About us
## Community Cuddles
An embodied consent and relational skills community offering workshops throughout the Portland–Salem corridor and surrounding Willamette Valley.
Community Cuddles creates compassionate, carefully facilitated spaces where people can practice consent, boundaries, authentic communication, emotional awareness, and relational presence.
Through guided experiential activities, participants learn to recognize and express their authentic “yes” and “no,” communicate desires and boundaries with greater confidence, and experience the healing potential of safe, respectful human connection.
Although gatherings may culminate in optional community cuddling, Community Cuddles is not primarily about cuddling. It is an embodied relational skills workshop where every activity is optional, all touch requires clear consent, and participants are encouraged to honor their own pace.
There is never an obligation to touch or be touched. Participants may choose how fully they wish to engage, change their minds at any time, or spend time in the Solitude Zone—a quiet, no-touch space where no invitations for contact are made.
Community Cuddles welcomes people of all genders, sexual orientations, relationship statuses, body types, and levels of experience. The cuddling offered in these gatherings is platonic and nonsexual.
This group is the Meetup home for upcoming Community Cuddles workshops presented by Heart Man Healing Arts throughout Portland, Salem, and surrounding Willamette Valley communities.
Join the group to hear about future events, locations, and registration opportunities.
For expanded information about the workshop, community agreements, the Solitude Zone, frequently asked questions, and facilitator Rob Patton’s approach, visit:
Upcoming events
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Community Cuddles — Portland/Vancouver
The Soul Ascension Studio, 300 E 13th St , #103, Vancouver, WA, USCommunity Cuddles
An embodied consent and relational skills workshop culminating in optional, consensual community cuddling
Connect at the pace of your own yes.Presented by Heart Man Healing Arts
Sunday, August 30, 2026
3:00–6:00 p.m.
Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
Soul Ascension StudioCommunity Cuddles is a three-hour experiential workshop where you can practice consent, boundaries, authentic communication, and relational presence while experiencing the healing potential of safe, respectful human connection.
Through carefully guided activities, you will be invited to notice and communicate your authentic “yes” and “no,” make clear requests, receive another person’s response without pressure, and discover that changing your mind is always welcome.
Although the workshop culminates in an opportunity for community cuddling, cuddling is never required. The heart of Community Cuddles is learning to listen to your body, honor your own boundaries, and relate to others with clarity, care, and enthusiastic consent.
Advance registration is required. This is not a free event.
Clicking "Attend" on Meetup.com does not reserve your space.Reserve Your Place
Please purchase your Sliding-scale tickets through Humanitix at www.heartmanhealingarts.com/community-cuddlesWhat to expect
We begin without touch, allowing each person to arrive in their own physical space and notice what they are experiencing in their body. From that grounded place, we establish our shared agreements and move into facilitated exercises designed to help participants practice asking, receiving, declining, negotiating, and changing their minds.The workshop gradually unfolds through:
- Grounding and embodied awareness
- Shared consent and community agreements
- Guided communication and boundary exercises
- Practice giving and receiving authentic “yes” and “no”
- Opportunities to make clear, specific requests
- Optional one-on-one and small-group connection
- Optional, consensual community cuddling
- Closing reflection and integration
Every activity is an invitation rather than an obligation. You are always encouraged to participate at the level that feels right for you.
Touch is always optional
You never have to touch or be touched.Meaningful participation may include practicing verbal communication, observing an exercise, resting in your own space, connecting without physical contact, or spending time in the Solitude Zone.
The Solitude Zone is a quiet, touch-free area where no invitations for touch are made. It is available throughout the workshop for anyone who would like space to rest, observe, regulate, or reconnect with themselves.
Saying no, changing your mind, pausing, and choosing not to participate in an activity are all respected and welcomed forms of participation.
Our core agreements
To help create a clear and caring container, participants agree that:- Everything is optional.
- We honor the Solitude Zone.
- Clothes remain on throughout the event.
- We ask for and receive a clear verbal “yes” before touching anyone.
- A “maybe” is treated as a “no.”
- Everyone may change their mind at any time.
- Requests are made clearly and specifically.
- Each person’s boundaries, privacy, and relationship agreements are respected.
- Facilitator support is available throughout the workshop.
These agreements will be reviewed together before any partnered activities begin.
Who is Community Cuddles for?
Community Cuddles welcomes people of all genders, orientations, relationship statuses, body types, and levels of experience who would like to practice embodied consent and boundaries, build confidence communicating their desires and needs, explore safe, nonsexual platonic touch, and experience greater connection, choice, and belonging in a carefully facilitated environment.
You are welcome to attend alone, with a friend, or with a partner.No previous experience with consent workshops, somatic practices, or community cuddling is needed. You do not need to be naturally outgoing, comfortable with strangers, or certain that you want to cuddle.
This is a platonic, nonsexual environment centered on consent, communication, and respectful human connection. It is not a dating, hookup, massage, or therapeutic touch event.
Arrival
Doors open at 2:30 p.m., giving you time to check in, settle into the space, and become comfortable before we begin promptly at 3:00 p.m.
Because the opening agreements and consent instruction establish the foundation for the entire workshop, please plan to arrive during the check-in period and be ready to begin together at 3:00.Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move and relax. Additional preparation details will be provided after registration.
About your facilitator
Rob Patton, MDiv, is the founder of Heart Man Healing Arts and a spiritual-care practitioner, ritualist, Reiki practitioner, trained mediator, and consent-centered facilitator. He completed professional Cuddlist training and an internship and mentorship with Community Cuddles facilitator Kassandra Brown. Rob brings a grounded, compassionate presence to his work and creates spaces where participants are encouraged to listen to their bodies, communicate authentically, and honor their own desires, needs, edges, and boundaries.Community Cuddles Testimonial
“I can’t imagine anyone better to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming space for authentic human connection.”
— Debbie D., Community Cuddles participant, Boulder, ColoradoLearn More
For expanded information about the workshop, the Solitude Zone, community agreements, frequently asked questions, and Rob’s facilitation approach, visit:
www.heartmanhealingarts.com/community-cuddlesReady to join us?
Advance registration is required, and sliding-scale tickets are available through Humanitix.
Clicking "Attend" on Meetup does not reserve your place.Reserve Your Place
Complete the registration process @ www.heartmanhealingarts.com/community-cuddles2 attendees
