Trauma & Rope Women’s Weekend - The Power of Choosing Surrender

This weekend is a slow, honest, deeply held exploration of the difference between surrendering out of fear and choosing to let go. On Saturday we do the thinking and feeling. On Sunday we bring it into the body, with rope. 

Together we will explore possibilities, and ways to access them, safely and from a place of want, not fear. 

From unconscious patterns to conscious choice 

From being desired to desiring 

From survival identity to the higher self 

#### Saturday - The Power of Choosing to Surrender 

With Josi, certified trauma and fitness coach | 11:30 – 16:00 

We begin day one with four blocks, an hour each, with breaks between, and we get straight into the tough questions. When have you ignored your body's "stop" signals to please someone else? What are you afraid will happen if you say no? What happens when you say yes? Or what happens if you meet someone who is actually worthy? 

Each block weaves together guided reflection, optional partner conversation, journaling and embodied practice. You choose your depth, always. 

1. Good Girls, Bad Habits (we all survived something) 

Trauma, shame and conditioning. How violations of consent, objectification, rejection and not being seen shape our relationship with our bodies and sexuality. When did my body stop feeling like mine? Where do I confuse being wanted with wanting? 

The shift: the self you developed to survive vs. the self you want to embody. 2. Shame Me, Baby (ok, but what if?) 

Desire, fear and the forbidden self. The shame around desire, anger, power, pleasure and being "too much." What do I secretly want but struggle to admit? 

The shift: the shadow isn't automatically the higher self. It's material to understand and integrate, so it no longer runs the show unconsciously. 

3. Know Your Limits (the art of wanting) 

The heart of the day. From being desired to experiencing desire; from performing sexuality to inhabiting it. Includes a guided embodied exercise. Can I want without feeling obligated to give? 

The feeling: my desire belongs to me. 

4. Surrender, Darling (I am being serious) 

Integration, standards and embodied power. A woman who notices a trigger without handing over her agency. Includes a guided embodied exercise. What am I no longer available for? 

You'll leave with: your own version of empowered sexuality, on your terms. 

#### Sunday: Rope as a Practice of Choice 

With Iris, The Rope Temple | 11:30 – 16:00 

Shibari becomes a space to practise surrender and agency, trust and control, receiving and leading. For survivors especially, rope lets us feel the difference between chosen and imposed vulnerability. No experience needed. You stay fully clothed throughout, and you set the pace. 

Arrive and ground. A consent circle, our shared stop signals (yes, no, not yet, more) and a nervous-system settle, so your body knows it is safe to be here. 

Rope on your own body. Self-led exploration and a simple self-tie. Just you and the rope, getting to know each other. 

Giving and receiving. Gentle partner ties with check-ins built in. Practise receiving without over-giving, and giving without taking over. 

Leading, asking, stopping. Take the lead, ask for more, stop without failing. We close with aftercare and integration, so you leave the room settled and not stirred up. 

We end on this: not can she surrender, but can she choose to surrender without abandoning herself. 

#### What's included 

Two full days of guided, held, trauma-informed work: Saturday with Josi, Sunday with Iris 

All rope provided (you don't need to bring or buy anything) 

Water, tea, coffee and a light snack provided on both days 

Consent circle, shared stop signals and aftercare built into every step Space to journal, reflect, move and rest 

A room full of women doing the same brave work 

The question at the heart of it 

Who are you when fear, shame, conditioning and survival no longer make your choices for you? 

For a lot of us, saying yes came long before we knew whether we meant it. We learned to perform desire, to ignore the body's quiet stop, to confuse being wanted with wanting. 

#### What you'll take home 

Recognise trauma responses without confusing them with your identity A felt sense of the difference between being desired and desiring 

Your own language for limits, wants and "not yet" 

A first, body-level experience of chosen surrender 

A community of women doing the same brave work 

#### Who it's for 

Women curious about desire, boundaries and power who want to feel as free as they look. No trauma history, rope experience or "kink identity" required. Only honesty. 

Held with care 

Go at your own pace, opt out of anything at any time, share only what you want. Consent and check-ins at every step, aftercare built in. 

This is an exploration, not therapy. It is not a substitute for professional mental health support, and if you are currently in crisis or acute distress, please speak to your therapist or GP before booking. If you're unsure whether the weekend is right for you right now, message us. We'd always rather have the conversation first. 

#### Your hosts 

Josie, 35, certified trauma and fitness coach. She knows survival mode personally and helps women reconnect with their wants and desires. Less fear, less shame, more comfort inside your boundaries. 

Iris, founder of The Rope Temple, with 5+ years of Shibari practice and teaching and a decade of empowerment coaching and nervous system work. Certified Reiki Practitioner and Body Worker. 

A note from Iris 

I have spent years watching what happens when a woman is finally given the room to choose. Not to perform, not to please, not to be brave on someone else's schedule. Just to choose, and to feel what her body says back. 

Rope taught me that surrender and agency are not opposites. The most powerful thing I've ever witnessed is someone discovering that she can say yes, no, not yet or more, and that nothing falls apart when she does. If anything, she comes home to herself. 

This is why I wanted to build this weekend with Josi. Her work gives us the language and the understanding. Mine gives it a body. Together, I hope we can offer you something rare: a place where you are not asked to be anything other than honest. 

You don't need to be experienced, fearless or sure. You only need to be willing to listen to yourself. 

I would be honoured to hold space for you. 

Iris x 

#### A note from Josi

I know survival mode personally. I know what it is to smile, say yes, keep the peace and quietly disappear somewhere inside your own body while you do it. And I know how long it can take to realise that none of that was a personality flaw. It was protection. 

The women I work with are rarely lacking in strength. They are usually exhausted from being strong in all the wrong places. What they want is less fear, less shame and more comfort inside their own boundaries. 

Saturday is not about fixing you. It is about getting curious, in a room where no one is going to rush you, judge you or ask you to share more than you want to. We will ask some tough questions. We will also laugh, probably. Wanting things is allowed to be fun. 

Come as you are. Leave a little more yourself. 

Josi x 

#### What to bring 

Comfortable clothes you can move in (you are fully clothed throughout)

A journal and pen 

A water bottle if you like (water is provided) 

A cardigan or blanket if you tend to get cold when you settle 

Provided: rope, water, tea, coffee and a light snack on both days. If you know you'll want something more substantial across the afternoon, bring it along.

< u>Let us know about any dietary needs when you book. < /u>

#### Questions you might be asking 

Do I need rope experience? None at all. Sunday is designed for complete beginners, and all rope is provided. 

Will I be tied up? Only as much as you choose, and only if you choose. You can start with self-led exploration and a simple self-tie, move into gentle partner work, or stay with the parts that feel right. You can stop at any point without needing a reason. 

Do I have to share my story? No. You share only what you want, and nothing is ever required of you. Partner conversations are optional. 

Do I need to come with a partner or friend? No. You're welcome to come alone, and most women do. We'll help you find a partner for the paired practice, or you can work self-led. 

Is this therapy? No. It is a guided exploration, held with care by two experienced practitioners. It can be deeply powerful, but it is not a replacement for therapy. 

Is it sexual? No. You are fully clothed throughout, and the focus is on consent, choice, boundaries and nervous-system awareness. 

What if something comes up for me? That's okay, and it's part of why the weekend is built the way it is. You can step out, pause, or ask for support at any moment. Aftercare is part of the day, not an add-on.