SEMESTER TRAINING IN SOMATIC SEXUALITY
Opening the Root Chakra
Pelvic Floor, Gluteal and Anal Massage Technique
Expand your pelvic floor, and your heart and mind will follow.
The main objective of this workshop is to find a deep connection between the pelvis as a vital center and your entire being, so you can live more fully in your body.
When we think about any type of massage for opening and liberating sexuality, we usually think of genital massage. But who says that sexual blocks or the ability to increase sensation are only in your genitals and not also distributed throughout the rest of the pelvic floor?
This is a workshop you can attend alone or as a couple. If you come as a couple, the practice will be between you; if you come alone, you can find a partner at the venue or you will have the option of observing the practice.
Massage of the posterior pelvic floor can help you delve deeper into your sexual exploration. The genitals, pelvic floor, and anus share muscle groups and nerve endings, so sustained contractions—involuntary and unconscious—in one of these areas inevitably affect the others.
Releasing involuntary pelvic floor contractions (often chronic and imperceptible) can significantly improve your ability to experience genital pleasure, achieve the type of orgasms you desire, and enhance your sexual performance.
These muscle groups also organize and stabilize the body for movement and support the pelvic organs (colon and rectum, bladder, uterus, and prostate). Often, years of poor posture, stress, traumatic events, or digestive problems lead to a chronic and unconscious disconnection, as well as numbness, in this area. By recognizing and massaging it, you will feel freer, lighter, and more integrated with your whole being.
About the workshop
This intensive weekend workshop offers an experience of recognizing and connecting with the posterior pelvic floor through massage and conscious exploration, both individually and in pairs. It integrates Sexological Bodywork™ massage techniques, tools from the Feldenkrais Method, theoretical content on the anatomy of pleasure, somatic voice practices, and approaches that seek to reframe the explored areas, intimate contact, and the relationship with pleasure. It positively addresses performance expectations, the invisibility of pleasure, and the taboo surrounding the anal region and pelvic floor.
Many of us have learned to relate to our posterior pelvic region through shame or rejection, influenced by the social burden associated with the anus’s evacuation functions. Numbness in the anal area is rarely limited to that location: it often also affects the sensitivity of the genitals and other parts of the body.
In this process, you may experience a sense of loss as you recognize how taboos surrounding this area have generated sensorimotor amnesia in your body. Some people have lost awareness of different body parts; others have experienced inhibitions, blockages, or disconnections that distanced them from fully experiencing their sexual pleasure.
This workshop invites you to a different kind of rediscovery: to immerse yourself in the subtlety of this sensuality, guided by gentler, more comprehensive, and loving approaches. From there, the door opens to a different kind of ecstasy, one that springs from a deep pleasure, that flows throughout the body and expands over time.
We will focus on the pelvic floor, gluteal, and anal region massage techniques developed by Chester Mainard and Joseph Kramer, and we will explore the functionality of the pelvic floor along with the anatomical foundations necessary to inhabit our pelvic region with greater sensitivity, joy, and sovereignty.
The workshop is open to people of all gender identities, with an inclusive approach, framed within a pedagogy of consent, mutual respect, and somatic awareness.
During the sessions, you don’t have to do everything: you can let us know, before or during, if there are parts you prefer not to do, and your wishes will be respected. It’s also possible that the areas explored, even if it’s not a goal of the workshop, may awaken pleasure or arousal; in that case, your body’s natural expression will also be respected.
As Kurt Cobain sang: come as you are.
Program
- Presentation and discussion on taboos surrounding the pelvic region and the potential for a life with fewer limitations in this area.
- Guided exercise in perceptive self-exploration of the diaphragms and body sphincters.
- Lessons from the Feldenkrais Method, specifically the Pelvic Floor Integration Movement Awareness Exercises.
- Explanation of the functional anatomy and bony landmarks of the posterior pelvis.
- Practice in pairs of recognizing pulls and other bony and functional landmarks of the posterior pelvis.
- Practice of meditation through contact with the pelvic floor and anus in pairs.
- Pelvic floor body awareness exercises through breathing and Kegel exercises.
- Pelvic floor massage practice in a prone (face down) position in pairs.
The program may vary according to group needs, at the facilitator’s discretion.
Goals
- Releasing chronic tension in the pelvic floor and anal area.
- Expanding body image by incorporating the pelvic floor and anus with respect and pleasure.
- Exploring the posterior pelvic floor as a key element for postural, visceral, and sexual health.
- Learning detailed massage sequences from both the giver and receiver perspectives.
- Raising awareness of the expectations and taboos surrounding this region.
Lessons that participants will take away
- Massage techniques for the pelvic floor, glutes, and anus.
- Breathing, activation, and body awareness exercises to enhance your pelvic floor awareness.
- Strategies for integrating somatic work into daily life or in therapeutic sessions.
- Resources for touch, presence, and care applicable in relationships or individual sessions.
What to bring
Required
- Double-size sheet* to cover the massage mat. It will be oiled, so please don’t bring the luxury sheet you reserve for special occasions. This is essential for hygiene.
- A blanket to cover yourself during the massage in areas not being touched, that can be easily removed and replaced. The space is heated, but you may feel a little chilly.
- Three or more pillows (if you are pregnant, as many as you can). They go under your body for your comfort. Bring large bags to wrap them in and protect them from the oil.
- Massage oil (the one you normally use for giving or receiving). No additives that could irritate mucous membranes. Suggested oils: organic coconut, jojoba, or sesame.
- Nitrile gloves in the correct size for your hands.
Suggested
- An eye mask or cloth to cover your eyes (seed bag, fabric, scarf) to enhance the experience at the end of the massage.
- A towel or roll of kitchen paper* to quickly wipe off the oil if needed during practice.
Hand sanitizer gel or liquid to keep your hands clean at all times. - Clean, short nails: your partner will appreciate it.
- A massage table if you have one and want to work more comfortably.
- And most importantly: a big, open heart to give and receive.
Our principles and agreements
We want to share with you that…
Somatic Sexology promotes awareness of Gender, Sexual, and Relational Diversity (GSSR). We welcome all gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, etc.
We ask that you…
Act with active listening, kind communication, and consent, and we recommend that you respect your own and others’ boundaries and possibilities. You are welcome to opt out of any activity or part you do not wish to participate in, and you will receive support from the workshop facilitator in that decision. We also ask that you respect the confidentiality of the participants.
We remind you that…
Aggressive or discriminatory language will not be tolerated (please use kind words), and we reserve the right to ask participants to leave if their behavior is detrimental to the group.
Help and support are available…
We will be there to provide support and care if you request it during the workshop.