Are you seeking a deeper sense of community with your queer kin, cultivating more meaningful connections that go beyond the chit-chat?

Welcome to a space where you can truly express yourself and enjoy nourishing & playful connection games with genuine, empathetic LGBTQ+ identifying people both like-minded and different!

❤️‍🔥 We will harness the communication modality of Authentic Relating, enabling 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).

🎁 Come and meet a whole bunch of vibrant, fascinating characters, and practice communication skills you can gift to your life beyond the workshop!

✨ Games will be played in pairs and small groups, which will be configured at random.

🫂 We’ll end the evening with an open lounge space for those who want to keep hanging out!

🌈 This event welcomes all aged 18+ who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, queer or trans, as well as people who identify somewhere on a gender-fluid spectrum.

🤫 Everything shared in the workshop is consensual and confidential.

Kindred Queers is a series of three workshops, each with a different theme. You may come to each as you please, with no prerequisites. They are as follows:

4th November - Empathy

18th November - Self-care & regulation

9th December - Parts work (Internal Family Systems)

17th January - Storytelling

4th February - Community

4th March - Aging: growth & fear

The facilitator:

Laurie King

I'm Laurie (he/him), a queer British-Kiwi who’s current home-base is New Zealand. My 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, I have organised and facilitated hundreds of Authentic Relating, Dating and Embodiment workshops across Oceania and Europe.

My training includes The Embody Lab, Authentic Revolution, and Connection Institute. I have facilitated at internationally acclaimed festivals such as Stretch and Ignite, and organisations such as ART International and Authentic Bay Area.

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

For more information, check out itoiauthenticrelating.com.

For Insta, check out @itoiauthentic

i to i workshops have already been a big hit in New Zealand, as well as Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, The US, Canada and the UK.

Here’s what others have said:

“Thank you so much for creating a space in which such well-aligned people could come together. I can't think of the last time I met so many wonderful, open-minded people in one go like that. It was a real pleasure” - Jen

Laurie led us through a series of games and exercises that allowed us to open up and create very real bonds with others and with our own selves. Many emotions were felt in the safest, most welcoming environment" - Jason

Laurie's workshops re-opened an old window for me in a new way. Heaps of fun too! And I even met a very special person. Highly recommend for anyone curious and keen to connect with depth & joy" - Luca

"I'm amazed at how your workshops continue to lift me up. It's such a delight to meet new people, genuinely, and feel the warmth and excitement of budding connections" - Doug

“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 - Anne

Practicalities:

Where: Wellington Meditation Centre, 31 Hobson Crescent, Thorndon, Wellington.

Cost: $25 for low income ticket; $35 for medium income ticket, $45 for high income ticket*. Limited tickets available through Humanitix. Book early to secure your place!

Intoxicants: This is a drug & alcohol free event. There will however be plenty of tea available!

Refund Policy: If you cannot make an event, you may transfer your ticket to someone else or use as credit for a future event.

* Why are tickets sold by income?

In order to make the event as accessible as possible, 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 for the lowest ticket option, please get in touch and we can figure something out!