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In human relationships, personal boundaries can get fluffy. I want to be liked, you want to be liked, we all want to feel like we belong, sometimes at the expense of compromising our own needs and desires. Not only might we want to be less involved with someone, we also might want to be more involved with someone.
There is so much room for free interpretation, so many things often left unsaid, unquestioned. And when two views crush, let us go within and have a conversation with ourselves: How much further will I go? Where will I stop? Who am I ready to meet? What will I do if it gets tough? |
ARE YOU HUNGRY?
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As we live in an increasingly technology-focused, socially disconnected world, we're touching each other much less than before.
What some psychologists term "skin hunger" (also known as touch hunger) is a need for physical human contact. Satisfying skin hunger requires to have meaningful physical contact with another person, and failing to observe the need for human touch can have profound emotional (less happiness, more loneliness, more likely to experience depression and stress, lower relationship satisfaction, mood and anxiety disorders, inability to express and interpret emotion, difficulty to create secure attachments with others), even physical (worse health and more immune disorders) consequences. Human beings need touch almost as powerfully as they need basic necessities like food and water.But let's be honest - how many of us are receiving that touch on a daily basis?
Touch that is consensual, caring and unconditional? How many of us actually know how to offer that touch to another? It can be hard to stay conscious of our own personal needs and limitations, and sometimes even harder of those of another person. Welcome to Cuddlenation - a space and time to be true to ourselves, and (re)learn to give and receive conscious physical touch with ease, love and respect. |
here's our intention |
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With the project Cuddlenation, we wish to reach the following objectives:
▼ create a safe space for ourselves to explore consensual, respectful and loving touch ▼ raise awareness of our own personal space and limits, learning to connect to one another in a deeply meaningful way ▼ share different methods connected to body awareness and conscious touch ▼ for each participant to be able to maintain (but also expand beyond) their personal boundaries, having the tools and guidelines to evaluate what is healthy and needed ▼ create a set of carefully crafted follow-up activities made to share the essence of Cuddlenation with local communities in each partner country |
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OUR TOOLS
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The methods we will use in our journey include body movement and mindfulness practices, open sharing, ritual and ceremony, dynamic meditation and visualisation, contact improvisation, cuddle piles, tuning into senses and being in nature -
all of this and much more to help you to explore, define and maintain strong personal boundaries, express your truth and manifest a whole new way of being in the world with others. |
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BUT WHY?
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In its very essence, the youth exchange (youth means 18-30 years old) Cuddlenation is an answer to the call to rise beyond the ordinary life as we know it and allow more depth, more connection and more meaning into our daily experience.
You, us, we are all here for a reason. It is time to discover and live up to that reason. It is our wish and desire to recreate that sense of inner trust and harmony within ourselves. Because by feeling inner harmony, we also start to feel outer harmony with nature, people, and matters of 21st century - we come to accept things as they are, people as they are, situations as they are. Even more so, we can finally expand beyond our limiting boundaries and instead of looking for what is, look for the highest potential of what could be. And by doing so, we can take inspired action towards a better future, collectively raising the vibration of the Earth. Care for planet is what drives this project, and so we also bring in the principles of Zero-Waste philosophy. We reduce what we need, reuse as much as we can, send little to be recycled, and compost what we cannot. For this reason, we also ask you to take extra care for what you bring with you and how you show up in this project, limiting all waste both in terms of trash and unnecessary packaging, but also when using water, electricity and other resources of our planet. |
Participant profile |
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This journey is for you if:
This journey is not for you if:
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general attitude |
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We remind you that this project is a youth exchange happening under the Erasmus+ frame. You will not receive a certified training in meditation or movement practices. The team of the project are not professional psychologists, therapists or teachers. The facilitators are present to maintain a focus on the learning objectives, not to fully design and deliver the program for you.
We are here, creating Cuddlenation together, which will require your full involvement in all of the project stages - preparation (specific tasks will be explained after confirmation), program activities (that include you delivering your own workshops as part of the community exchange and paying a visit to the local schools for enhanced integration of the learning outcomes), and the local follow-up phase (bringing your discoveries back to your community in the form of a workshop, seminar, discussion or another get-together). The attitude we are keeping throughout the project is ''I create my own reality'', which means taking full responsibility for your own experience. |
OUR SANCTUARY
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During our gathering we will settle on a piece of land on the outskirts of a tiny shop-free village Bajari approximately 30 km from Riga. The closest public bus stop is in a distance of 3 km, which there will be a hike from / to on the arrival and departure days.
There will be access to electricity and water, but no permanent housing or fancy washrooms. There are 2 bio toilets and 1 garden shower with warm water that will be shared by all of the participants. There is also a lake close by. We will have a larger heated tent for gatherings, but sleeping will happen under make-shift roofs, tents or hammocks, in your own sleeping bags and using your own sleeping mats. Whatever creature comforts you might need, bring them with you! A detailed list on the advised equipment will come with the confirmation letter. During Cuddlenation, we will have our own cook preparing delicious, fully plant based and sugar free meals 3 times a day, using locally grown, organic, unpackaged products as much as possible. We do not plan for special snack breaks, so if that's something you really need, please inform us beforehand. We will also contribute to household tasks around the venue and in the kitchen, making the whole project a community experience. As a rule, we are creating a space free from drugs and alcohol. This applies to all 8 days of the program. In case of disrespect for this rule, you might be asked to leave the program with no chance for reimbursement. |
time frame and costs
If you wish to explore Latvia, you can come/leave 2 days before/after the project dates. All expenses during these days are up to you.
The partner countries of this project are Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Greece and Latvia. Your travel expenses (travel tickets + travel insurance) will be reimbursed according to the Erasmus+ distance calculator and the following limits:
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There is a contribution fee of 50 EUR to be paid upon registration.
The rest of the expenses within project dates are funded by Erasmus+ program. Note on travel reimbursement limits: The amounts written above have been calculated depending on the partner organisations' home cities. If it differs from where you will start your travels from, the reimbursement limit might change. Contact your sending organisation for questions. This especially applies to all Greek participants coming from Thessaloniki! |
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ABOUT US
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CONTACTS
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SPACE HOLDERS
Rota Marite StrazdaA self-discovery guide who is most inspired by witnessing herself and others reconnect with who they really are, with others and with nature through sensual grounding and mindfulness practices, rituals and ceremony which are her main tools.
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Karlis LaizansAn honesty lover who is passionate about community living, touch, contact improvisation and nature.
He loves holding and creating spaces for meaningful and heartfelt interactions. |
JOIN THE CREATIVE TEAM
Participants can also play a special role in the project by joining the media team. We are looking for:
▼ a social media ninja to take care of our online activities on Instagram and Facebook.
If you are interested in this role, add this information to your application form, and let us know about your creation so far by writing an e-mail to mindfuljourneyslv@gmail.com with a couple of examples of your work.
As a team member, you will participate in online planning and have the opportunity to experience the activities from a different point of view, while still playing an important role in the tribe. Your contribution fee will be covered.
▼ a social media ninja to take care of our online activities on Instagram and Facebook.
If you are interested in this role, add this information to your application form, and let us know about your creation so far by writing an e-mail to mindfuljourneyslv@gmail.com with a couple of examples of your work.
As a team member, you will participate in online planning and have the opportunity to experience the activities from a different point of view, while still playing an important role in the tribe. Your contribution fee will be covered.