At the Edge

Reaching an edge can be a thrilling experience. It can open us to life, give birth to insights and create a special connection with others. There is often a lot of potential precisely there – where something is unsettling me and my habits, but not in a way that overwhelms me. However, going beyond or over an edge is very close to reaching one, and that is already dangerous. It can hurt quite a bit, make us numb and block our exchange with the external world.

And so (for good reasons), many of us become very good at avoiding edges altogether. We learn to retreat when we notice a hint of destabilization. We apologize, look away, rush to repair, or move away from the tension. This is indeed often the safest option, and often also the most functional one. Being constantly on the edge is exhausting, and it is very difficult to achieve anything concrete from within that liminal space.

This workshop is an invitation to practice and explore the opposite: to step into the somewhat forbidden territory where we intentionally bring one another close to an edge, and explore what lies there. All of this is, of course, strictly consensual, and the workshop will move at a very slow and gentle pace.

Through games and embodied exercises, we will explore questions such as: What is an edge actually? What do I like about staying here and what makes me want to go away? Why is this an edge for me right now? How is it when someone is staying here with me, in this uncomfortable place and what support may the give me? What does this edge reveal about me?

What to expect

We will begin with a thorough solo warm-up to connect to our bodies, become more sensitive to boundaries, and attune to our sense of inner authority. From there, we will gradually move into various consent games and relational explorations.

We will work with touch and nudity is also possible, though neither touch nor nudity is ever required (this really isn't about eroticism, but it can go there). There is no predetermined point we are trying to reach: Within the frame of the exercises, each person decides what they want to explore and where their limits are. In that sense, an edge might look very different for different people — what feels adventurous to one person may feel completely ordinary, or simply not desirable, to another.

Throughout the workshop, we will also take time to verbally process and reflect on our experiences. While the topic touches something somewhat transgressive, there is a strong emphasis on care, gentleness, and mutual attention. The aim is not to push through boundaries, but to become more curious and skillful in the territory around them.

It is an adventure we embark on together.

Logistics:

Where & when

Skinship, Rudolfstr. 11. The space is unfortunately not accessible (6 floor, without an elavator).

10:30–14:00

Contribution

€25–55, sliding scale

Come with comfortable clothes for movement. There will be tea and snacks (: