Embodied Empowerment ~ A holistic exploration of physical needs

"What a wonderful event. The exercises encouraged me to stay very present and in my body. Laurie created a very sweet and safe space to learn and explore. The connection experiences were very fulfilling. A rejuvenating and enjoyable time indeed!" - Paul

"The experience and the venue were very restorative for my nervous system. Connectivity through a delicious winding path of interactive games and movement expression experiences lead me to a very open and receptive creative space. Highly recommend. Amazing facilitation." - Lily

*****

Imagine a day where you can drop deeply into embodied awareness, show up authentically with other heart-centred humans, and get straight to the core of what truly matters, through somatic practices designed to empower, inspire and reawaken your spirit.

Welcome to Embodied Empowerment, a transformative full-day experience where you are invited to flowfully connect with yourself and others through a range of complementary modalities: Mindful Movement, Authentic Relating, Contact Improvisation and Conscious Touch.

This March, you are invited to The Wellington Meditation Centre, a beautiful & cosy urban sanctuary complete with a tranquil garden. Come explore the many layers of yourself and others through a journey of deep, meaningful, playful communication and contact games.

Throughout the day, we will explore and interweave six components on the hierarchy of physical needs:

1. Touch
2. Movement
3. Expression
4. Playfulness
5. Acceptance
6. Connection

These are inspired by the following article, written by Sam Baker, one of the facilitators of Embodied Empowerment:

https://humdrum-concrete-ae9.n...

WHY spend the day at Embodied Empowerment?

The somatic skills you will learn and practice include:

✨ Discovering the healing potential of platonic loving touch

✨ Tuning into profound presence by listening to your body and the subtleties of sensation

✨ Empathising with another’s human experience through the cultivation of heart-space

✨ Listening to what your body really desires and empowering yourself to make requests

✨ Setting boundaries that honour yourself, and gracefully receiving the boundaries of another, through differentiating between the ‘stretch’ zone and ‘stress’ zone

✨ Giving yourself permission to playfully drop into deep into child-like curiosity and self-expression

✨ Welcoming and befriending the visceral spectrum of your emotional reality, including the uncomfortable parts

We look forward to welcoming you into a beautiful container that is sure to empower you to step further into the kind of life you truly desire.

WHO is this day for?

In essence, Embodied Empowerment is for you if you want to connect on a deeper level with your body, your desires, your boundaries, your emotional reality, your empathy skills and your ability to feel compassion for yourself. This day will enhance your interpersonal relationships and enrich your self love within.

Whether you are a seasoned workshop/retreat goer or it’s your first time ever, you are sure to get something valuable out of this workshop.

You are also most welcome if you’ve been recently feeling blocked, anxious, lacking purpose or direction, and need to reground and remind yourself what's truly important and who you truly are.

Our experience includes working with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs); neurodiverse people; people suffering from anxiety and depression; people going through major life shifts; and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

If you have any questions about whether the event would suit you, pop us a message and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

WHAT will actually happen?

Activities will explore movement, conversation and physical contact, through the modalities of Mindful Movement, Authentic Relating, Contact Improvisation and Conscious Touch.

Mindful Movement brings deeper awareness to intentional physical motion. Unlike traditional seated meditation, this approach encourages fluid, organic movements—such as walking, dancing, stretching, or gentle flowing gestures—that are guided by intuition rather than structure. It helps individuals release tension, express emotions, and cultivate a sense of grounding, while promoting a deeper connection to inner stillness.

Authentic Relating is a ground breaking social tool that enables you to heartfully, playfully and courageously connect, using the tools of radical honesty and active listening. The practice invites you to drop deeper into presence, embodied awareness and permission to express whatever is alive within you and the ‘we-space’ between you and other(s).

Contact Improvisation is a dance form that emphasises spontaneous movement and physical connection between two people or more. It encourages exploration of balance, weight-sharing, and communication through touch, inducing a deeply aware state of surrendered fluidity.

Conscious Touch is the practice of bringing full attention and presence into relating physically to another person. In deeper awareness of our desires and boundaries, we will explore the many layers and dimensions of platonic (non-sexual) touch.

Consent will be emphasised throughout the weekend. You will continually be reminded to listen to your body and only do what is within your personal boundaries. While you will be encouraged to stretch yourself and widen your window of tolerance, you will practice identifying your stress zone are strongly advised to regulate if you push yourself too far.

There will also be a support team on hand if you need to co-regulate at any point.

WHERE will it be?

The workshop will take place at Wellington Meditation Centre, 31 Hobson Crescent, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.

The FACILITATORS

Laurie King

Laurie (he/him), is a queer British-Kiwi who’s current home-base is Wellington, NZ. His passion is creating spaces that cultivate healthy, thriving human-to-human relationships, helping people take off their masks, feel their sensations and celebrate their aliveness on Earth. Since 2019, he has organised and facilitated hundreds of Authentic Relating, Dating and Embodiment workshops in Oceania and Europe.

His training includes The Embody Lab, Authentic Revolution, Connection Institute and Body Electric. He has facilitated at internationally acclaimed festivals such as Stretch and Ignite, and organisations such as ART International and Authentic Bay Area.

His workshops have sparked thousands of nourishing connections, turning many strangers into life-long friends. He looks forward to holding space for you!

For more information, check out itoiauthenticrelating.com.

Laurie’s workshops have already touched & impacted many lives. Here's what others have shared:

“This was a game changer for me. I'm blown away on a daily basis as to how easy communicating and relating has been since doing Laurie's incredible workshop" - Andy

"I live with complex PTSD and anxiety so in the past I have really struggled to open up to people and build meaningful connections. Discovering these workshops has been a life changer and both my therapist and I are thrilled with how my confidence has blossomed in recent months. Laurie's time and generosity really means the world to me" - Sarah

“Laurie created a beautiful, safe space in no time! making it an ideal environment to be present and engage meaningfully with the activities. Even though all participants were strangers to me, I felt a deep sense of belonging developing over the day.” - Julie

“The exercises allowed me to center myself in heartspace - free to be held by others in love and in my own experience while also able to hold them in their experience. As such, it’s a perfect space for co-regulating. The experience was so nurturing I forgot to eat dinner - and I wasn’t even hungry!” - Justin

“Thanks to this workshop, I was able to let go more than ever before, and really let in non-sexual, loving, supportive touch. Thank you to Laurie for offering another step up the mountain of growth & healing” - Amanda

I love Laurie’s energy, wisdom, execution and light touch - Tess

Sam Baker (she/her)

Sam is an experienced facilitator and has seven years of experience with somatic modalities, including contact improvisation and somatic experiencing. She wrote the Hierarchy of Physical Needs (which this workshop is inspired by) based on observations and conversations around "Why does contact improv feel so satisfying?" Having run this workshop previously within the contact improv community, she is looking forward to opening it up to a wider audience.

Here’s what others have shared about Sam’s work:

“Learning about the Hierarchy of Physical Needs really made sense to me. I realise how I’ve impulsively entered into relationships or romantic encounters when really I was just craving playfulness, or connection, or touch” - James

“I really enjoyed the exercises as an opportunity to get out of my mind and into my body. To feel, not just to think” - Meaghan

HOW MUCH will I invest?

$99 - Low income ticket

$129 - Medium income ticket

$149 - High income ticket

In order to make the event as accessible as possible, there are three ticket types available. It is up to you to decide which ticket you purchase, depending on your own feelings about your level of disposable income and how much you would like to contribute for the event.

If you would really like to attend but do not have the funds, please get in touch and we can figure something out!

Practicalities:

Where: 31 Hobson Crescent, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.

When: Sunday 9th March (10am to 5pm)

Dresscode: Comfortable clothing that's easy to move in.

Food: Tea, coffee & snacks are provided. Lunch will be potluck style.

Refunds: Full refund if cancelled three weeks or more before event. 50% refund if cancelled up to one week before event. If you need to cancel within the week before, you can transfer your ticket to a friend.