I'm still beside myself from this story. You know Layla Martin, right? The Tantra and Neo Tantra Goddess, founder of the Vita Coaching methodology (that I'm certified in), energy extraordinaire, embodied Feminine Queen, master teacher, and social media bomb! If you don't know her, please go follow her on Instagram right now @thelaylamartin (www.instagram.com/thelaylamartin). I actually didn't know who she was before I signed up for Vita Coaching. And I definitely didn't know she loved Burning Man as much as me either! She goes every year and this year I got to be one of her Sex Witches!
This year, I co-lead Naked Heart, one of the largest camps dedicated to gifting workshops all Burn. And again, this year, Layla decided to teach with us!!! OMG!!! She posts her schedule online, so her workshops are always packed! And this year there were 6 Vita Coaches camping with Naked Heart! And every year she sends out an email just to Vita Coaches that if we are at Burning Man and want to assist her workshop, then to come! Only fully certified Vita Coaches are invited to assist her. And this year I fit that title!
I knew that I wanted to be there no matter what! She was teaching Sex Magic for singles and couples! And even though I was teaching my own Sex Magic workshop later that day I knew I could do both! I didn't expect it to be so much work though! Out of the gate, I show up to the dome 15 minutes early and it's already full. There's 4 other Vita Coaches there that say they are also helping! I decide to shut the door and let Layla choose how many people she wants to let in. The line at the door is getting rowdy and long.
Then I see Layla pull up on her bike along with her new partner Babek and her long time lover/friend Emily Fletcher, who created Ziva Meditation, which I also do! Layla's looking absolutely stunning in a bedazzled body suit, oversized hat, and giant boots. She's not what you would expect of a 20+ year Tantra master, and she knows it. I've heard her speak candidly on many topics, and this is one she is vocal about. She tried to fit the beige and white flowy outfits, but it never felt like her. She felt like she was being inauthentic to herself. So, she decided to claim exactly who she was and wear the sparkly pinks, and disco balls, and trendy fashion. That's who she is and who am I to judge her? Who am I to say that Tantra teachers are only supposed to look one way. That's ridiculous! She cusses, and tells you all her flaws, and gets vulnerable. And that gives so many others permission to be themselves, too.
So, she pulls up and I go to meet her. "Hi, I'm uber, I'm a Vita Coach and here to assist you and I co-lead this camp, and this is your dome, we closed the doors because it's already packed in there!". She says, "Hi, uber! I told them I needed the biggest space possible, there was a bigger one last year". "Yes," I say, "that big one belongs to camp contact and they're not part of our camp". She gives me a look like, how is this going to work?! The line to the door was already at least 100 people long. I say, "Let me go run over and see if it's available!". Then I literally start running over to camp contact just next door. I get into the giant tent and there's like 8 people in there doing acro yoga. I speak to the teacher and he agrees to switch spaces with me! I run back over to Layla and everyone cheers when I say we're moving to a bigger space! Yay! Savior of the workshop already!
We all move over to the new space, but there isn't a microphone, a phone connector, or enough rugs to cover the space. The other assistants start scrambling to grab pillows and rugs from Naked Heart. I find a mic and connector and in ten minutes we are starting the workshop! Crisis averted and now LOTS of people get to learn Sex Magic from the master!
Before we started, Layla had a little meeting with the 5 of us who were there to assist. She said we were there to help anyone in the crowd having an issues. We all know that this kind of work can be very hard to hold. She was welcoming nudity, full sexual pleasure, mixed genders, and expanded consciousness. We knew there would be some who struggled. That's what we were there for, to protect the entrances so no one else could get in, and to help (using all our Vita training) to bring people back to safety and resiliency in their nervous systems. We understood the assignment.
The workshop began and it was amazing! I miss hearing Layla speak every week when I was in the program. Her message is potent, her energy is magnetic, and she drops the highest knowledge! And at the beginning she introduced her assistants as her Burning Man Sex Witches! I don't think I've ever been so flattered by a title! Layla Martin's Burning Man Sex Witches! OMG! This is like the culmination of years of my life! Combining some of my favorite things in the world! She even gave us a moment to say our names and be recognized! Amazing! People were coming up to me after the workshop asking HOW did I get to be in this position! And I told them Vita Coaching is the only way.
So, I'm on cloud freaking 9, and about 15 minutes into the workshop, the power goes down. I know camp contact, so I RUN out of the tent again to go find the camp contact lead and get the power back up. He struggles for about 5 minutes getting the right combo and the power comes back on! Everyone is cheering when I come back in the tent. It literally felt like I was holding the workshop together by the bootstraps. Containing the space and the logistics so that Layla could focus on her Magic! And even though there were several hurdles to get through, the workshop was very potent. Lots of energy moving and alchemizing. Lots of people getting help from the Sex Witches. And no big issues. It was a little chaotic for sure, but I think that's part of the fun of Burning Man workshops!
After the workshop was over we got to speak with Layla more. This was my third time meeting her face to face! She was so grateful and so energetic! I love her energy and smile so much, it's infectious. I truly love her, like someone loves a great teacher. We got some photos of all her Sex Witches with her. A memory I'll always remember. And then, she was off. And I had to go teach my own Sex Magic workshop! I was totally exhausted after helping her. I've never taught a workshop that exhausted before! And it was still really amazing! My style is very different from hers, and mine was a longer and deeper workshop lesson. I was happy when it was all over though, as I was so ready for bed! I snuck in one final workshop, the Goddess Temple at Naked Heart, which is a stunning performance by the Priestesses, an anointment from them, and oracular reading channeled through one of them. Absolutely beautiful, and then I was off to bed.
But my Layla journey isn't over yet! The next day one of the other Sex Witches, Celia, went to her other workshop and after that workshop she went to speak with Layla again. Layla invited her to a wedding she was going to be officiating later that day, and Layla asked if she knew the other Sex Witches and to invite them, too! Celia knows what a freak I am for Layla, so she came back to camp to come get me and another Sex Witch, Helene, and we rode off to find her!
We found the wedding in perfect timing, and got to watch Layla speak about love, divine union, and the joy of partnership! It was the most beautiful wedding I had ever witnessed! Their story was precious! The bride was also a Vita Coach and works with Layla as one of her retreat assistants. Magic!
After the wedding, we got to talk to Layla again! I feel so spoiled! She actually shared some plant medicine Kanna with us, a light euphoric tonic. And then she personally invited us to the party she was going to that night!! I WAS PERSONALLY INVITED TO A PARTY BY LAYLA. I tried to keep it together but was absolutely melting on the inside! We made some small but impactful talk then she was off to get ready! Celia is pretty chill, and she was never overwhelmed with talking to Layla, but Helene and I were both pretty freaking excited! I turned to Helene after Layla left, all giddy, and said, "Am I going to tell my grandkids about this?!". Haha! We laughed and were all elated as we rode our bikes back to camp!
Helene got into a camp only journey when we got back to camp, but Celia and I were determined to get to this party! We went out later and found the camp. It was one of the coolest camps I had seen! So many hidden rooms and secret passageways. Great music! And LOTS of people. I ran into many people who saw Layla there, but never ran into her myself. I think I wanted it too badly! But it was such a cool party that I didn't even care. I ended up meeting up with my partner, Sweet Potato, and some other amazing Naked Heart people. We stayed up all night, and got to see Tycho play at the trash fence at sunrise. It was my favorite day of the Burn!
Then at 9:30 in the morning we got back to camp so Sweet Potato could teach his first workshop on his own ever!!! It was a naked dance party about shedding the layers that are holding you back. I'm SO proud of him for putting it on! And it was packed! He was so nervous, and it was so cute! I helped him out a little and had a great time. The first one is always the hardest!
This is the power and magic of Burning Man. I can't believe how amazing this year was! The weather was perfect, the connections deep, and the playa magic was hitting hard! I already know for sure that I'll be back again next year! One of my favorite things about Naked Heart is that we are a space of transformation, connection, and healing. It's such a great camp, and I'm so proud to be a part of it. Who knows where next year will take me, I just know I'll be along for the ride.
INSPIRED ACTION: Who is your spiritual guide? It's almost impossible to traverse this space without the guidance of someone who has been in it for a long time. I learned from Layla that you need 3 things on this path: a lineage, so you can draw from the compiled knowledge of many masters, a teacher/guru so they can help you see through your own ego, and a trust in yourself to know what is true in your body. Every lineage has issues as we move into the modern world. Every teacher has flaws. This does not diminish the importance of both, but it helps you lean into your own experience as you learn to see what is true for you. Do you have all 3 of these pieces to help guide you?
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