"I had the pleasure attending one of Laurie’s Somatic Playgrounds. The experience was 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, San Francisco

“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” - John, Melbourne

*****

Imagine a weekend retreat 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 conversation, movement & touch?

Welcome to Somatic Playground, a transformative weekend experience where you are invited to flowfully connect using an inspiring range of communication modalities: Authentic Relating, Contact Improvisation, Ecstatic Dance and Conscious Touch.

This January, you are invited to The Button Factory, a beautiful urban sanctuary in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau. Come explore the many layers of yourself and others through a journey of deep, meaningful, playful communication and contact games.

Enter a room full of strangers and cultivate connections that may last a lifetime!

WHY spend a weekend at Somatic Playground?

The connection skills you will learn and practice include:

✨ Getting deeply curious about another person’s world

✨ 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

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

✨ Exploring connection beyond sight, using blindfolds to invite you deeper into your intuitive nature

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

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

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

WHO is this weekend for?

Essentially, Somatic Playground is for you if you’re a curious, open, emotional human being or want to learn how to be one! This weekend 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 weekend.

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.

My 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, just book a 15 minute discovery call with Laurie, or write him a message :)

WHAT will actually happen?

Activities will explore conversation, movement and physical contact, with and without words and vision, through the modalities of Authentic Relating, Contact Improvisation, Kapalbhati Breathwork, Ecstatic Dance, Conscious Touch & Yin Yoga.

Authentic Relating (AR) is a ground breaking social technology 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 (CI) 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 trance like state of surrendered fulidity.

Kapalabhati, or “skull-shining breath,” is a traditional yogic pranayama (breathwork) that complements such a practice by cleansing and energizing the body. Through rapid, forceful exhalations and passive inhalations, Kapalabhati awakens inner fire, clears mental fog, and prepares practitioners for heightened awareness, making it a potent breathwork technique to lay the groundwork for Ecstatic Dance.

Ecstatic Dance invites us to surrender to what is arising in our body when deeply in connection with music, following each natural impulse and channeling poetic expression beyond the mind, inducing a natural state of ecstasy.

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 non-sexual touch.

Yin Yoga focuses on deeply relaxing the nervous system, by bringing fresh life force (prana) to your connective tissue and vital organs. Through deep stretches, long holds, and mindful breathing, your body is given permission to fully release any tension that has accumulated over time.

We will use blindfolds in some of the activities to invite you into deeper connection with your physical sensations and internal reality, unblocking your inhibition so as to reveal your truest essence.

Weekend programme:

On Saturday (10am to 5pm), we will spend the day familiarising ourselves with the modalities of Authentic Relating, Contact Improvisation and Conscious Touch. As we get to know our weekend constellation of participants, we’ll focus on building trust, understanding and intimacy. We will end the day with a Yin Yoga practice, to bring you into the evening feeling grounded, restored, and ready for a good night's sleep!

On Sunday (11am to 5pm), we will begin with cacao infused Kapalbhati (breathwork), followed by Ecstatic Dance, to cultivate a wonderful natural high. In the afternoon we will co-create a ‘connection jam’, essentially an open floor with numerous zones where you can practice the modalities. There will be ample time given to integration, so that you leave the container feeling empowered & resourced to apply your learnings in the world beyond!

Safety disclaimer:

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 weekend will take place at the Button Factory, 2 Abbey Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010, New Zealand,

The FACILITATOR

Laurie (he/him), is a queer British-Kiwi who’s current home-base is Berlin. 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, Body Electric, World Peace Yoga School and Connection Institute. 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

"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!" - Lisa

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

"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's approach to mix Authentic Relating with conscious touch and movement is very interesting. Theses complementary practices made me feel more whole and deeply connected with others. Laurie is also incredibly kind and I felt safe, warm and welcomed from the start" - Benjamin

“Thank you for the beautiful workshop we shared: I really enjoyed it and there was a wonderful sense of warmth and connection in the room at the end, amazing job” - Henry

“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

"I felt so deeply and beautifully seen, heard and held by everyone in the group, and that was in large part because of Laurie's gift of facilitation" - Megan

HOW MUCH will I invest?

$240 - Earlybird ticket (until the 17th December)

$290 - Regular ticket

Spaces are limited so book early before it fills up!

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: The Button Factory, 2 Abbey Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.

When: Saturday 17th January (10am to 5pm) and Sunday 18th January (11am to 5pm) 2026.

Dresscode: Comfortable clothing that's easy to move in. Please bring a blindfold as some activities are blindfolded.

Food: Tea, coffee & snacks are provided. Lunch will be potluck style so bring something to share :)