Here are some important things that will help us ensure Purge Church is a safe and empowering ritual experience for all participants. We share this information upfront so you know what to expect, and can decide if this experimental artistic ritual space is for you!
EVENT GUIDELINES:
- The somatic intent of this event is to free up the “stuck” energies from inside your bodies, from the times you didn’t or couldn’t express the feelings of upset when they were happening. By “tapping into” even the physical sensations of such “stuckness,” it is possible to re-surface traumatic experiences. This is a trauma informed space. The purpose is to acknowledge and express the suffering, not to re-traumatize us. Here is how we will hold that.
- Please come sober, fed, and hydrated to the space. Show up in a resourced way for the processing of anger. Resourcing can look like a lot of different things, so whatever that means to you, please come with that already done beforehand.
- We consider you to be self-responsible and able to track your internal experience. It is also your responsibility to seek support from a facilitator or clear understanding during the intro so you are supported in this task. If you have concerns about your ability to do this, this may not be the experience for you.
- While this is a trauma-informed space, none of the facilitators are therapists, and this is not a substitute for therapy or other professional mental health support. This space is not ideal for people who find that contacting their own or others’ anger can be destabilizing for them.
- The room will be relatively dark. The music will be loud and may be overstimulating (intentionally complex/dissonant music). You will be barefoot or with socks on a hardwood floor (unless you choose to bring a yoga mat). One of the facilitators will be adopting a dramatic persona (dubbed “The Summoner”) who will symbolically summon the fear/rage/grief out of people’s bodies. Please be aware of these intentionally intense aesthetics as a part of the experience.
- The peak intensity described above is offset by the presence of gentle, trauma-informed facilitators and guardians who can support you and who protect the edges of the ritual space. There will be a spacious separate area for taking breaks that is well lit, and has comforting options for self-soothing, such as blankets and pillows, journaling / art supplies, food and beverages, etc.
- If you are experiencing overwhelm or otherwise having a hard time during the event, seek out the guardians or facilitators (who will be introduced upfront). Please exit the dancefloor to speak with them.
- Everything during the event is optional. Please take care of yourself. Practice capacity to consent and opt-in/opt-out of any part of the event / any prompts from the facilitators. Maintain awareness to be able to consent.
During the “portal”:
- Maintain your space; honor others’ space. Like in ecstatic dance, the purpose is not to dance with or on others; it’s to be in your own inner experience and journey. You are welcome to use others’ expressive presences as inspiration (to witness and look at them), but in general, your task is to stay with your own inner somatic experience.
-
We’ll go over this at the event too, but the goal is that you only take the “dosage” of intensity that you authentically need! We do NOT want you to push beyond your limits in any way. This space is for practicing visiting our edges, visiting our limits, but not overriding them. That’s why we offer a “gradient” from dark/intense to light/gentle in the format and layout of the event itself, so you can follow what your body is wanting and find the right medicine for you in the moment.
-
We recognize that many of us have had our expressions of anger judged, rejected, retaliated against, etc. It is not our intent to restrict your expressions of anger AND in order to maintain the integrity and safe(r) container of the ritual, here are our shared ritual space boundaries:
-
- No direct threatening of other people. This means no intentional movement towards another person with the intent to direct anger (or any other emotion) at a single person or group.
- No physical, emotional, verbal, or energetic harm directed at other people.
- No destruction of objects in the space.
- No self harm that would cause permanent physical damage. This includes bashing against hard objects, or intentionally drawing blood. (Bring a punching pillow or couch cushion!)
- No touching anyone else on the dancefloor. There will be a guardian available in the rest areas to offer touch and holding.
-
- We, as guides and space holders, recognize our responsibility to maintain the integrity of the ritual container. We also recognize that energy in ritual can get wild! The above behaviors will be considered indicators that you might be unable to hold the anger and/or energy. Guides will address violations of the shared boundaries in real time by guiding the individual out of the space to check in and support with re-entering the container (if that is appropriate, i.e. if the individual is able to adhere to the shared boundaries).
- If you violate any of these rules, event organizers reserve the right to remove you immediately in order to protect and preserve the space for others. You agree to cooperate and give full permission to the guardians to intervene and guide you out of the dancefloor at any time. Sometimes issues can be resolved with a quick check-in, then a return to the ritual space.
Things to bring:
- Water bottle
- Grounding sensory tools (ear plugs, weighted blanket, fidgets, shawl (or object to crawl into and cover self), etc)
- A punching pillow (optional) – thick/firm couch cushions work great!
- Yoga mats (optional)
- Food and/or beverages for post-ceremony grounding
WAIVER:
By purchasing the ticket, you release and indemnify event organizers from any liability arising from your participation in this event. You acknowledge that there are risks to a physically expressive ritual space such as this, including but not limited to potential emotional, psychological, and physical risks. You acknowledge you are entering this experimental ritual space at your own risk!
COVID POLICY:
We ask that people test for Covid-19 the day of the event and if you test positive/have symptoms or test positive/no symptoms, please do not come. If you are feeling sick at all, please also do not come. Contact us to discuss refunds in this case.
CONTACT:
After reading this document, if you have any further questions, concerns, clarifications, comments, etc. please do not hesitate to reach out to me, C. Savery at c [at] fractalpraxis.com. I will get back to you as soon as possible.