All workshops hosted at Shakti Gardens are presented in the Tantra Lounge, which is a large private room, situated in Franklin Roosevelt Park (JHB). We do have ample safe secure parking.

All healing modalities, workshops and classes are focussed mainly on healing women and teaching women's groups. We do host other events for couples, and mixed groups. Some couples prefer private tuition, yet others would prefer to be part of a group workshop. We have also catered for the more creative minded individuals and groups, by hosting Bellydance Classes, Life Study Art Workshops and Yoga lessons. Couples can request that a healing session or a teaching take place in their home if they feel more comfortable with this, but it will depend on distance and available times. From time to time we invite other teachers to speak on specific subjects or allow them to host workshops and teachings. We plan to do excursions out of town, weather permitting, with small groups, taking them out to experience and celebrate nature, become creative with arts and crafts, and in the evening receive teachings around a bonfire, learn about Ancient Practices or Fertility Rites, and to finish, enjoy the art of dance and freedom of body-expression, as they participate dancing Skyclad around the bonfire and be involved in the drum circle.

Couples Sensual Massage

In this workshop you will explore more than just full body massage, here you will learn techniques to arouse and stimulate your partner. As it is a very sensual teaching you will have to be unclothed for this workshop. It has been formulated for male/female partners, but can be taught as a "females only" class. You and your loved one will be working on sensual energies, stimulating and arousing the body and will therefore need an unfettered approach to the body. Once again many Swedish Massage techniques are used, as well as a combination of Holistic and Tantric Sensual Energy Work. You will both give and receive full body massage as well as participate in breath-work excercises, acknowledgement exercises, and arousing sensual energies. Some teachings from the Kama Sutra and Perfumed Garden are shared here as well as some elements of Tantra. Incorporated into the teaching will be certain hints and tips on pleasuring your loved one, how to stimulate them and which positions are best for energy exchange and stimulation.

Time can be set aside at the end of the workshop for lovers who wish to experience an Expanded Full Body Orgasm – this is a blissful total mind, body and spirit union between two lovers. Here you will learn to receive pleasure from giving pleasure, you will take time to arouse your partner till they achieve a state of orgasmic bliss, where they will feel their entire body energized to the point where they will plunge into a deep full body orgasm. It is a wonderful, gentle state of arousal.

Couples Group Massage

This is a fun class, where couples might want to bring along friends, or just be part of a group teaching. It is important to maintain a balance of equal number of male to female participants. There is the option of having a "females only" teaching. The couples receive teachings on breath-work, acknowledgements and the basics of massage. The difference that sets this class apart from the others, is that you will also be massaging others in the class. Once you have massaged your loved one's back and legs, you then move on to do massage on the person alongside you, and then the next. Once you return to your loved one, they will then massage your back and legs, after which they move on to the next and so on. The purpose of this class is to illustrate how different people react to your touch, and you get to experience and feel how others develop their own style and technique. It is a fun class to learn full body massage. In this class nudity is optional. Hygiene and cleanliness is very important especially for group situations, please remember this!

Sacred Sex Sweat Lodge

With Native American Indians, the sweat lodge is an important part of the tribal custom, it is used as a time where members of the tribe come together to discuss matters pertaining to the tribe, it could also be time in which they share the peace pipe. Sometimes the sweat lodge is used as a time for prayer, meditation and also to de-tox. The lodge itself is a simple structure, almost like an igloo, certain rules and customs have to be adhered to regarding position of entrance to the lodge, placing of hot stones etc. Traditionally there will be a pit in the middle of the lodge for large hot river stones (taken directly from a fire), once the entrance flap is closed, the lodge becomes similar to a sauna. After studying all of this and having the opportunity to participate in a lodge, I realized it could be transformed into a place where lovers could meet to experience sensuality in a new environment, or use this for an intense group massage. It could be utilized by one couple or a group of two or three couples, a place where they could converge to experience a sensual group massage. Not wanting to offend those who practice and host traditional sweat lodges and teachings, I have designed a different structure in which the stones are kept to the side and not in a central pit. Couples can then do body-work on the floor unhindered.

Couples will receive clear and direct instruction on respecting limits (as set out by everyone in the group), they will also receive instruction on basic massage techniques and sexual energy breath-work. Together they will participate in meditation and breathwork excercises in preparation for the lodge. Only then will the group or couple enter the sweat lodge, within the lodge itself they will do another short meditation, focusing on sensual energies. After this, one female will then receive healing and full body massage from the males in the group, after a short while one of the males will receive the same from the women in the group. As this could turn out to be a very sensual evening, couples will definitely need to be nude and also need to remember the importance of hygiene and cleanliness!

Expanded Full Body Orgasm

A lot has been said about the Expanded or Extended Full Body Orgasm, some folks are confused about this as they think it is a pelvic/genital orgasm that lasts longer than usual. This is partly true. With this technique you will learn that it is not the traditional "squeeze and pop" routine, it is a wonderful gentle time of arousal and stimulation. It is a time where lovers learn to take the time to give pleasure, they also learn to receive pleasure from giving pleasure!

You will learn to relax into the orgasm, change your focus and just lie back and enjoy – you will experience what it feels like to surrender into bliss, and to feel how your sensual energies flow through your entire body causing it to create its own unique orgasm. It is a very special, unique and intimate experience, and you can be taught how to make it flow for 20 minutes or 2 hours. You will feel like a pampered Goddess, being worshipped by your lover! You will learn to ride the waves of a unique energy flow that runs through the body. This can be offered as a healing modality on its own, or part of healing massage, or be included in the Couples Sensual Massage Workshops

Celtic Sex Magic and Rituals

Drawing on the ancient wisdom of the Celts and Druids, we invite participants to meet as a group to experience Collective Energies, to harness sexual energies from other participants, and to practice certain arousal techniques. Some of the group work will be done Skyclad, to enhance the feeling of closeness and openness to each other, as well as experience closeness to nature! This is definitely for the more advanced and more adventurous spirit. middle of para - "Most of the workshops done under this banner will be group work, sometimes communing with nature, celebrations to herald the coming of Spring, or the Summer Soltice, and will also revolve around lunar cycles. Other times participants will practice ancient arts and crafts, or learn to brew the ancient beer called Meade (also known as Metheglin, which was brewed from honey). Although we harness collective energies we also encourage some solo energy work and arousal techniques (this is done for the benefit of the collective). Some of the collective will assist the solo participant with their arousal, and there will be a ritual sensual group massage. At times we might plan outings to celebrate our sexuality, to be one with nature, participate in a drum circle and celebrate within a Skyclad dance group. In these workshops we deal only with the mysteries of sexuality, sensuality and energy shifts.

Communing with Nature

This class can be done on its own or be incorporated into any of the other teachings. A small group will be taken out to spend the day in a wooded area, here they can participate in arts and crafts, work with crystals creating their own personal stave or wand, later listen to guest speakers talk about ancient fertility rites and rituals, after which they can freely express themselves by dancing Skyclad and celebrate to the rhythm of drums around a bonfire under a full moon.

Belly Dancing

We want to invite you to experience the sensous style and rhythm of Tribal Fusion & Gothic Bellydance. This is a wonderful blend of various styles and influences, from Egyptian to Turkish, from Indian to Gypsy. The music, and even the outfits differ slightly from what you are used to seeing and hearing in various local venues. In Tribal Fusion and Gothic you wear more earthy colours, the clothing is more creative and it becomes an expression of yourself. Also, because the dance differs slightly, it is more open to interpretation, and there is more freedom of movement and expression. With "traditional" bellydance it is mainly the hips, thighs and belly - in Tribal Fusion and Gothic you learn to utilise the entire body. The arms play a big part in this, and the upper body becomes more snake-like!

At Shakti Gardens you will have the opportunity to experience the sensual aspects of bellydance - deeply rooted in the feminine divine, assisting you to get in touch with your hidden inner sensuality.

If you look at a Chakra chart, you will notice that the Base Chakra (red) is in the hips, and this reaches down the legs and into the feet, grounding the individual, drawing energy from the earth. By moving the thighs and by swivelling the hips, you awaken dormant energies in this Chakra, this in turn begins to move upward and through the body entering the next Chakra, the Sacral (orange), which resides in the belly. This is where you store your sensuality and sexuality. Soon this is awakened as the belly is used and excercised along with the hips. You will begin to feel energised as the Base Chakra flows up through the Sacral and then upward through the body, activating the entire Chakra system.

What a wonderful combination, awakening the survival instinct, the sensual and then the loving!

It is no wonder women feel more feminine and sensual when doing belly dance, they obviously experience their Chakras being re-energised along with a renewed energy flow. Everything within mind, body and spirit flows and connects. Bellydance brings out the feminine and sensous part of your inner being and allows you to feel like a Goddess once more.

Yoga

We currently offer Hatha Yoga at Shakti Gardens, plans are currently being made to introduce Kundalini Yoga as well as Skyclad Yoga in the near future. Hatha Yoga has been an integral part of Tantra as a means to physical well-being, and disciplining the body and mind.

Traditional Hatha Yoga is a holistic yogic path, including physical exercises such as asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breath control)), and includes meditation. Hatha Yoga predominantly practiced in the West consists mostly of Asanas and breath control. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health, as well as clear the mind in preparation for meditation and the pursuit of enlightenment.

Life Drawing

Come and celebrate the human form, capture it on canvas. At Shakti Gardens we host regular art workshops, where you can draw, sketch or paint the human body, both male and female. It is a wonderful sharing experience as you meet other artists, compare notes and techniques. Everyone has fun on these mid-week evenings. They have learned to relax and enjoy their art. Friendships are formed, and plenty of advice and help is offered. Novices and experienced artists are welcome to join at any time. All you need to bring are your own tools and consumables, we supply paper and boards. Anyone wishing to pose for classes can contact us at anytime. For some, modelling for these art workshops has become a healing experience, it has helped them accept their bodies, by realising they can be appreciated and they have nothing to be ashamed of, they have even experienced a release of the hidden inner femininity and have developed a new sense of self confidence.