Gathering Workshop Examples

“Journey to a World of the Invisible”,The gurus say we already have all the answers to life’s questions. Journeying is a bridge to that inner wisdom. With Native American drumming in the air, you will relax and seek out spirit guides. Ask them to tell you what no one seems to answer for you.

Paul Steel studied Tibetan Buddhism with Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and journeying at CMG. His meditation and journeying practice set the stage for this CMG journeying workshop.

Staff the from the Gay Men’s Health Program will share a few activities that they do at their Gay Men’s Relationship and Empowerment Retreat. People will first learn about the different types of relationships. Then find out what works best for you and how you and your partner(s) can make your choices work.

Thomas Barnes graduated with a BS in Human Services, worked for 2 years serving homeless families, and conducted HIV trainings and workshops for gay recovery conventions. Rob Stimart is a Health Educator with the Gay Men’s Health Program. He previously worked in HIV case management and education for the CDC National STD/AIDS hotline.

Join other men in an ever-popular massage rotation workshop. You give and receive massage not from one man, but from many. Experience the different healing touch of many of your CMG brothers in a supportive environment. No experience needed. Bring a towel. Nudity recommended.

John Herriot is an experienced massage workshop facilitator.

Acting Out Relationships in Psychodrama, Relationships. Erotic. Lover. Family. Friendships. Ever had a fantasy where you wanted to write your own ending to a personal story? We will get to know each other in an intimate session of participating in acting out each other’s stories. From the sublime to the depths of your heart to the downright outrageous!

What can we say? Ed Wahl is a dramatic guy. And this workshop, like everything Ed does, will be memorable.

If you’ve ever gotten confused about HIV transmission and sexually transmitted diseases, our presentation may help! Come learn basic and new information in an easy-to-understand way. The Gay Men’s Health Program from Family Health Centers of San Diego will give you the tools to increase your chances of staying fit longer.

Eugene Beronilla has been in HIV prevention for 10 years, focusing on gay Asians, Latinos, and youth. He now coordinates the Gay Men’s Health Program. Luke Griffin is a Health Educator with the Gay Men’s Health Program and dreams to be an epidemiologist. He is an activist in the gay and lesbian community.

Join in the fun and surprises! Mohabee leads a fun and creative group art experience. No art experience is necessary and there’s no need to draw a ‘straight’ line, either! We’ll explore our unfound creativity and find connection to others through this unique drawing workshop.

Mohabee is an artist living at Starland, where the desert air and ambience influence his ceramic sculpture and watercolor paintings. Mohabee has been attending CMG’s since 1989 and is currently the CMG Archivist.

Explore the healing and sensory aspects of touch in this interactive fully-clothed workshop which many men find to be an enjoyable and insightful experience.

John Herriot is an experienced group leader.

Don’t just stand there…do something! This is an interactive workshop in which we work together on 10 suggestions (or more that you add!) to maximize our lives as gay men. Please be ready to share from your own experience. Based on a book by author Joe Kort.

Michael McAndrew is a CMG Planner and practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Men are bombarded with images of ‘perfect’ bodies, and Southern California culture has elevated body image to an impossible standard. This movement workshop encourages men to discover the inherent beauty of their body through awareness of line, lightness of step, and sassy fun. No dance experience necessary, but you should be able to do an easy aerobics class.

Jamie Kravitz performed professionally as a dancer with Rudy Perez and the Los Angeles Modern Dance & Ballet. He was director of the New Moves Dance Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is currently a graduate student in Human Factors and Ergonomics at San Jose State University.

Prepare to have fun putting paint on canvas (well, paper) using your body and your fellow participants bodies as brushes. Toes, feet, legs, butts, balls, penis, stomach, chest, back, arms, hands, fingers, nose and head (hair if you have some) are all parts of your brush! The fun of creation is the point. Nudity required! Please arrive showered.

John Boucher has both a BFA-Corcoran School of Art and MFA-Claremont Graduate University. Paul Steel BFA University of Georgia, y’all!

Did you get the script? The one for your life? Probably not! Life is improvised! Come play with the fun of NOT thinking ahead; brilliance is hiding! Using entertaining exercises of improvisation (a subset of Milo’s ‘TEAMprovising’ seminar), IMPROVentures raises communication, innovation, and playfulness while everyone laughs and plays together.

Milo Shapiro teaches improvisation to businesses for teambuilding and enhancing communication (http://www.IMPROVentures.com). He speaks on facing risk comfortably, using improv to keep his keynotes fun.

A guided discussion about our attitudes about aging, how our attitudes affect our self-concept and our relationship with others. Options for coping with the aging process will also be discussed. Participants should be prepared to share their personal experiences and thoughts about aging.

Fred Ihler, LCSW, is in private psychotherapy practice. His clients are primarily seniors, persons with AIDS and the chronically mentally ill.

Emote in words your forbidden fantasies, fetishes, and carnal needs in permissive journaling. We choose (optional) pen names, put pen to paper in warm-up exercises, and wet-write till we’ve bled pent-up sensual desires, freedoms, and fears. Optional reading is followed by blessing one another to express radically. Bring journal, pen, clipboard or book. Paper/pens also available.

Shawn O’Leary is a long-time CMG’er. Shawn is a writer committed to uninhibited writing for healing & fulfillment. He begins his sexual intimate/sex therapist practice in January 2005.

No experience, talent, or rhythm required. Free form drumming, dancing, singing, clapping, whatever. Twelve drums and several other percussion instruments provided.

This is Cam Hillyer’s 15th CMG and he owns a lot of drums and percussion instruments.

This clothes-on session will be led by Ken Oakley, former instructor and partner in Body Electric School. It will serve as a gentle introduction to using breathing, movement and massage to unlock the healing potential of erotic energy.

Ken Oakley is a life and business coach with clients across the country. He has a passion for working with others to achieve their full potential, helping them rediscover joy and prosperity and live the life of their dreams. He is a teacher of conscious breathwork and erotic spirituality and has facilitated workshops for thousands of men throughout North American and Australia.

Confronting Challenges And Opportunities”,”This workshop will explore how we have built our self-image based on messages we have received since childhood. We will confront irrational beliefs and develop strategies that will help us to create a healthier self-image which will enhance our confidence and self-esteem.

Damian Goldvarg, Ph.D. is a Marriage and Family Therapist and an Organizational Development Consultant. He has more than 15 years of experience as a trainer and coach.

The benefits of meditation include stress reduction, deep rest, reversal of aging, and spiritual enlightenment. This workshop will teach the beginner how to meditate. Several techniques will be taught in order to find one suitable for most attendees. Wear loose clothing and avoid a heavy meal prior to this workshop.

Gordon Morris has been meditating for 30 years. He studied at Maharishi International University, and was a board member of the Gay Metaphysical Spiritual Association.

A Writing Workshop”,”Powerful emotions create powerful writing. It requires great courage to run toward our shame or toward our fear. It’s difficult to write scared. Come prepared to push past boundaries and write unflinching prose. Our intention is to get naked on the page; physical nudity is optional.

Gali Kronenberg is a former reporter and columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and earned his masters at Columbia University. He leads weekly writing workshops. Last year, more than a dozen participants published their work.

Giving Your Words Impact”,”The impact of what you say relies on your skill in communicating memorably. Word choice, presentation ability, flexibility and skillful storytelling can pay off in everything from business to dating. We’ll be doing fun exercises involving playing, writing and storytelling -learning techniques to make your message capture attention.

Milo Shapiro uses improvisation, storytelling and critique in business classes on teamwork, enhancing communication, and speaking skills (IMPROVentures.com). Clients include Sempra, Kodak, QVC and Kaiser Permanente.

A blending of performance art movement techniques, Tantric principles and the power of now philosophy. Participants will explore being creative, connected, spontaneous and in-touch with each other & with the ‘magic’ consciousness of the moment. Costumes, wigs, and props welcome!

Jason Jenn is a creative and spiritual re-evolutionary, performing the past three years with both Rachel Rosenthal and the Invisible Theatre.

An encouraging workshop modeled from the business community for the personal realm. Focusing on meeting someone for a personal or business relationship. Finding your voice to have confidence, deal effectively with rejection and build a stronger relationship.

Pascual L Cervantes, known to his friends as ‘The Fabulous Pascual,’ says his reputation personally and professionally proceeds him. He works for HalfCity Productions and is a member of NAWBO and BALA. He has been a co-facilitator of life coach seminars.

Throughout the centuries, gayness and shamanism have been inter-related, over-lapping and complimentary consciousnesses. This relationship, still vibrant today, offers rich resources to build a grounded spiritual perspective, as well as entree to gay essentialism. The compelling relevance of shamanism today is a platform to reclaim gay self-definition from political and marketing demographics. Drumming, reclining, and guided introspections are prominent activities. Bring a blanket.

Mack Gilliland is committed to the expansive possibilities shamanism offers to gay men, especially in allowing us to integrate our two-spirit nature. Matthew Sunderland became interested in shamanism while working with the Athabascan people in Alaska and studied with The Foundation for Shamanic Studies. Shawn Laughingtree has been involved in creating ‘Gay and Lesbian Community’ for 30 years in both Santa Cruz and Los Angeles.

In this interactive workshop, learn about and reawaken the power of an ancient archetype – lost long ago to the West – who lives in dynamic balance with the Earth Mother. He is a strong, sensual, loving model of generative masculinity open to all men, gay and straight, young and old.

Mike Zeglarski recently completed his doctor of ministry project in the area of postmodern masculinity. He also holds two Harvard degrees, is married and lives in Sacramento.

Ya know how puppies kinda lie all over each other in a safe, warm-&-fuzzy way? Here’s an opportunity to do just that with other friendly CMG pups. It’s an hour or two of relaxed, quiet conversation, cuddling, fellowship, perhaps just being held in a loving way by a new friend, maybe even some munchies. It’s a lovely way to mellow out at the end of the day. Calorie content: high. Overt sexuality: low)

Joel Perry is facilitating this pile where all are welcome, but you have to cuddle with him at least once.

It’s a hoedown and you’re invited! Kick up your heels, country-style. No partner nor experience needed. Just show up and have a good time.

Ron Masker is returning to the CMG for his 13th event. He hopes that he can open the child within us all and celebrate the joy of life. Ron loves to sing and dance and has called and taught square dance for CMG for many, many years.

Led by professional instructors, this is a great bonding experience that teaches cooperation as teams work through their fears and develop trust. It is a powerful and life-changing program.

George Martin-Mauser and his crew from California Wilderness Trainings are our ropes course leaders and do this work professionally. They have honored us with their presence and participation for many years. We welcome them back yet again.

Sunrise Yoga will be a mixed-level practice. All are welcome. No experience required. The use of a mat, blanket, or towel is recommended to comfortably practice these stretches and breathing exercises.

Circa has been practicing yoga for 15 years and teaching for four. He has blended practices from various Hatha traditions to form a personal approach to yoga.

Journey with intention, love and joy for mother earth. Cleanse your spirit, reawaken your heart and rekindle your relationship with your spirit guides. Be prepared for a light hike, deep meditation and sage cleansing. Please wear comfortable clothing, hiking shoes or sneakers and a positive, open heart.

Daniel Castro is guided by his spirit animal, Black Wolf With Yellow Eyes, to share his experience in Journey Work with those interested in exploring earth spirit. “ in Peace”

There are voices in your head that tell you that you can’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t possibly … They keep you from breaking out of your routine and stop you from fully enjoying your life. In this workshop, we will uncover the secret weapons that disarm the gremlins, demons and ghosts of the mind and you will learn to remind yourself how beautiful, strong and valuable you really are.

Chuck Allen, CPCC, is a certified Life, Business and Relationship coach dedicated to enhancing learning, growth, success and fulfillment for individuals, couples and organizations.

Also called Conscious Connected Breathing, rebirthing is a technique that allows one to access blocked memories and repressed emotions. The purpose of Rebirthing is healing and release and it takes people to a deeper space of peace and balance in their lives. It is simple, safe and potentially an extremely profound experience. Bring blankets, pillows or sleeping bags to lie on.

Stuart Altschuler, M.F.T. is a psychotherapist and rebirther in private practice in Los Angeles. He uses a holistic approach that integrates the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of the individual. Stuart facilitates “ Hayride,” an HIV/AIDS support group originated by Louise Hay, and facilitates workshops on intimacy, self-esteem, homophobia, relationships, grief and loss, self-empowerment, addictions and compulsive behaviors, and sexuality and sexual orientation issues, worldwide.

Arbitrary Kickball is a newly created ancient art that encourages an almost zen-like acceptance of the vagaries of human existence. It’s a lot like regular kick-ball, except that at any moment the Esteemed Judges may make up rules that are always arbitrary, frequently silly, and occasionally hilarious. No athletic ability is required, but make sure to bring a sense of playfulness, a willingness to not take yourself so seriously, and more than a little love for the game of life.

Adam Behrman, MIT, is a psychotherapist and founder of Discovery Gay and Bisexual Men’s Retreats. He usually plays mind games, but thought this time we might get the whole body involved . . .

What does your sign like romantically and what are the other signs attracted to? In this workshop we will go over the 12 signs of the zodiac and discuss what turns them on, what turns them off, and what to do about it.

Malcolm Schenot taught astrology at the Astrological Institute in Scottsdale, AZ for five years before moving to LA in 2004. He now offers beginning astrology classes in his home in Echo Park, and is available for in-depth readings by appointment.