About Spiritual Sexuality Workshop Facilitators
Vision
To support and promote the recognition of body image, sexual pleasure and sexual satisfaction as natural and integral parts of health and wellbeing for individuals and communities.
Facilitators
Facilitator - Andrew Barnes
Andrew Barnes has more than a decade’s experience as a bodyworker and somatic therapist and, for the past several years, he has focused his practice on sexuality issues combining Psychosexual Remedial Therapies and counselling. He primarily works with women with histories of sexual abuse, relationship issues, body image/shame issues, vaginismus and women that just want to increase their quality of life, understanding of themselves and their sexuality consciously.
His approach incorporates (depending on what the client needs) sexology, psychotherapy, inner child therapy, neural-net reprogramming (also known as cellular memory), understanding the masculine and feminine and neuromuscular techniques including trigger point therapy, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), muscular energy techniques (MET), myofascial release and sexual healing therapies including Tantric, Taoist and Quadoska practices.
Andrew is completing a Master of Sexual Health at the University of Sydney, has five diplomas in various forms of massage and bodywork, and has studied Taoist, Quadoska spiritual sexuality and Tantra – energetic love making, Yoga, and various forms of meditation and spiritual/emotional healing and counselling.
He is in demand in Australia and internationally as a teacher of massage therapies, and is the founder and director of the Academy of Therapeutic Arts in Brisbane, Australia.
He is also a qualified birth supporter or Doula, and a skin and beauty therapist. He completed a 3 ½ year apprenticeship (10 years ago) with a personal development company as a hug therapist and assistant facilitator. He coordinated volunteer support groups and programs in women’s rehabilitation centres, substance abuse detox units and men’s maximum security jails.
In 2007, he established a volunteer massage program for the parents and carers of children at the Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital, which is part of his newly created Volunteer Touch natural therapies community program.
In 2006, Andrew developed the Awakening Within retreats, two five-day live-in retreats for women, each level is a journey of deep healing, acceptance and opening to one's true feminine potential.
Andrew is also the author of the (soon to be released) book Heart of the Flower: the book of yonis.
Heart of the Flower is an unflinching exploration of the beautiful diversity of women's genitals, free of judgement, shame and embarrassment.
Thirty-eight everyday women have posed for up-close and personal photographs that show their genitals from many different and rarely seen angles. Each woman writes candidly with wit, wisdom, passion, even despair, about her relationship with her vulva. www.heartoftheflower.com
The book brings into light the ins and outs of the female sexual anatomy, and demystifies and challenges the way society views women's genitals.
Heart of the Flower is designed to normalise and celebrate diversity at a time when labial reconstructions have reached an all-time high and women's body image is at an all-time low.
Andrew is a Cuddle Party Facilitator and will be running Cuddle Parties in Australia starting in 2008.
Facilitator - Shiromani
Shiromani has a thriving practice in Melbourne; offering spiritual sexuality education, counselling and bodywork - inspired by Tantric, Taoist & Shamanic sexual wisdom teachings.
She is qualified and experienced with Women's Ceremonies, Tantra, Female Taoist Arts, Spiritual Midwifery (Doula), Sexology, Massage Therapy, Erotic Dance, Yoga and Meditation.
Facilitator - Yvonne Lumsden
Yvonne is a qualified nurse specialising in psychiatric nursing. For the past 15 years, she has worked in drug and alcohol counselling. As a health care professional, Yvonne has always been interested in complementary medicine, and has diplomas in massage and aromatherapy, two healing practices she uses extensively in her work. She is a Reiki Master and has been integrating Reiki into her personal and spiritual journey since 1994. Yvonne has also done volunteer Reiki healing for animals with the R.S.P.C.A.
Yvonne has completed a Intuitive Facilitator training course with the Academy of Therapeutic Arts and runs courses teaching Reiki.
As well as working part-time in drug and alcohol counselling, Yvonne has her own business, One Love, which incorporates all of her skills and talents, including her passion for photography, specialising in canvases and cards of flowers from around the world.
Yvonne emigrated from Scotland to Australia in 2004 with her partner and since arriving here she has been exploring Tantra and other forms of spiritual sexual healing, which she feels have complemented the other aspects of her personal growth.
She believes that, through applying a truly holistic approach to our health and wellbeing, we can all heal ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Course Supporter
Paige is a supporter for the Awakening Within course, she actively participates in the course as well as providing support for Andrew, Shiromani and Yvonne. Paige has recently embarked on her own self discovery journey and has found the Awakening Within experience to be an integral and continual part of her growth. She hopes that through supporting and participating on Awakening Within she will see other women develop and grow on their own journeys'.
