Back in NYC

Well, I anticipated being back in New York would be a rush and so it is!

Loved every moment of the Sex Educators Round-up last weekend. Saw old friends and met new. Actually met people who've been my friend on one social media or another and finally said hello face to face.

Was particularly heartened by the astounding acceptance people gave towards Emotional Release (ER) techniques. My talk was Working with Powerful Emotions. Maybe it got billed as Intense Emotions. Anyway, I had 40 mintues to convey how important it is to use sex as a portal to work through these emotions because they are bound to come up. They have to. The 1st and 2nd Chakras house all the survival and emotional cellular memories in our lives.

I called someone up to demo a bioenergetic form of ER. After explaining rhe technique and having him do it, I opened for Q & A. People asked to see me do it to make sure to really see what was meant. Loved it!

Then we did Egyptian Cleansing Breath and the Rapture from Yogaboxing. Everyone really liked it. I can remember when I first showed up teaching Tantra in NYC in 1998and people called me a drill sargeant because they preferred only nicey nicey touchy Tantra back then. Boy have we all come a long way! So happy about it!

I feel it is one of the most important keys to sexual health, personal freedom and transformation.

For more info and to puirchase my self-explanatory CD Shamanic Release & Latihan please visit http://www.ButterflyWorkshops.com.

How Politics Affects My Business

For years now, I have been a consultant to industry, I mean since the 70's. What I have noticed with dismay is that every time a Republican gets elected, my consulting business goes down the toilet. It first happened with Reagan. At the time I lived in Boston and had government contracts as well as consulting gigs with companies like Digital, Raytheon, Wang. Within months of Reagan taking office, everything dried up. My type of consulting is human relations training and transformation. Am I surprised that this would happen under a war-monger regime?

And this happened again with Bush senior and Bush junior. This time I was living in Washington, DC. I had many government contracts in teen education drug prevention programs and Welfare-to-Work Reform both federal and state. Well, as soon as George W. came in, there was no more W-T-W reform. I am so tired of watching my business go up and down like a yo yo.

Of course, I have now created a business that doesn't seem to ride the roller coaster anymore - Tantra! It seems people want to know more about sexuality and how to receive and give pleasure in all aspects of their lives no matter who is in office. Sex sells. That's all there is to it. And I am happier than ever based on what I do, how I feel and how others feel who have been to my classes. Nevertheless, I want a change in this country. I want it right now!

I'd like to see hard working people who care a lot about people actually get somewhere. I'd like to see the housing market recover the American Dream. I'd like to stop paying all my money for gas! I'd like to see young soldiers returning to their homes and loved ones. I'd like to see the planet's health restored.

I could go on and on.

Let's get Obama elected, yes?

Dreams Coming True

Last weekend was the New York New Life Expo. I have participated in this event many times before, but this time was most noteworthy. The panel I participated on about Sex and Sensuality was fantastic. Such a great panel of experts (Nan Wise, Anton Diaz, Barbara Carrelles, Racheli Cherwitz and Michael Jascz) and so much fun. I appeared two other times at the show and met hundreds of people along the way.

As soon as I arrived I had the opportunity to transform myself when I discovered that my regular table had been sold to someone else. I got really hot for a few minutes and then let it go. I figured if I cannot turn on a dime, who can? After a short while it did not seem to matter at all. People found me and I saw that it made no difference. Being able to shift out of my expectations and into what is so, was so valuable.

Yesterday I led a Bliss course in NYC that was the greatest ever in my opinion. There were 28 participants coming from many different places. Some came from the New Life Expo. Some came from my collaboration with teeni dakini. Others came from One Taste and www.MySpace.com. Some came from Sexy Spirits. How cool is that? Collaborating has proved to be extremely beneficial for them and me. I'm convinced that working together and supporting each other, we can all win.

A note: Since 9/11 I have often felt it difficult to get New Yorkers to commit to workshops in advance. I've been teaching Tantra in NYC since 1999 and I noticed a marked difference in advance registrations after the tragic WTC events of 2001. So yesterday's turnout was an amazing treat especially since I did not know how many would actually turn up!

And maybe I have been reluctant to state it as such, but I really believe that being successful in NYC means the world! You remember that line from the song New York, New York - "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...it's up to you New York, New York. For me, it is a dream come true!

Perfect Moment

I started my new Ongoing Sex & Heart Series in NYC on Wednesday and I was quite pleased to see some brand new faces and even people I had met at the New Life Expo two and three years ago who finally showed up to class despite a horrendous thunder storm. I do not mean to imply that I don't like seeing familiar faces in my classes. That to me is the greatest proof of the value of the work when people return for a fresh look and continue to get pressed to new edges. Yet, when the new ones showed up on the recommendation of friends and relatives or after meeting me, but not showing up at class for so long, I really had to say I was excited. It showed me once again not to give up on people. They arrive in the perfect moment and it's not personal if they take their time. Eventually they make it if it's calling them.

And one more thing about this class. The owner of the new location Light House Yoga, Kami Fereidooni showed up in attendance. Now this is a new turn of events. Yes, I am smiling! In the past I have offered the studio owners and managers in the various cities where I teach the option to participate in my classes. While they smiled in my face and paid lip service to me and said nice things about their understanding of Tantra, they did not take me up on the invitation. I can't help but feel if they had come to class a few times, they would have benefited and our relations would have gone smoother. After all, how could they promote a course the likes of which they really had no idea? Yet when it came to splitting the proceeds, they wanted their share to be 50% even if they produced only one attendee from their databases. This never seemed quite fair to me and often I simply chose to stop working at those spaces rather than fight for what I deemed fair. And as you probably already guessed sometimes I did fight. No surprise there.

So when this man showed up for class on Wednesday, not only was I not expecting him, I was tickled and happy to have a studio owner wanting to get to know my work so he can properly promote it. I like working in partnership and this is a great start. Thank you, Kami. I am honored.

For more info go to www.lighthouseyoga.net

It's all good!

I am back in the States and I am whole and fine. As a matter of fact it's even better than that!

England was so good for me. Who would have thought? England - duh! Really it was. The benefits just keep growing exponentially. In am thrilled.

Here are a few of the outcomes from this last trip:

• My father and I are at a truce. So far it has lasted five days. Very good.
• I have been invited back for a December Tantra Festival in Dartmouth to present alongside the UK's leading Tantra teachers (Michele Wortman will accompany me and do her magical Moola- Ajna atunement).
• I came across a funny article written about our documentary in a UK online magazine. Click this link to go there http://www.channel4.com/4talent/feature.jsp?id=2026
• I have finally been approved to lead a series of "Active Meditations" to the stuffy Fire Island crowd (I know it's hard to believe that people here are stuffy, but when you make tons of money I guess you get more conservative - I don't know; I am just happy to finally be able to offer some of what I do here where I live. It's a form of giving back.)
• My book Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy (as well as my CD; Shamanic Release & Latihan and my DVD: Bliss Beginner's Tantra) will be carried at Mysteries, London's most exclusive store for New Age and Holistic information located in Covent Garden.

What can I say? I am happy. I am getting rest from the crazy pace I have kept since January 5th and I am feeling more prosperous and prolific than ever. Watch out world!

And I can hardly wait to go back to India. Want to come? Contact me right away.

Sex & Happiness Launched in London!

Just want you all to know that there was a remarkable launch of Sex & Happiness yesterday as part of an all day Tantralink Summer Event here in London.

The event began at 10am. After a brief introduction with one or two ground rules for conduct, I led the morning with Find the Empty Space, Mirror Dance, Dance Back-to-Back followed by Osho's Gibberish, Silence and Latihan. Then I led London's first Bodyhan. After the Bodyhan, to clear everyone's energy we did Egyptian Balancing Breath and Egyptian Cleansing Breath.

After a lunch break, we came back to do some yummy massage modules led by various other participants and we all got very relaxed just before I was to offer excerpts from my book Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy .

I swear, my hair was messed up and my lipstick askew, but there I was - called into the spotlight.

The fabulous book signing was a highlight in this all day event. I read excerpts to a wonderful audience of 36 people. What a delight to be so well received. There were questions and an opportunity for me to give answers and then we had champagne. I signed a bunch of books and posed for photos with many of the individuals in attendance.

I felt so honored and so author-like.

It was great.

After the dinner break we all came back to a trance dance where there was a band improvising to the movements of the group (much like Group Motion in Philly). I danced my ass off and went home totally full and also exhausted from one of the best days of my life.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge Kavida Rei of Tantralink, London and her partner Andrew for their amazing production of the Summer Event and their love and support of me. Also I want to acknowledge Kirsty Allison of Slack Alice Films (part of our film crew from the India tour) for capturing the event on video. What a blessing.

This fall – let's do amazing book launch events in New York, DC, Philly and somewhere in South Florida – oh yeah sorry San Francisco, too! Hell why stop there? New Delhi will come next.

Love to all from London,
Laurie

My Book: Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy is out!

I am in West Palm Beach - just did two trade shows over the last two weekends and I'm about to do a Bliss course here this Saturday (in case you know anyone who would like to do it). This past weekend my book finally arrived from my publishers in India. I got 50 advance copies and the others are on the way to New York. Should be arriving first week of May. Yee ha!!!

My point is that Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy is here in my hand! I am so happy about it I cannot tell you. My life long dream to write a book is fulfilled now as I write.

This weekend at the WPB Body, Mind, Spirit Expo I felt people looked at me differently when they saw the book and then they saw me. Someone told me this would happen, but I did not know how it would feel and it felt slightly different. Books make people instant experts. I could feel it. I am no longer simply a Tantra teacher. I am now an expert. It feels tangible. Of course Michele, my colleague, made it particularly clear to people who visited the booth that this
was THE book and then this was me standing right here where they could touch me - THE author.

I learned a lot in the process both about writing, about trusting, about working with others who say one thing and have a completely different understanding of what needs to be done and then keeping their word or not. In the end of each segment along the way, I had to let go, surrender totally.

I know what to do differently for the next printing and with the next book and I'm sure I'll still learn some things when all is said and done. And surrender is the main lesson.

Isn't that just the cosmic joke over and over again? Surrender is the main lesson. Breathe and squeeze. Oooo and Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

In the advance order I think I mentioned there were fifty books. They are gone now:-) I sold a lot of them at the show and the rest are in the mail going to those people who advance ordered the book over the last year. What a feeling of accomplishment.

FYI you can order the book online at my website www.butterflyworkshops.com. You have the choice of getting the actual book for $19.99 plus S & H or ordering it as an eBook for $14.99.
Hopefully the two versions will serve everyone's tastes. And I ask you to let others know that they can get a hold of it too.

I plan to have a third option which is a combination of the book and the Shamanic Release & Latihan CD as a package for $35 plus S & H as well. They go hand in hand. In the book I talk a lot about Emotional Release and the CD is the tool I created to help you do it.

I recently had the expereince of doing emotional release to my own CD and it was amazing so I will write about it in the next post.

All I can say is that I am thrilled beyond words and looking forward to your feedback about the book.

If you have leads for book signing places and independent bookstores please feel free to follow up with me about that now. I am ready to take this book to Oprah and to the world.

With so much love & gratitude,
L