Heart of Passion: Celebrating the Sacred Erotic in Portland, OR this weekend (Nov. 10-12) (events » other) Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 9:00 AM Becca Perry and I will be teaching this for the first time in Portland in a couple of weeks. This workshop is about becoming more present with our sexuality, including feeling and expressing erotic energy, communicating and understanding our needs, desires, and boundaries more effectively, honoring gender, integrating sexuality and spirituality, and learning new skills and techniques.

We will be combining the practices of Heart of Now with tantric techniques, ritual, art, dance, and play, to create a sacred, juicy, yet safe atmosphere for exploring and healing sexuality, while pushing edges and challenging old patterns. All participants will agree to abide by set boundaries at the beginning of the weekend (we will send these out upon registration).

Some past participants have said:

"I felt opened, sexy, loved, met, appreciated, heard, welcomed, and satisfied."

"The body-centered focus of the workshop helped me to move more energy than I have before."

"I now feel acceptance of my sexuality and my feelings/needs when I'm with a new partner."

"I reconnected with myself and the Divine and the connection between all living beings. I learned more ways to remain present in my body through the senses."

"I feel much more connected to myself and my sexuality, and to others."

More info and details are below, and a flier is attached. Hope you can make it!

Blessings,
David

p.s. If you wish to be removed from future mailings, please let me know!

The Heart of Passion: Celebrating the Sacred Erotic

Inspired by Heart of Now and Naka Ima, this workshop is about being fully present and honest with our sexuality. Through ritual, movement, discussion, and other activities, we'll learn skills to enhance pleasure and to fully come into our own as sexual beings. Some of the benefits of this workshop include:

- Greater acceptance of your unique sexuality
- Confidence exploring sensual and sexual energy
- Loving yourself and your body
- Sexual healing
- Increased ability to connect with others
- Understanding how gender and culture affect your sexuality
- Greater ease communicating desires and boundaries
- Connecting sex and spirituality
- Learning sacred sex practices, techniques, and skills

We recommend that participants have personal growth experience similar to Heart of Now or Naka-Ima. All participants will be pre-interviewed by at least one of the facilitators. Feeling safe is an important aspect of exploring and playing with sexual energy. We will outline safe boundaries at the beginning of the weekend, and everyone will agree to them in order to participate.

November 10-12, 2007
In NE Portland (Alberta district)
Starts 9AM Saturday; concludes before lunch on Monday

Cost: $250-600 sliding scale, $50 deposit. Includes lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Please make checks payable to: Full Cup (or pay with PayPal on our website: www.fullcupworkshops.org).

To register, contact Becca Perry at 541-556-4355, or at becca@fullcupworkshops.org.

About the facilitators:

David Franklin has been involved with Naka-Ima and Heart of Now for nine years as a student, assistant, and facilitator. He is a certified Sexological Bodyworker, and teaches sacred sexuality to individuals and groups. He brings a sense of openness, honesty, humor, and mixture of lightness and depth to his teaching, and is passionate about helping others to reclaim sex as healthy and sacred expression.

Becca Perry has been facilitating Heart of Now for three years. She is also an ordained Wiccan priestess, and has led many rituals over the past 12 years. She has served as a temple priestess in several incarnations of the Temple of Aphrodite, a sacred erotic adult play space, at festivals and at Network for a New Culture’s Summer Camp. She enjoys holding sexuality and eroticism in a healing, compassionate and playful space.

The Naked Heart Puja with David Franklin and Anakha Coman on Dec. 15 (events » other) Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 7:00 PM The Naked Heart Puja

with David Franklin and Anakha Coman



Beyond our pursuits of the latest sexual techniques and flashy tricks lives our deep yearning for meaningful connection and intimate communion. The most erotic and ecstatic moments arrive when we let loose and surrender control -- dropping our guard to stand gloriously naked, unveiled in the truth and the fullness and the beauty of who we really are. When we risk to revealing ourselves in the presence of another we experience deep intimacy with our true self, the Divine and with the immensity and intensity of Life itself. Our union becomes a sacred place and space where we can truly be met, fulfilled, and invigorated down to our core. Through our exchange of essence and soul presence we ignite the radiance of aliveness -- our flame is fanned, our passions stirred, and our hearts, souls, and bodies are blown open in the fires of ecstasy.



Experience the fusion of the erotic and the ecstatic, the union of the sacred and the sensual, the true heart of alchemical sexuality. This puja offers an opportunity to taste the soul’s deep yearning for intimate communion that lives beyond the flesh. Come join us! (Please note that this is a figuratively (not literally!) naked event!)



Come to this street with
only your sweet fragrance.
Don't walk into this river
wearing a robe!
Paths go from here to there,
but don't arrive from somewhere!
It's time now to live naked.
~ Rumi ~



David Franklin is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, teacher, dancer, and counselor devoted to erotic and spiritual awakening. He has facilitated over ten pujas (this is his fourth with the Explorer's Club). Anakha Coman is an ecstatic heart mystic and intuitive healer devoted to supporting people to embody radiant love and reclaim their mystical hearts. She is masterful in creating experiences that enable people to remember, reveal and express the Sacred that is living inside through prayer, ritual, dance, meditation, theatre and all of the expressive arts.



As they practice the way of open heart relating and enter into this Divine dance together, David and Anakha are excited to offer a taste of their gifts and unfolding.


Saturday, Dec 15th 7:00-10:00
Donation : $20 at the door, $15 for paid members
To register, go to www.Explorers-Club.com

**********Please come without fragrance*************
Some of our members are environmentally sensitive.

To view puja guidleines please go to
www.explorers-club.com/Member...es.html
Please arrive by 7:00.No one will be admitted after 7:30. Remember to allow time to find parking.

Liberating your sexuality and spirituality: a complementary experiential evening for men (events » other) Thursday, April 10, 2008 - 7:00 PM In today’s world, men are conditioned towards distraction through unfulfilling work, entertainment, and attempts to be superficially ecstatic and blissful through quick fixes and artificial nourishment.

As we get caught up in these distractions, we overlook the shadows that are playing out in the world such as war, violence, rape, addiction, material obsession, and the environmental destruction that emerges as a result of our denial. Yet, it is through embracing and transforming these shadows that we truly find freedom and connect with desire, passion, and purpose.

Even in the seemingly evolved Portland culture, the “subtler” aspects of men’s shadows often go unchecked:
- Disconnection from the soul’s calling and purpose
- Obsession with sex and frantic looking to women to fulfill desire, passion, and meaning
- Obsession with pornography and other addictions such as drugs and alcohol
- Proving worth through sexual desirability and performance
- Playing “nice” and “evolved”
- Disowning emotions such as anger and rage
- Separation of heart, spine, and spirit
- Hiding under the weight of the shame men carry around masculinity and sexuality
- Playing “musical partners”

These states and behaviors have left many men needy, confused, lost, and disconnected from what our hearts and souls most yearn for. Passivity and politics are not the answer; heartfelt purpose, inspired action, and the reunion of the sacred and the erotic, of God and the body, of heaven and earth is what will bring forth true healing and transformation. We need to embrace and heal our own shadows, become the change we wish to see, and come from our authentic depth if we are to create lasting and fulfilling change.

In my desire and passion to help men bring about this change and transformation, I offer private coaching to assist men in taking this journey into wholeness and integrate the aspects of self: the spiritual, sexual, emotional, and physical. The sessions are primarily experiential and dynamic, emphasizing body-based practices including breathwork, movement, energetics, emotional release, and somatic erotic education.

As a result of working with me, you will be supported in:

- Feeling sexy, alive, and energized
- Gaining confidence, clarity, and self-worth in all areas of your life
- Connecting with and living your passions
- Strengthening your sexual power and potential
- Aligning and integrating your heart, spine, sexuality, and spirituality
- Embodying and enacting your life purpose
- Creating rich and meaningful connections and intimacy
- Expressing and owning your personal power
- Becoming a more desirable and attractive partner
- Awakening to and expressing your deeper needs and desires

As an introduction to my work, I am offering a free experiential event for men on Thursday, April 10 from 7-9p at Awakenings Wellness Center, 1016 SE 12th Ave. The event will include discussion, experiential practices, and the opportunity to receive one-on-one work on personal issues.**

I also offer individual coaching. If you are committed to radically transforming your own life in a real, present-time way, I would love to work with and support you. My rate is $75/hour, and I work with clients 2-4 times per month. In walking the path from awakening to embodiment, I work with clients for a minimum of three months after the initial session.

**All attendees will receive a voucher for $25 off of an initial private session.

RSVPs for the free event are encouraged but not required. To learn more and/or to schedule a session, please contact me at David@FireInTheBody.com or (888) 405-3338.

You can also learn more at my website: www.FireInTheBody.com

“David Franklin is a masterful guide to fuller embodiment -- dropping out of the head, the mind, into our own flesh, our own bones…and living a grounded, fulfilling life. My work with him has exceeded all expectations…and I walk the world with more power and greater clarity. I recommend him to other men desiring similar breakthroughs.” – Private client, Portland, OR

Sexual Presence: Embodying the Sacred Masculine (events » other) Saturday, April 26, 2008 - 10:00 AM Sexual Presence: Embodying the Sacred Masculine

As men, our sexual and spiritual aliveness is determined by how we presence ourselves. When we fully inhabit our bodies, own our power, have clear direction, live from deep purpose, and offer our heartfelt devotion and love without hesitation or guardedness, we become more trustworthy, alive, free and passionate.

In our culture, men have seemingly been forced to choose between a masculine or feminine facade. We either avoid the stigma of the “macho jerk” by disconnecting from heart and desire, or we avoid being seen as too sensitive or feminine by sacrificing our heart for power and toughness. But when we open to our sensitivity and vulnerability without flinching, and find a center in authentic masculine presence, we discover our true essence and wholeness as men.

In this workshop, you’ll learn to relax into your truth and essence: that heart, spine, and Spirit are inextricably fused and connected.

Through ritual, movement, and experiential practice, you will:

- Strengthen your sexual power and potential
- Integrate your inner masculine and feminine
- Deepen relationship with your self and sexuality
- Awaken and stir your desire and passion
- Embody presence and power
- Cultivate deeper and meaningful relationships with men
- Become a more desirable and attractive partner
- Connect to your deeper purpose and desire

Dates: April 26-27, 2008 (Saturday: 10am – 9:30pm; Sunday: 10am - 6:30pm)
Cost: $195 ($175 if paid in full before April 1)
Location: Close-in Portland (given upon registration)

Pre-registration, which includes a short interview and $50 deposit, is required.
To register, please call or email:

David at (888) 405-3338; David@FireInTheBody.com
or
Mark at (503) 827-7000; nagual@spiritone.com

About the facilitators:

David Franklin is a healer, teacher, writer, and urban shaman dedicated to the awakening, transformation, and embodiment of divine presence, eroticism, and soul essence. His passionate transports include sacred sexuality, movement, counseling, intuitive readings, and inspired writing. David is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, and has facilitated people in ritual, movement, workshops, and private practice for the past six years.


Mark Cody-Wald has been leading shamanic processes, workshops and providing body-centered counseling for hundreds of people over the last 10 years. He is certified through Barbara Brennan School of Healing and through the Core Energetics Institute, and is well known in the community for his sensitive and powerful work as a therapist and healer. In his work, Mark is passionate about cultivating consciousness, spiritual emergence, sexual awakening and working with deep aspects of shadow.

Ecstatic Communion: A Ritual to Awaken the Mystical Erotic (events » other) Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 6:30 PM ~ Ecstatic Communion ~
A Ritual to Awaken the Mystical Erotic

Come, come, come
The springtime of Lovers has come,
That this dust bowl may become a garden;
For Love is a temple
And a place has been prepared for you
At the banquet of ecstatic lovers.
Where the stone becomes a ruby from the mine,
The body becomes wholly soul.
Feast on the Beloved…
Feast on Essence…
Feast on the Ecstasy of Love!
Come, come, come.


At our core we carry the flame of sacred love – the ecstatic communion of the mystical and the erotic. When we embody and express this essential truth, we consecrate our divine human nature -- our sexuality and spirituality, our passion and purpose, our intimate connection with one another and with nature. Through this fusion we awaken our radiant hearts and become filled with Sacred Love.

The Ecstatic Communion ritual rises from this essential truth.

Ecstatic Communion is an alchemical ritual, a mystical journey, a sensuous sacrament and an exquisite opportunity to experience heaven on earth in the body. In Ecstatic Communion we enter a sacred temple and come alive in an explosion of Divine energy, awakening and arousing our mystical erotic presence. The entire evening is a sacred feast with ecstatic dance as the primary gateway and fuel for our individual and collective transformation. Rooting our experience in ancient spiritual traditions, our hearts, bodies and souls will be stimulated with movement, chanting, music, art, poetry, theater, play and sacred erotic fare. You
will be guided through a labyrinth of mystical erotic experiences that culminate in ecstatic communion.

On this enchanted night, we become the Temple of Love.

Saturday, May 24, 2008
6:30 p.m. to Midnight
Awakenings Wellness Center
Ritual Guides: Anakha Coman and David Franklin
Cost: $45 – $75

Space is limited; pre-registration is required. Information for preparing for and engaging in the ritual will be provided upon registration. To register, contact David at (888) 405-3338 or David@FireInTheBody.com.


Anakha Coman
Anakha Coman is an ecstatic heart mystic and intuitive devoted to supporting people in their journey to embody radiant love and awaken their mystical erotic essence. She is masterful in creating experiences that enable people to remember, reveal and express the indwelling Presence through prayer, ritual, dance, art, meditation, theatre and all of the expressive arts. Anakha leads transformational workshops in the U.S., Europe and Mexico and has inspired thousands of people to live their lives with purpose, passion and authenticity. Her services include: spiritual and sacred intimacy counseling, radical change coaching and transformational rituals and experiences. Anakha holds a Masters in Divinity, a Masters in Applied Behavioral Science and a professional certificate in Spirituality, Health, and Medicine; she is a certified Expressive Arts Therapist and an ordained New Thought minister. Visit Anakha at www.naked-heart.com and at www.youtube.com/mysticalerotic or email her at anakha@naked-heart.com to take the next step in living your own radically alive and authentic life!

David Franklin
David Franklin is a healer, teacher, writer, and urban shaman dedicated to the awakening, transformation, and embodiment of divine presence and eroticism. His passionate transports include sacred sexuality, movement, counseling, intuitive readings, and inspired writing. David is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, and has facilitated people in ritual, movement, workshops, and private practice for the past six years.

Sexual Presence: Embodying the Sacred Masculine (events » other) Friday, May 8, 2009 - 7:00 PM “Mark and David share their unique experiences in a touching, opening, and powerful way. This is brave new territory, and vital for all.”

“David and Mark are incredibly skilled guides to finding ourselves. The importance of this work cannot even begin to be measured.”

As men, our sexual and spiritual aliveness is determined by how we presence ourselves. When we fully inhabit our bodies, own our power, have clear direction, live from deep purpose, and offer our heartfelt devotion and love without hesitation or guardedness, we become more trustworthy, alive, free and passionate.

In our culture, men have seemingly been forced to choose between a masculine or feminine facade. We either avoid the stigma of the “macho jerk” by disconnecting from heart and desire, or we avoid being seen as too sensitive or feminine by sacrificing our heart for power and toughness. But when we open to our sensitivity and vulnerability without flinching, and find a center in authentic masculine presence, we discover our true essence and wholeness as men.

In this workshop, you’ll learn to relax into your truth and essence: that heart, spine, and Spirit are inextricably fused and connected.

Through ritual, movement, and experiential practice, you will:

- Strengthen your sexual power and potential

- Integrate your inner masculine and feminine

- Deepen relationship with your self and sexuality

- Awaken and stir your desire and passion

- Embody presence and power

- Cultivate deeper and meaningful relationships with men

- Become a more desirable and attractive partner

- Connect to your deeper purpose and desire



Dates: May 8-10, 2009 (Friday: 7-10pm; Saturday/Sunday: 10am – 6:30pm)

Cost: $235 ($195 if paid in full before April 13)

Location: Close-in Portland (given upon registration)



Pre-registration, which includes a short interview and $50 deposit, is required.



To register, please call or email:

David at (888) 405-3338; David@FireInTheBody.com

or

Mark at (503) 827-7000; nagual@spiritone.com



About the facilitators:

David Franklin is a healer, teacher, writer, and urban shaman dedicated to the awakening, transformation, and embodiment of divine presence, eroticism, and soul essence. His passionate transports include sacred sexuality, movement, counseling, intuitive readings, and inspired writing. David is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, and has facilitated people in ritual, movement, workshops, and private practice for the past six years.

Mark Cody-Wald has been leading shamanic processes, workshops and providing body-centered counseling for hundreds of people over the last 10 years. He is certified through Barbara Brennan School of Healing and through the Core Energetics Institute, and is well known in the community for his sensitive and powerful work as a therapist and healer. In his work, Mark is passionate about cultivating consciousness, spiritual emergence, sexual awakening and working with deep aspects of shadow.

The Razor's Edge: Becoming a Radical Man - A 12-week Intensive (events » other) Monday, September 21, 2009 - 7:00 PM 4 RSVPs The Razor’s Edge: Becoming a Radical Man
A 12-week Intensive

Facilitated by David Franklin and Brad Berscheid

Do any of these thoughts or behaviors sound familiar?

Why am I here?
Something is missing from my life, but I don’t know what it is.
Why do I keep attracting unfulfilling relationships?
I feel cut off from my spiritual connection.
Why do I go to a job every day that seems meaningless?
My life feels shallow and empty.
I am obsessed with making money, having sex, and putting energy into things that don’t excite me.
I am uncomfortable with my anger, so I either suppress it or lash out.
I feel alone.
Porn is a lot easier than tending to a relationship.
I feel shame and embarrassment about being a man.

Take a look at the world around you; look at your life. See what’s happening. Men harming themselves and others over money, power, greed, and lust. Men waiting around and unwilling to take a stand, lost and directionless while people are starving, dying of disease, and sleeping on the streets. Rape, domestic violence, single motherhood, fathers who don’t pay child support - really, are we going to just continue accepting this as normal behavior for men?

Every time you spend the day at an unfulfilling job, you perpetuate the problem. Every time you swallow your anger because you don’t think it is professional or polite, you perpetuate the problem. Every time you numb out or distract through drugs, pornography, alcohol, sex, or TV, you perpetuate the problem. Every time you suppress your power and play the “nice guy,” you perpetuate the problem. And every time you accept the statement, “That’s just what men do,” you perpetuate the problem.

Aren’t you fed up?

A little embarrassed?

Sick of feeling powerless and confused?

What are you going to do about it?

What if you took a stand for yourself, for your life, in service to the greater world?
What if you could . . .

Know your purpose
Feel confident, attractive, sexy, and powerful
Embody a trustworthy presence and receive others’ respect
Attract dynamic, intimate, and fulfilling relationships into your life
Experience a profound spiritual connection that nourishes, guides, and inspires you to greatness
Feel safe to express your anger in healthy ways
Create a healthy relationship with your sexuality
Source your life from passionate presence
Have a surplus of energy
Break free of the habits and addictions that keep you running
Experience your vulnerability and your power without having to give up either one

This program is designed for men who are willing and ready to show up powerfully in the world. It is for men who are sick of being ambivalent, wishy-washy, and confused. It is for men who want to know who they are, why they’re here, and discover their gifts. It is for men who want to get real with themselves, live on the edge, and lay it on the line. It is for men who want to be part of a brotherhood of men dedicated to living from their core and who are willing to claim their cock, heart, and spine.

If you are ready, come WALK THE RAZOR’S EDGE with us!

The 12-Week Intensive:
- One facilitated three-hour session per week, including a 45-minute personal training workout
- Daily e-mails with personal practices, teachings, and inspirations
- Weekly audio podcasts and video lessons
- One private coaching session with David
- Online group forum

The Commitment:
- 30 minutes of daily spiritual practice
- Weekly blogging on group blog
- Attend and be on time for all sessions
- Being fully accountable for group and personal commitments

The Curriculum:
Grounding – The willingness and commitment to show up in presence, integrity, and personal power
Wellness – Caring for the body, mind, and spirit
Authenticity – Knowing and expressing yourself honestly, aligning your life with your deepest values and sense of self
Spiritual Communion – Discovering and engaging in a personal, direct relationship with the Divine
Creativity – Connecting to your dreams and inspiration, and finding your unique voice and expression
Eroticism – Embracing the physical realm, including the sexual, the sensual, and personal desire
Soul Purpose – Discovering the meaning of your life and how you are being called to serve
Wholeness – Honoring and integrating your authentic power and presence through embracing the shadow and living your truth
Intimacy – The art of being in relationship with self, other, community, and the Divine
Abundance – Living a life of freedom, joy, and vitality
Leadership – Inspiring and calling others into their greatness
Integral Presence – Living an embodied life sourced in Love

The Logistics:
Monday evenings, September 21 – December 7, from 7-10 pm. Location: Oasis Healing Arts Center (close-in SE Portland)

The Investment:
$595 - $795 sliding scale includes all group meetings, group personal training sessions, one private coaching session, and all course materials including audio, video, and online teachings. Payment plans are available.

Additional private sessions with David and Brad are available at a reduced rate.

To Enroll:
If you are interested, please contact David at (503) 505-0333 or David@RadicalMen.com, and we will set up a phone appointment to discern if the program is right for you.

The Facilitators:
David Franklin is a spiritual activist devoted to creating a new paradigm for masculinity that includes living the embodied path of spirituality, sexuality, leadership, and presence. He is an ordained minister and certified somatic erotic educator with twenty years of experience that includes teaching, facilitating, and holding space for people in ritual, workshop, group, and one-on-one settings. David brings a depth of presence, insight, and wisdom to his teaching. He is masterful at creating and holding safe space for transformative experiences that utilize practical, body-centered modalities and down-to-earth spirituality. For more information, visit www.RadicalMen.com.

Brad Berscheid is a Master Level Fitness Trainer who has worked with clients for over 13 years with goals ranging from weight loss to sports performance to general health and vitality. As an ordained minister and Reiki practitioner, he incorporates the spiritual aspect of holistic health into his fitness training. Brad is passionate about guiding men towards holistic wellness, through developing a strong body, a connected spirit, an open heart, and a balanced life. For more information, visit www.tridfitness.com.