relationship. Instead, it invites you to relinquish your (and society's) expectations and discover something uniquely unknown.

Obviously, consent and consciousness are essential. You'll (almost) always be given an elegant and gradual way of escalating and de-escalating interactions that are slow and defined enough so you can remain conscious about what you are getting yourself into (or out of). That being said, sex-positive spaces do not replace therapy and depend on you and your nervous system being able to navigate a space of both intense and intimate human interaction. In the end, a sex-positive space is a space to celebrate the diversity and creativity of the eros in all its shapes and forms. And I'm genuinely sorry that I can't provide a more scientific description, so in the end, I have to ask your trust to take a step into this mystery called life. Hopefully, I got you. And no, it's not a swingers party nor an eye-gazing contest.

FAQ

Who is this for?

This event is for singles and couples (in any relationship dynamic) ranging from confident and resiliant beginners to advanced participants who have a deep understanding of consent and the ability and desire to communicate boundaries, respect others, and add to the space in a respectful way. In this regard, this is not the workshop to learn how to have these types of conversations. A background in sex-positive spaces would certainly come in handy. Prior experience in intimacy/sexuality workshops, would also be incredibly supportive to the container. This event will include aspects that can be very edgy for someone with no experience in kink or BDSM. This event is for those who welcome that edge. If that edge does not feel safe enough for you, this event is probably not for you. Any misconduct will result in you being asked to leave without a refund.

What will I take away from this experience:

You will learn in an embodied and memorable way how to be sovereign, responsible, compassionate, kinky, and how to give and receive love and power. You will embody experiences of being in the question instead of simply seeking the answer. If you choose, you will mindfully experience new pains and pleasures. You will have an experience that will light a fire under your ass in any area of your life that you think can wait. After this event, you will want to hold your love deeper, take that trip, quit that job you hate, and embody the urgency of life. You will reflect on your life to this point and absolutely love what you see, or hate it. Either way, the lesson will be invaluable.

I'm scared, but I want to attend. Do I have to participate in everything?

This is an edgy experience that has the ability to transform you to your core. This is rare. Take the leap, and trust yourself. That said, you NEVER have to participate in any exercise or experience you don't want to. The RITUALS are designed so that you are always at choice, can step out and just watch, or take a break to integrate.

What does the price include?

Your investment includes the teachings and rituals, snacks, and refreshments. Lodging and meals are not included.

Are there premium/VIP add-ons?

Yes, these will be coming out in the future and will be add-ons to your ticket, so do not wait to purchase your ticket.

What is the difference between the couple and individual tickets?

The couple tickets are slightly discounted for couples that are in a romantic relationship only. Singles and those who are not attending with their partner should purchase the individual ticket.

What is the application process?

This is a screened and curated event. Not every event is for every person and not every person is for every event.  In order to create as safe a space as possible for both the participants and the facilitator, you must fill out this APPLICATION. After you do so, an event organizer will reach out to you to schedule a call. If it is a fit, you will be given the go-ahead to purchase your ticket.

Where should I fly into?

MIA or FLL airports will both get you within 15-40 mins of the venue.

Are there refunds?

Unless the event is canceled, there are no refunds for any reason. Think of it like buying a ticket to a concert. The show goes on whether or not you are there, whether you decide to stay till the end, or if you need to or choose to leave early.

What other info should I know?

One of the best lessons I learned from a master teacher is, "delete the need to know." You now have more than enough info to apply for RITUALS.