Between Light and Shadow FAQ

Between Light and Shadow is a two-day immersive workshop for pairs who want to explore pleasure, limits, and vulnerability together. Through somatic grounding, clear communication, and consent-based touch, we invite you to slow down, notice what's happening in your body, and practice naming both what you want and where your limits are. Rather than being about “doing more,” this space centers depth, clarity, and choice.

No. This workshop is open to many kinds of dyads: romantic partners, friends, co-parents, creative collaborators, or other meaningful pairings. What matters most is that both people are a clear “yes” to attending together and exploring touch, communication, and boundaries in this container.

This workshop is influenced by the Wheel of Consent® and centers consent, sovereignty, and choice. There will be opportunities for partnered touch within your pair, as well as some touch-based activities with others in the group, always based on explicit agreement and moment-to-moment choice. We will not be directing you toward any specific kind of erotic activity. Instead, we focus on helping you notice what you want, communicate clearly, and honor limits—including the choice to stay clothed, to decline touch, or to participate in non-touch variations at any time.

Prior experience is helpful but not required. We will offer foundations in the principles we use, and each exercise is framed with clear instructions. If you are “consent curious” and willing to engage with slowness, communication, and self-responsibility, you are welcome. If you're unsure whether this is a fit, you can reach out to us at [email protected].

We meet from 10am–6pm on both days, with breaks woven throughout. Each day includes guided somatic grounding, partner exercises, reflection/journaling time, and group integration. We build skills gradually—starting with internal awareness and simple choices, and then layering in more nuanced touch-based practices. You'll have time to rest and integrate between segments, and we include a longer lunch break mid-day so you can step out to eat, reset, or decompress.

The workshop is held at The Living Altar in Seattle, near Ravenna Park—a ritual-inspired space rather than an Airbnb or retreat house. The space is curated to support slowness, presence, and care. Specific address and logistics will be shared after you register.

The standard tuition is $400 per pair for the full two days. We also reserve two spots at $200 per pair for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color—no questions asked. If you identify as BIPOC and would like one of these spots, simply let us know in your email. If the standard price is not accessible for you, please still reach out; in some cases we are able to offer limited scholarships or work-trade options to help make this workshop more attainable.

We are limiting this workshop to 10 pairs in order to maintain an intimate, well-supported container. There will be two facilitators: Sex Therapist Annabelle Wagar, MSW/MEd, and Space Holder Julian Smith, PhD.

To join, start by reading the Agreements, Guidelines, and Who It's For, then complete the application form linked on the Between Light and Shadow workshop page. After we receive your application, we will follow up with payment details, logistics, and any next steps. Payment reserves your spot.

Because this is a limited-capacity workshop, your payment holds one of a small number of spots. If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible. We will do our best to fill your spot; if we are able to do so, we can often offer a partial refund or credit toward a future workshop. Details will be included in the confirmation email.

No. While one of our facilitators, Annabelle, is a sex therapist in her clinical work, this workshop is an educational and experiential space, not therapy or medical treatment. It is not a substitute for individual, couples, or group therapy. We welcome people who are also in therapy, and we encourage you to bring what arises here into your ongoing support networks.

This workshop is influenced and inspired by the Wheel of Consent® as developed by Dr. Betty Martin. We have trained with the School of Consent and integrate many of its principles into how we teach and hold space. We are not certified facilitators, and this offering is not an official School of Consent training.