Bear Your Soul: Winter Hibernation ‘24

Schedule

Thursday, January 11th

5:00pm - 6:00pm - Welcome Reception - Sun Room
Get acquainted before dinner with wine, non-alcoholic beverages, cheese and crackers.  

6:00pm - 7:00pm - Dinner with our Houses - Great Room (meet at 5:50 for Dinner Circle)  

7:30pm - 9:00pm - Opening Circle - Great Room
Gather to hear about all the exciting things we have planned and set our intentions for the retreat!  

9:00pm - 10:00pm - Sound Bath Cuddle Pile
While laying down or cuddling, experience the soothing vibrations of a "sound bath" as Rod Love plays a set of 7 chakra-tuned quartz crystal singing bowls. As the ethereal tones reverberate through the air, they gently envelop you, creating a harmonious resonance that resonates deep within you.

Friday, January 12th

7:30am - 8:30am - Morning Yoga - Great Room - with Tim Cooley
Join Tim for a yoga practice emphasizing listening to your body. Fine for beginners or more advanced yogis!  

7:30am - 8:30am - 12 Step Meeting - Temple - (Hunter Reynolds Room)
All 12-Step traditions welcome!

8:30am - 9:30am - Breakfast

8:30am - 9:30am - Morning Breakfast Cartoons with Dave Dietz - Sun Room
Stay in your PJ’s, bring your breakfast and your teddy for classic cartoons (with a selection of fun cereals) 

9:30am - 10:30am - Small Groups - Various Locations
Please attend your small group and be on time

11:00am - 12:30pm - Yes, No, Maybe and More! - Great Room - with Goldenheart
How do ask for what you want? How do you say YES to what works for you and say NO with kindness and clarity?  How do you deal with rejection? What are some tools to get more connection at the retreat and beyond? We will try to answer some of these questions together through sharing, non erotic touch, and role play exercises! Come open the toolbox! This is a CORE Bear Your Soul workshop. It is recommended that participants attend, especially newcomers.

12:30pm - 1:00pm - Lunch

2:00pm - 4:00pm - Loving Our Bear Bodies - with Goldenheart and Jay and Freeman - Temple
A chance to affirm the beauty of your body and erotic self. Through touch exercises, we will give and receive support and appreciation with our brothers. The workshop involves nudity & erotic touch. This is a core workshop of Bear Your Soul. This is a CORE Bear Your Soul workshop. It is recommended that participants attend, especially newcomers. If you are interested, but apprehensive, speak to your group leader or a host.

4:30pm - 6:30pm - Rainbow Scratch Boards with Mr. Larrie - Great Room
Whether you are an experienced artiste or a novice crafter, a simple, inexpensive way to express your creative side is always a good time! With wax crayons, acrylic paint, and a little self reflection, you will develop a one-of-a-kind work of inspirational scratchboard art that can serve as a reminder of your personal affirmations, goals for the future, and much more. 

4:30pm - 6:30pm - Improv Playshop with Andrew Deitch - Temple
Andrew will take you through some fun improv / theater games and some Meisner techniques- this improv playshop will teach you to think on your feet  and allow you the freedom to be anything your imagination can come up with. Hilarity will ensue! Because who needs reality nowadays?

7:00pm - 8:00pm - Dinner - (meet at 6:50 for Dinner Circle) 

8:15 pm - 10:00pm - Bear Games: Four Play with your host Jay Freeman - Great Room
Join our new Interactive Game Show Night. Start thinking about what you might want to share or participate in. We will have forms to fill out for some of the games at the Welcome Reception! The evening will feature:

• Two Truths and Lie - participants share fun facts or made up BS and the audience guesses which is which!

• Dirty Laundry - You get to submit shocking facts about yourself and the audience will guess who it is about! 

• Mad Lib Madness - You get to help create and act out a funny story based on gay classics! 

• Hookup Theater - Submit your funny hookups stories. (You can remain anonymous) Someone will narrate your story while others act it out!

10:00pm - Sauna/Bear Den/Board Games
Our Wood-Fired Sauna will be running and space in the Temple Loft is open to connect, discover, and play! There is also a closet full of games you can play together in the Sun Room!

Saturday, January 13th

7:30am - 8:30am - Morning Yoga - Great Room with Tim Cooley
7:30am - 8:30am - 12 Step Meeting - Temple - (Hunter Reynolds Room)
8:30am - 9:30am - Breakfast
8:30am - 9:30am - Morning Breakfast Cartoons with Dave Dietz - Sun Room
9:30am - 10:30am - Small Groups - Various Locations

11:00am - 12:30pm - Body Positivity Mindful Meditation with Tyler Wansley - Temple
In this session, Tyler will lead you through a guided meditation where you will be with your body, feel comfortable in your body, and then explore the areas of your body that you dislike. We will sit with these areas that make us uncomfortable and, hopefully, give those parts some much needed love and affirmation. Whether meditation is new to you or a daily habit, this is a group for anybody! We will start with getting comfortable with some light, easy, seated stretching, followed by a guided meditation. There will be a moment to debrief together at the end. This is a great, more individual workshop that is a great compliment to Loving Our Bear Bodies."

11:00am - 12:30pm - Squeegee Painting with Mr. Larrie - Great Room
Participants will take their appreciation of abstract art to a new level with squeegee painting, a beginner-friendly technique inspired by screen printing. Each artist will produce their own gallery-style series of mini-prints and learn a bit about color theory along the way!

12:30pm - 1:00pm - Lunch

2:00pm - 4:00pm - A Brush with Alchemy: Unleashing Intentions with Essential Oils & Paint with Wayne Leiss - Great Room
A great way to reawaken the child within. Use acrylic paints, essential oils, the Oil Affirmation car deck and your intuition to create your own masterpiece!  No two paintings are remotely alike. Participants can take their creations and a bonus gift home with them. No previous painting experience is needed. My intention is to create a space where we can connect while having fun creating our own unique multi-media masterpieces and bringing intention into our lives. (Signup required)

2:00pm - 4:00pm - River of Life with Andrew Deitch - Temple
In this workshop, Folks will be given time to draw what their river of life looks like. Sometimes it’s wide and abundant, sometimes it's scarce and rocky with a strong current, but it’s our story. This workshop will fuel connection and help us find our intersections as humans.

4:30pm - 6:30pm - The Art of the Tease with Adam B. Shapiro - Great Room
So much these days is so overt. Over time, we’ve gone from saying and doing too little to saying and doing too much. With the advent of the apps, first meetings have gone from a handshake to a hole pic. Through video magic and sexy expression, we will create a teaser that will excite and entice viewers to want more!g new. Each artist will create a one-of-a-kind canvas for affirmations of all kinds, no skills needed! It’s fun and easy for anyone to do!

4:30pm - 6:30pm - Carving Candles for Self-Love with Elhoim Leafar - Temple
Candle magic stands out as one of the most prevalent forms of traditional practical witchcraft, offering infinite ways to employ candles in magic and sorcery for various purposes such as health, wealth, protection, love, manifestation, and opening paths. Together, we will collaborate to release any obstacles blocking our path. Then, we will intricately carve and perfume our consecrated candles with a unique blend of oils and powdered herbs, specifically tailored for self-love and reflection.

7:00pm - 8:00pm - Dinner - (meet at 6:50 for Dinner Circle) 

8:30pm - 10:00pm - Talent Show with your host Adam B. Shapiro - Great Room
It’s time for you to share from your heart with your brothers. You can sing, dance, juggle, read, whatever! Everyone has something to share! Show us what you got! (Signup required)

10:00pm - Sauna/Bear Den/Board Games
Our Wood-Fired Sauna will be running and space in the Temple Loft is open to connect, discover, and play! There is also a closet full of games you can play together in the Sun Room!

Sunday, January 14th

7:30am - 8:30am - Morning Yoga - Great Room with Tim Cooley
7:30am - 8:30am - 12 Step Meeting - Temple - (Hunter Reynolds Room)
8:30am - 9:30am - Breakfast
8:30am - 9:30am - Morning Breakfast Cartoons with Dave Dietz - Sun Room
9:30am - 10:30am - Small Groups - Various Locations

11:00am - 12:30pm - Gay Men in Witchcraft with Elhoim Leafar - Great Room
In this brief class, we will explore the roots of modern witchcraft, focusing on influential activists and authors within the beautiful LGBTQIA spectrum over the past half-century, and their impact on modern esotericism. Historically, witchcraft has been a path intertwined with the experiences of sexual minorities and marginalized communities, including people of color from various corners of the world, trans people, gay men, and many others who have faced exclusion.

11:00am - 12:30pm - Gender, What’s Her Deal? with Tyler Wansley and Les K. Wright- Temple
Join Tyler Wansley and Les Wright for a discussion on men, bears, and gender identity! What are the ways gay men define our masculinity? What are the ways that even bears fail to live up to "traditional" masculinity? What is the history of our community and gender expression? Join us for a discussion of all of this and more as we explore gender through the eyes of a group of gay men.

12:30pm - 1:00pm - Lunch

2:00pm - 4:00pm - Massage a Trios with Adam B. Shapiro and Goldenheart - Great Room
Join us for an erotic massage experience. We will work in trios, each taking a turn on the table, building individual and communal erotic energy. Nudity and erotic touch are required for this workshop. Space is limited!

2:00pm - 4:00pm - Saratoga Apple Outing with Jay Freeman - Meet by the Hot Tub
We will head to a local place called Saratoga Apple, where you can get freshly baked cider donuts and do a tasting of hard ciders. (Make sure to bring funds to buy your own food and drink). Depending on how many people are going we may be looking for a couple of volunteers to carpool some people. There will be a sign up sheet for the trip.

4:30pm - 6:30pm - Ritual Preparation with Jay Freeman and Elhoim Leafar - Great Room
Join us in the great room as we meld all of our creations from the past few days to create an altar for the ritual in the evening. Bring your paintings, candles, scratch boards and anything you want to put on the altar. You will also be able to create personalized Bear Bead Boards with Mr. Larrie. (You can see the session description below.)

4:30pm - 6:30pm - Mosaic Bead Totems with Mr. Larrie - Great Room
Who are you? What makes you special? Discover the fun of self-representation with a bespoke bead mosaic that showcases exactly who you are and what you stand for! In this session participants will use UV resin and a colorful assortment of beads, trinkets, jewels and more to create a totem that celebrates self. You'll have a chance to incorporate your favorite colors, symbols and even your name in a way that is uniquely you!

7:00pm - 8:00pm - Dinner - (meet at 6:50 for Dinner Circle) 

8:30pm - 9:30pm -  Bear Your Soul Naming Ceremony with Jay Freeman & Elhoim Leafar - Great Room
Your chance to step fully into the tribe, claim your name, and celebrate your brother bears. We will gather in the great room by the fire, where we will drum, chant, celebrate and honor everyone! An important ritual of Bear Your Soul you don't want to miss!

9:30pm - ?? - Bears in Motion - with DJ Sean McLaughlin - Great Room
Immediately following the ritual, DJ Sean McLaughlin, former 25+ year veteran of "HomoRadio," will get you movin' and groovin' with his big bear boogie! It might be chilly outside, but this dance is gonna be HOT!!! Feel free to dress up, raid the drag closet, come as you are, or strip down as bare as you dare, and enjoy a non-stop mix of fresh, fab, and funky flashbacks!

10:00pm - Sauna/Bear Den/Board Games
Our Wood-Fired Sauna will be running and space in the Temple Loft is open to connect, discover, and play! There is also a closet full of games you can play together in the Sun Room!

Monday, January 15th

7:30am - 8:30am - Morning Yoga - Great Room with Tim Cooley
7:30am - 8:30am - 12 Step Meeting - Temple - (Hunter Reynolds Room)
8:30am - 9:30am - Continental Breakfast
9:30am - 10:30am - Small Groups - Various Locations
10:30am - 11:30 am  - Closing Circle - Great Room
An important time to affirm, appreciate, and bid farewell to your brothers before you head home
11:30 pm - Farewell Brunch

ONGOING PHOTO PROJECT: Picture it with Dave Dietz

Working together, with a Polaroid camera and instant film, we will create a photo collage with the theme of “Bear Your Soul: Winter Hibernation.” You can go come up with one adjective (or descriptive word) you feel matches any single word of the theme (i.e. “hairy” for Bear, “ethereal” for Soul, or “snowy” for Winter) then write it on a slip of paper and put it into the box. Then randomly choose a slip of paper from the same box with a descriptive word written by someone else. Next, you will take the camera (for 20 minutes or less) and take one photo that represents the word you have selected from the box. Then return the camera, and clip your single photo to a display board, growing the collage as each new picture is added. Note: The camera, paper, box, project instructions and photo clip board will be located at a station on the landing of the stairs in the main lodge!

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• The Sauna will be available each night at 10 pm starting Friday night & the hot tub will always be available. 

• We have a full closet of games in the Great Room that folks can play together. 

• You can book an individual massage with Tim Cooley. See the Front Desk for prices and sign up.