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Cuddles & Connection #

Cuddles & Connection is our signature event where we teach and practice the core skills that are essential to our community:

• Asking for what we want
• Saying “no” clearly and kindly so that we can say “yes” to what truly excites us
• Accepting others’ boundaries with grace

This 3.5 hour event is split into two halves: a communication skills workshop and open connection time.

• We learn and practice the core skills in the workshop.
• The workshop is designed to guide everyone through their first experience or their tenth.
• The open connection time is self-guided, and the facilitators are available for support.
• During open connection time, participants might cuddle, practice, relax, observe, or take time for themselves.
• It’s common to see pairs, groups of three, larger groups, and individuals having time on their own.
• Participants move through the cuddle space as they make requests, invite someone new to their connection, change their minds and move to something else, and take breaks.
• There are designated spaces for quiet solo time and for making new connections.

To us, cuddling means intentionally connecting and may or may not include physical contact. Some examples:

• Holding hands
• Spooning
• Sitting side by side
• Listening quietly
• Massaging shoulders
• Embracing closely

About us #

Happy Humanimals was founded in Seattle in 2022 with the intention to create community cuddle experiences that are about self-discovery, connection, and play. To enable this, all touch will be optional, fully clothed, and platonic at all times. We structure the evening to empower you to choose the experience that is right for you.

Happy Humanimals is lovingly inspired by Cuddle Party™ and is co-created and co-facilitated by Anna Joy Reedy (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Certified Cuddlist) and Ian Wilson (Certified Cuddlist).

Anna Joy Reedy, SEP (she/her) found herself in her first group cuddle experience on a dance floor in 2013. Inspired to recreate this slice of heaven as often as possible and share it with the world, she completed the Cuddlist and Cuddle Party™ certifications along with a series of related trainings. She offers body-based 1:1 touch and trauma sessions; she has facilitated consent workshops across the western United States since co-founding Happy Humanimals in Seattle in 2022. Learn more and work with Anna Joy by visiting her website.

Ian Wilson (they/them) is a cuddle and consent facilitator. They studied facilitation with Cuddle Party™ facilitators Madelon Guinazzo and Adam Paulman, and co-founded Happy Humanimals in 2022. Ian is a certified Cuddlist and continues this work in one-on-one client sessions. Ian is also a dancer, musician, storyteller, and creator. Learn more and work with Ian by visiting their website.