Hi Reader,

I’m writing from the beautiful grounds of the Esalen Institute, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I’m teaching here this week with Betty Martin, exploring the liberation that can be found when we are no longer afraid of either holding power or leaning into surrender.

It is potent, emotionally rich work.

And the view can't be beat...

The last two months have been an absolute whirlwind of teaching, camping, flying, driving, packing, unpacking, repacking, moving and working. As I mentioned in my last newsletter in July (yikes!), I've also been workshopping some new ideas about how desire works.

My current thesis is that the metaphors we often use for desire are extremely inaccurate to how desire actually manifests itself, and that a lot of us are unnecessarily beating ourselves up for “not knowing what we want."

What we want is emergent, and slippery, and it is often hard to get our arms around it. My colleague Barbara Carrellas calls the place where we want but we don’t know exactly what it is that we want, the Something More.

When we are in the realm of wanting Something More, concepts like “knowing” what you want fly right out the window. It's a moving target, and it's ineffable.

So I'm curious: How do YOU describe desire?

When you want something but can't yet name it. When it feels too big to get your arms around. When it's quiet yet pulling inside you....

Hit reply and let me know.

🔥 Meanwhile, if you are near Oakland this Sunday, consider joining me for a daylong Write Your Erotic Handbook intensive… this time in person!

🤲 And if you are a therapist, bodyworker, SWer, counselor, community builder, medical professional, educator and so forth, and want to bring more clarity to your work with clients and students, consider joining me for Like A Pro in Seattle or Australia this fall. Details below.

🔥 Write Your Erotic Handbook: LIVE!

This Sunday! Sept 14th, Oakland

Before you can ask for what you want in bed, you need to know what that is. In this intimate, in-person workshop for sexual self-discovery, you’ll be guided to uncover and name your erotic desires — from the subtle to the bold, the tender to the wild. This isn’t about writing a personal ad or trying to impress anyone else. It’s about getting to the heart of you. You’ll leave with your own Erotic Handbook, access to more online resources, and a whole lot of new insight about what gets you hot and turns you on!

​Learn more and register here.

🤲 Like A Pro

Oct 1-5, Seattle, WA (1 spot left!)
​Oct 22-26, Melbourne, Australia (full)
​Nov 5-9, Brisbane, Australia (10 spots left)

This fall I will be teaching The Wheel of Consent for Professionals (aka “Like A Pro”) in Seattle and Australia!

This in-person training is designed for professionals working with topics of consent, boundaries, relational intimacy, body sovereignty, trauma recovery, sexuality, communication, and touch. Originally developed for touch practitioners, the course has, by popular demand, expanded to include non-touch professionals like therapists, coaches, teachers, activists, yoga instructors, medical professionals and workshop leaders.

Over five days, you will be guided into a personal somatic experience of The Wheel, and then teaches you how to integrate it into your practice, to make all your sessions safe, effective, and satisfying.

Limited to 20 participants, apply ASAP.
​Find out more and apply here.

🌳 Personal Empowerment Through the Wheel of Consent

Feb 2-6, The Esalen Institute, Big Sur CA

Curious about how you really show up in your relationships — whether with a lover, friend, or colleague? In this intimate workshop at Esalen, join me and Betty Martin as we explore the Wheel of Consent, a transformative practice that helps you separate giving from receiving, discover your desires and limits, and step into your own power with clarity and confidence.

Through discussion, exercises, and optional touch-based practice, you’ll learn to make more embodied choices, notice what’s truly for you versus what you’re doing for others, and access hidden parts of yourself ready to be seen and appreciated. Come play, explore, and empower yourself in a safe, supportive space.

Registration just opened. Limited to 25 people.

​Register here.​

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Thanks for being here. More to come.

Warmly,
Marcia