The Original Cuddle Workshop with Wilrieke & Shanice

Over dit evenement

🤍 A cuddle workshop teaching loving, platonic touch, hosted by the creator of The Original Cuddle Workshop, running strong for over 15 years. Through gentle, consent-based exercises at your own pace, you'll lower stress, connect with yourself and others, and experience touch without the pressure of "next steps."

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➡️ EVENT SOLD OUT? QUESTIONS ABOUT PRACTICALITIES? THE FAQ TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO GO: www.exploringdeeper.com/faq.
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Cuddling isn't just nice, it's genuinely healthy. Touch lowers stress and boosts happiness. But it's also a way to get to know yourself better. Do I dare make my boundaries and desires clear?

A few proven benefits of cuddling:
- consensual touch lowers stress in your body
- it strengthens your immune system
- it balances your nervous system
- it strengthens your heart
- it lowers feelings of fear and loneliness
- and beyond that, a workshop like this can help you process trauma and become more confident

A cuddle workshop is a structured workshop focused on loving touch. We work through exercises aimed at connecting with ourselves and with others. We start gently, without touching each other, and slowly build up the intensity for those who want that, so everyone can follow along and nothing moves too fast for anyone — though you never have to do anything you don't feel like doing.

We always begin with a moment to settle in and let go of the hustle and bustle of daily life. From there, we connect with ourselves and with others through exercises, like taking turns stroking each other's hands. The exercises range from playful to more intense, but you always choose your own pace. If you don't want to do something, you don't have to. The exercises are varied and change every time.

The evening centers on loving attention and touch. We stay away from sexuality — not because sexuality is wrong, but to experience platonic touch without "next steps," letting go of the hierarchy of touch so familiar in our society.

Elements that you can expect in this cuddle workshop: meditation, mindfulness, dance, massage, breathing exercises, somatic awareness, The Wheel of Consent and neo-tantric aspects.

FOR WHO IS THIS EVENT:
This workshop is for both experienced and starting cuddlers. When you feel anxious or insecure about connecting with other people – this is for you. But also if you want to recharge and indulge in a night of abundant cuddles you are very welcome! There are usually people coming alone, and coming together. Newcomers, and folks who have been coming for years. There are always people a bit nervous - which is absolutely okay and we take into account.

This event welcomes folks from all walks of life. We are LGBTQIIA+ informed (Wilrieke and most of their team identify as such), slut-friendly, trauma-informed, and non-monogamy informed. White folks are overrepresented in our team and life experiences are colored through that lens. We do come from different social backgrounds and have different life experiences when it comes to health, wealth, neurodiversity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

We welcome people with specific needs as much as able-bodied folks. Feel free to reach out if you have specific needs that you wish to share with us.

PRACTICAL INFO:
The event takes place in Utrecht, Kanaalweg. The exact location will be emailed to you in the week before the event. Doors open 30 minutes before the workshop starts. We close the doors when the workshop starts.

ACCESSIBILITY
This workshop space is called Awananda. The elevators in this building are out of function - the owner won’t fix this to our regret. There are stairs to enter the building. On the ground floor is an all-access bathroom. The workshop is on the first floor. There are two stairs to get there. There are several bathrooms on the first floor (no all-access bathrooms), and a kitchen with lunch facilities, including a fridge and a microwave. There are mattresses in the workshop space. There is no shower.

👋 ABOUT WILRIEKE SOPHIA
Wilrieke Sophia (they/them) is a sex & intimacy educator, (TEDx) speaker, advisor & coach for creative makers and scientists, author, and founder of Exploring Deeper and Cuddle Workshops International.

The main focus of their work is empowerment through self-knowledge and understanding, radical self-inclusion, the embodied experiencing of boundaries and desires, and an extensive practice of consent – all based on a foundation of trauma awareness and neuroscience, embedded in experiential spaces based on interpersonal connective practices. They collaborate with artists and scientists, and are a supervisor and mentor.

With their project Red Flags in Workshops, Wilrieke creates free materials on e.g. accountability, abuse, and power dynamics in the intimacy and wellness communities.

www.exploringdeeper.com
www.redflagsinworkshops.com
www.wilriekesophia.com

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Fetlife: @WilriekeSophia

👋 ABOUT SHANICE
Shanice (she/her) is a workshop facilitator, speaker & coach for recovering people pleasers who are ready to become the main character in their own (love)life.

After her life fell apart 3 years ago and she had to rebuild it, she realized she had been living her life for others and had no idea what she wanted. This process led her to look for a deeper connection, both with herself & with others.

Her work is centered around self-acceptance, consent, FUN, and wellness.

She completed the Exploring Deeper Touch-based Facilitator training in 2025 and has been assisting in the Exploring Deeper team ever since.

Instagram: @shanicechristina

👋 ABOUT EXPLORING DEEPER:
We all need touch. Here at Exploring Deeper we believe that satisfying intimacy needs to be available for everyone. To have that intimacy, a person needs to feel safe and secure in their own body. We need to know our boundaries and desires, and we need to know how to communicate them. How does a person change their life? By doing things differently, and then repeating that new way. When it comes to intimacy, our current society does not provide us with the means, tools, and place to practice our intimacy skills.

Exploring Deeper aims to create those spaces. Laboratories for exploring intimacy – deeper. We do that by creating events, sessions, materials, and professional training. All our products and services are based on the pillars of solidarity and inclusion. This means our events are meant to be a welcoming place to you, independent of race, gender, age (though 18+), sexual orientation, relationship style, being neurodivergent or neurotypical, being disabled or non-disabled, or looks. Our workshops can be described as queer-centered and straight-friendly.

We acknowledge everyone is learning and may make mistakes in addressing others, ourselves included. Making mistakes is welcomed in our workshops. Intentionally causing harm by discrimination, racism, misogyny, shaming, bullying, spreading disinformation etc is not tolerated. As a team we are actively speaking up against these issues, and repeated misconduct will lead to removing the person causing harm from the workshop and potentially withholding access to future events.

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Check our FAQ for answers to your questions: www.exploringdeeper.com/faq

For all events, Exploring Deeper's Terms and Conditions apply: http://www.exploringdeeper.com/terms-and-conditions/.

If you are curious about our Guidelines for Team Members, feel free to check the full document out here: http://exploringdeeper.com/ethics

To stay updated about workshops, and events and to read Wilrieke's blog (with hundreds of articles and videos about topics like non-monogamy, sexuality, and dealing with insecurities), check www.exploringdeeper.com and sign up for our newsletter!

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