What is a Cuddle Party?

A Cuddle Party is a non-sexual social event where participants practice communication and optionally explore platonic touch. Attendees practice setting clear boundaries, communicating their desires, and respecting each others' limits in a safe space.

Cuddle Parties provide an opportunity for nurturing, platonic touch and intimacy, which supports well-being and balanced emotions.

While sexual activity is prohibited at Cuddle Parties, some light touching like hugs, caresses, and snuggling is allowed between consenting attendees of all genders. LGBTIQ+ friendly!

At a Cuddle Party, physical contact is optional. The primary goals of a Cuddle Party are to practice exploring consent and communication with others.

RSVP on Humanitix

https://events.humanitix.com/cuddle-party-communication-workshop

What do we do at a Cuddle Party?

We do two main things at Cuddle Parties:

1. Practice consent.
   A key part of Cuddle Parties is learning how to communicate your desires and how to respect others' requests.
2. Consensual platonic touch.
   Optionally experience and appreciate caring touch from other like-minded people.

We’ll start with an Welcome Circle to get us settled. We’ll then go through the rules of Cuddle Party in a mini communication workshop, allowing participants to practice inner awareness and clear expression of boundaries.

After the communication workshop, we’ll have 2 hours of Self-Directed Connection

Now it is time for you to ask for what you want, say yes and no to
requests and invitations, cuddle according to your desires and comfort
(or just talk if you prefer), connect with fascinating people,
"cuddle mingle," and, ultimately, relax into the flow of an unusually
playful and respectful social environment.

Some participants cuddle in groups, others one-on-one,
while some like to talk and not cuddle for a time, or not at all.
Cuddling can mean feet against feet, full-body hugs, head-rubs,
spooning — it is, indeed, up to you.
And, configurations and positions shift significantly
throughout the event, thanks in part to Rule 6:
You are encouraged to change your mind.

from: https://cuddleparty.com/what-is-a-cuddle-party/

We’ll finish with a closing circle to reflect on our experience.

Benefits

• “allow your inner child to play and express and receive love through the power of touch.”
• “I felt I received a lot of healing from receiving and giving affection and touch.”
• Reduce Stress and Anxiety
• Boost Mood and Emotional Resilience
• Support Healing from Touch Deprivation
• Enhance Emotional Awareness and Self-Expression
• Practice Clear and Respectful Boundaries
• Increase Comfort with Asking and Declining
• Promote Non-Verbal Communication Awareness
• Build a Sense of Community
• Encourage Authenticity and Vulnerability
• Provide a Safe Space for Intimacy (without Sex)
• Develop Confidence in Setting Boundaries
• Increase Comfort with Physical Affection in Friendships
• Encourage a Lighthearted, Playful Atmosphere
• Unplug from Screens and Social Media

Who Might Benefit the Most?

• People who feel touch-deprived or lonely.
• Those looking to practice setting and respecting boundaries.
• Individuals recovering from past relationship challenges.
• Anyone wanting to increase their emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• People seeking a supportive, community-oriented space.

Testimonials

It was a great event. Thank you so much.
Hope more and more people will join the event.
For us Japanese, we don't communicate that much by hugging,
but I think people need it. Hugging helps people a lot to be feeling safe.
It was a great workshop.

ー Lily

I attended the cuddle party in February.
It had a profound impact on my nervous system.
The exercises we did while learning were heaps of fun.
I felt like I was a kid again.
It was a real joy to be learning through play,
about communication with myself and others about touch.
I would highly recommend it to all people.
I hope one day to live in a society where non sexual
touch is a welcomed, consensual form of communication.

ー Brett Waller

Rob definitely created a safe space for strangers
coming together at a Cuddle Party to connect with
one another in a warm, confident, fun, playful and
loving way. He was able to demonstrate very quickly
how to use curiousity to explore play and touch in
an intimate yet platonic setting.
I had such a fun time, it was beyond my expectation
of what a Cuddle Party is in my mind. I felt I received
a lot of healing from receiving and giving affection
and touch. It was fun to connect with the other
participants as well.
I highly recommend this experience to anyone
who is looking for connection, willing to allow
their inner child to play and express and receive
love through the power of touch.
I definitely will be coming back again!

ー Jess X Goh

When

Sunday 27 April 2025

Please arrive between 12:45 and 12:50 so we can be settled and start our Welcome Circle at 13:00.

Where

Mindful Impact Wellness Hub in Crafers

https://mindfulimpact.com.au/studio

Tickets

• $55 for 1 person
• $100 for 2 people

RSVP on Humanitix https://events.humanitix.com/cuddle-party-communication-workshop

Includes

Vegan pizza from Crafers Pizza Bar

Please Bring

• a pillow or two
• comfortable clothes (modest pyjamas)

Arrive On Time

Once we begin the Welcome Circle and orientation, sorry, we can let no one enter late. This creates comfort and safety by knowing that everyone is on the same page about rules and expectations.

Fine print

Must be 18+ to attend.
This is a sober event - do not attend under the influence.

CANCELLATION:
Tickets are nonrefundable if you cancel or no-show, but credit for future events will be provided for cancellations up until the day of the event. You will receive a refund if you attend the Welcome Circle and decide to leave before the cuddle portion of the event.

Your Facilitator, Rob Nugen

I help ambitious men to discover their gold on a journey into the divine masculine. I guide men who feel overwhelmed by their past and “traditional” masculinity to break away from their inner demons of self-defeat and shame through transformative shadow work, space holding and circle work.

I am a TedX speaker, barefoot walker for over 20 years, trained and run men circles with ManKind Project since 2015. I made a powerful decision to release myself from a 12 year marriage that had become untenable. Now I’m with my dream woman who matches my values and offers the love I desire.

What is a Cuddle Party?

A Cuddle Party is a non-sexual social event where participants practice communication and optionally explore platonic touch. Attendees practice setting clear boundaries, communicating their desires, and respecting each others' limits in a safe space.

Cuddle Parties provide an opportunity for nurturing, platonic touch and intimacy, which supports well-being and balanced emotions.

While sexual activity is prohibited at Cuddle Parties, some light touching like hugs, caresses, and snuggling is allowed between consenting attendees of all genders. LGBTIQ+ friendly!

At a Cuddle Party, physical contact is optional. The primary goals of a Cuddle Party are to practice exploring consent and communication with others.

RSVP on Humanitix

https://events.humanitix.com/cuddle-party-communication-workshop

What do we do at a Cuddle Party?

We do two main things at Cuddle Parties:

1. Practice consent.
   A key part of Cuddle Parties is learning how to communicate your desires and how to respect others' requests.
2. Consensual platonic touch.
   Optionally experience and appreciate caring touch from other like-minded people.

We’ll start with an Welcome Circle to get us settled. We’ll then go through the rules of Cuddle Party in a mini communication workshop, allowing participants to practice inner awareness and clear expression of boundaries.

After the communication workshop, we’ll have 2 hours of Self-Directed Connection

Now it is time for you to ask for what you want, say yes and no to
requests and invitations, cuddle according to your desires and comfort
(or just talk if you prefer), connect with fascinating people,
"cuddle mingle," and, ultimately, relax into the flow of an unusually
playful and respectful social environment.

Some participants cuddle in groups, others one-on-one,
while some like to talk and not cuddle for a time, or not at all.
Cuddling can mean feet against feet, full-body hugs, head-rubs,
spooning — it is, indeed, up to you.
And, configurations and positions shift significantly
throughout the event, thanks in part to Rule 6:
You are encouraged to change your mind.

from: https://cuddleparty.com/what-is-a-cuddle-party/

We’ll finish with a closing circle to reflect on our experience.

Benefits

• “allow your inner child to play and express and receive love through the power of touch.”
• “I felt I received a lot of healing from receiving and giving affection and touch.”
• Reduce Stress and Anxiety
• Boost Mood and Emotional Resilience
• Support Healing from Touch Deprivation
• Enhance Emotional Awareness and Self-Expression
• Practice Clear and Respectful Boundaries
• Increase Comfort with Asking and Declining
• Promote Non-Verbal Communication Awareness
• Build a Sense of Community
• Encourage Authenticity and Vulnerability
• Provide a Safe Space for Intimacy (without Sex)
• Develop Confidence in Setting Boundaries
• Increase Comfort with Physical Affection in Friendships
• Encourage a Lighthearted, Playful Atmosphere
• Unplug from Screens and Social Media

Who Might Benefit the Most?

• People who feel touch-deprived or lonely.
• Those looking to practice setting and respecting boundaries.
• Individuals recovering from past relationship challenges.
• Anyone wanting to increase their emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• People seeking a supportive, community-oriented space.

Testimonials

It was a great event. Thank you so much.
Hope more and more people will join the event.
For us Japanese, we don't communicate that much by hugging,
but I think people need it. Hugging helps people a lot to be feeling safe.
It was a great workshop.

ー Lily

Rob, you are fantastic.
There really should be more events like this,
which have great potential to heal this broken world.
Our society would be so much better if we learned
this type of communication at school instead of things
like algebra and geometry that most of us never use and
forget as soon as the course is over.

ー Andy Boerger

Rob definitely created a safe space for strangers
coming together at a Cuddle Party to connect with
one another in a warm, confident, fun, playful and
loving way. He was able to demonstrate very quickly
how to use curiousity to explore play and touch in
an intimate yet platonic setting.
I had such a fun time, it was beyond my expectation
of what a Cuddle Party is in my mind. I felt I received
a lot of healing from receiving and giving affection
and touch. It was fun to connect with the other
participants as well.
I highly recommend this experience to anyone
who is looking for connection, willing to allow
their inner child to play and express and receive
love through the power of touch.
I definitely will be coming back again!

ー Jess X Goh

When

Saturday 22 February 2025

Please arrive between 17:45 and 17:50 so we can be settled and start our Welcome Circle at 18:00.

Where

Mindful Impact Wellness Hub in Crafers

https://mindfulimpact.com.au/studio

Tickets

• $55 for 1 person
• $100 for 2 people

RSVP on Humanitix https://events.humanitix.com/cuddle-party-communication-workshop

Includes

Vegan pizza from Crafers Pizza Bar

Please Bring

• a pillow or two
• comfortable clothes (modest pyjamas)

Arrive On Time

Once we begin the Welcome Circle and orientation, sorry, we can let no one enter late. This creates comfort and safety by knowing that everyone is on the same page about rules and expectations.

Fine print

Must be 18+ to attend.
This is a sober event - do not attend under the influence.

CANCELLATION:
Tickets are nonrefundable if you cancel, but credit for future events will be provided for cancellations up until the day of the event. You will receive a refund if you attend the Welcome Circle and decide not to stay for the cuddle portion of the event.

Your Facilitator, Rob Nugen

I help ambitious men to discover their gold on a journey into the divine masculine. I guide men who feel overwhelmed by their past and “traditional” masculinity to break away from their inner demons of self-defeat and shame through transformative shadow work, space holding and circle work.

I am a TedX speaker, barefoot walker for over 20 years, trained and run men circles with ManKind Project since 2015. I made a powerful decision to release myself from a 12 year marriage that had become untenable. Now I’m with my dream woman who matches my values and offers the love I desire.

title: “1504 Let Go and eat pizza”

2021-05-04T05:36:34+09:00

title: 'Arrived in Sudaya just before dark last night'

The walk yesterday was reasonably good with just a little bit of rain. Lots of walking along railroad tracks including scene a interesting train construction thing that I hadn’t seen before. I was a little bit late by the time I saw that I didn’t take the time to upload the picture but I have a couple to upload.

I stopped for a bit in Urasa Station, which was largely closed except for restrooms and two shops on the second floor: some kind of gift shop and a convenience store.

There was an up going escalator up to the second level which was high so actually about the three floors worth of steps. So I left my bag downstairs while going upstairs to pee and such.

I went to the convenience store and got a bunch of stuff but then realized my wallet was downstairs in my bag because it won’t fit in my pockets when I’m wearing my rain gear.

Fortunately, this is Japan, and unfortunately, the train station was nearly desolate, due to covid I guess, so my bag was completely untouched and fine when I went downstairs to get my wallet. Anyway the point is just that I had to tell the cashier apologies and then run down the stairs and escalator back up with my wallet to pay.

I was barefoot the entire day except for about 2 km walking north of that station, where the roads just didn’t have any sidewalk but did have lots of gravel and such. That was around the area that has two different snow sheds in a row on the highway next to the Joetsu Line.

It was nice walking along the Uono River; it was pretty large and flowing pretty quickly with bluish looking clear snow melt water.

I am in a small city called Koide now, and planning to pack and go pretty soon.

I have not updated my website to put the day by day things at the top of the page so I have to dig down a little bit to find that entry and figure out where I’m going next.

2021-05-04T05:53:00+09:00

title: 'Good morning Day 19'

Well it looks like someone didn’t do their job… The text written in the screenshots says I’ll be staying somewhere near a park… Which was apparently written before I had found a hotel near that location, and was probably written before I decided to stay at hotels for most nights.

Fortunately, I do have access to this information on my phone via the magic of Google Sheets…

According to the sheet I’ll be staying at Ojiya Park Hotel in 小千谷　(おじや) .

https://goo.gl/maps/qon2wdyNcaJyGeRg6

2021-05-04T09:24:58+09:00

title: 'clay dam I think'
location: 'geo:37.2608,138.88872;u=256.5799865722656'

Clay

2021-05-04T10:55:27+09:00

title: 'halfway finished Day 19'
location: 'geo:37.26075,138.86893;u=13.253000259399414'

I’ve made it halfway and my feet have slight injuries like skin worn through and starting to bleed on my left foot. I should probably put on my sandals.

Here are some pics I took from inside a tunnel

2021-05-04T11:50:16+09:00

title: 'blue sheet caught my eye'
location: 'geo:37.26102,138.86831;u=4.881699562072754'

2021-05-04T13:33:20+09:00

title: 'walking next to train tracks'
location: 'geo:37.28301,138.83276;u=2900'

Looking back on a nice view as I’m more than halfway done walking today.

I said hello to a guy in Japanese and he replied that he doesn’t speak English. I guess I’m not in Tokyo anymore.

2021-05-04T16:56:59+09:00

title: "and that'
location: 'geo:37.31158,138.79624;u=14.218999862670898'

Canak’s Pizza
https://www.facebook.com/PIZZACANAK/

On my way to the hotel for tonight I walked right by a pizza place but it turned out to be closed.

I searched the area for other pizza places and found one that was kind of near my hotel but the wrong side of the street by like half a kilometer so I was like nah. I ain’t walking way over there just for pizza.

So I bought some of my staple food for this journey and a convenience store and put it into my jacket pockets for consumption at the hotel.

Walking across 信濃川 (Shinano-gawa), I spent some time talking to a sweet old man who spent time telling me about the area and answering questions I had about the landscaping of the river and some of the local shrines.

He gave me two cards from the local shrine, offering one of the two and then offering both after I told him about my anti-suicide campaign of this walk.

After he left, I followed my map to the hotel but couldn’t find it. I walked around to where it seemed to be on the map and suddenly there was a pizza place.

Wow! Why wasn’t this shown on the map before?

I looked down and somehow had fat fingered the map to get myself to the pizza place from before instead of to my hotel.

Bought a large pizza of which I’ll eat half and save the rest for tomorrow.

いただきます!

Boom ate the whole thing. I was hungry!!

Day 19 was

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕