The theme for the 2023-2024 New Culture New Year’s Celebration is “DREAM BIGGER”!
At this event, we will embark upon a four-day transformational meditation journey that will include visioning, journaling, and reflection. We will examine the past year: what did you plan? What actually unfolded? What was unexpected? Then we will prepare for the transition: What needs to shift in order to make space for your new intentions? The process will culminate in welcoming your vision for 2024. What would you like to call in?
Each day of camp will have a theme that is reflected in the entire day’s programming, starting with morning MMM (music, movement, and meditation), continuing in our ZEGG forum, and being echoed in explorations in our sensual space. Here’s how our programming arc will go:
DREAM BIGGER SERIES
A four-part experience ~ blending meditation, envisionment, and compassionate confrontation. This is based on work pioneered by Justin Michael Williams and the Dream Bigger Foundation (https://www.wecandreambigger.org/)
Day 1: LIGHT. How to look back from the future… to manifest a breakthrough year
Day 2: SHADOW. A deep exploration of the unknown within us and addressing the eight presentations of fear
Day 3: ACTION. Grounding the visions into tangible steps that realize the journey
Day 4: INTENTION. Owning the being and crafting the becoming of your innermost desires
In addition, here are descriptions for some of our other sessions.
Orientation & Opening Circle. We’ll gather the energy for this event, open up our theme of Dream Bigger, and start getting to know each other. There will be a mix of paired, small-group, and whole-group activities to help us get curious about each other and share how we relate to our bodies. Everyone is welcome to participate in the way that works for them, either by joining in or by observing. We’ll also learn essential details about our schedule, spaces, and guidelines.
Morning MMM – Daily. Start the day with meditation, music, and movement.
Morning Circle – Daily. The camp community comes together for appreciations, announcements, and other sharing. Please attend if you can because new information and conversations about emerging issues happen here!
Pods – Daily. Pods are groups of five or so people who meet daily during the event for supportive sharing and listening. We’ll create our pods and have the first pod meeting on Friday morning.
ZEGG Forum – Daily. The goal of Forum is to reveal what is alive but not known to all. The community sits in a circle, forming a stage for one person at a time to stand and show what is true for them. Facilitators may assist the person (or “presenter”) to reveal themselves more deeply. Afterward, community members may offer reflections, or “mirrors,” on what they saw.
One of the gifts of Forum is that it allows us a space to appreciate every perspective without taking it on as “truth.” Every voice has its own poignancy, its own wisdom, its own truth, that does not negate the wisdom and truth of other perspectives.
Sensual Space Orientation & Opening. The sensual space is a warm and inviting space to explore connection and intimacy by engaging all of the senses. This is a space to lounge together after spending the day learning communication and intimacy tools – the perfect place to practice communication and share affection in a relaxed and sex-positive atmosphere. We will give an introduction to the space, and we will practice the “Safe Sex Elevator Speech.”
After the sensual space orientation, those who wish will proceed to the sensual space for its official opening. All are invited to explore the sensual space – the opening activities will be sensual but nonsexual, and the sensual space team will create a clear transition when the space becomes an open space for connection.
Contact Improv. Contact improvisation is a freeform dance and movement practice based on exploring moving points of contact between people, weight sharing, and embodied awareness. Learn to give and receive weight safely, to fall, and to land with grace. All levels of experience welcome.
New Year’s Eve Festivities. Release the old year and your inhibitions with special programming. We will start with dressing up and strutting ourselves. . . into the speakeasy/burlesque show. Highlights will include Sam Rose on the stripper pole, bellydance, singing, and more! Afterwards, we’ll having dancing with a live DJ, and finally mocktails and a dessert bar as we wait for the ball to drop.
New Year’s Day. We’ll recover from our late night with extra cuddles and naps, and connection via circling exercises. We will share cherished traditions by telling stories around the fire and eating foods meant to bring good luck, based on our various heritages.
Closing Circle. As our time together comes to a close, we will connect, reflect, say goodbye, and prepare to re-enter the mainstream world. What gifts will we bring with us from the New Culture New Year’s Celebration? What will we create in our lives and communities?