The theme for the 2022-2023 New Culture New Year’s Celebration is “Finding FLOW”!
At this event, we’ll be exploring flow states through dance, music, and vocal improv. No experience or “talent” necessary – our facilitators will support everyone to participate in ways that feel joyful to them!
Along with our usual practices and spaces (daily ZEGG Forum, connection games, Sensual Space for consensual explorations), we will have a music jam space open at all times! And every day there will be workshops and facilitated spaces for singing, dancing, and music-making. To support everyone in opening up to creative flow, we’re featuring a workshop on releasing the Inner Critic.
The draft schedule is here, and full program descriptions are coming soon! Meanwhile here are descriptions for some of our key sessions.
Dancing – Daily
Start the day by tuning into your body and letting it move to music exactly as it desires!
Circle – Daily
The camp community comes together for appreciations, announcements, and other sharings. Please attend if you can – new information and conversations about emerging issues happen here!
Pods – Daily
Pods are groups of 5 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 – the Forum Team, Daily
Forum (http://www.zegg-forum.org/index_en.phtml) was created at ZEGG, an intentional community in Germany, and its sister communities as a way of promoting transparency and mutual understanding among community members. ZEGG members found that decision-making meetings often got derailed because of emotional conflicts and undercurrents that were not known to or understood by all. In Forum, each individual’s experience could be seen and understood, leading to greater empathy and creativity in the community. Now, many residential and non-residential intentional communities have adopted Forum as a way to maintain ongoing connection, intimacy and understanding.
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 ZEGG 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. Allowing all voices to surface and be known can lead to a profound and unexpected integration within a community. We tend to think that events leading to painful experiences and conflicts are bad, because they feel bad in the moment. However, when we open ourselves and compassionately witness what is happening for everyone, these experiences can be gateways to greater closeness, understanding, and love. When conflict emerges, whether or not we are in a formal Forum space, we can choose to listen in this way. This deep listening sustains and nurtures community life and relationships.
*Orientation & Opening Circle
We’ll gather the energy for this event, open up our theme of exploring flow states, 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.
*Boundaries: Finding the Sweet Spot
Mmm, that glorious moment when we are giving exactly what our partner wants to be receiving! Sometimes we find that “sweet spot” spontaneously—but more often, we find it through clear communication and feedback. How many of us say “yes” to things we don’t actually want out of guilt or a fear of losing connection? In many ways, “no” is the most daring and intimate response possible – if I can hear your “no”, I can trust your “yes.” In this workshop, we will practice finding the sweet spot of mutual “yes”– through a series of juicy, experiential exercises.
*Sensual Space Orientation
The Sensual Space is a warm and inviting space to explore Connection & 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.”
Sensual Space Opening
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.
Authentic Relating Games
Who are you? Who am I? Who are we? In this high-energy, interactive workshop, we’ll explore the deep connection that comes from feeling truly seen. We will play a number of games aimed at fostering a better understanding of ourselves and others. We will practicing honesty and authenticity with others, so that we can learn to be honest and authentic with ourselves. Our time together will develop our empathy, strengthen our community and relationships, and help us gain a better understanding of our true selves.
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 Years Festivities – details coming soon!
Ornamentation, Ecstatic Dance with DJ Aerun, Gifts of Experiences, Feasting and Toasting the New Year, Late-Night Song Circle
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?