Ethical Stance

Qasa Code of Ethics

We, as facilitators, contractors, staff, and volunteers of the Qasa community (herein defined as the “Qasa team”), honor the responsibility of holding space for the transformation, growth, wellbeing, play, and connection of our guests and events and retreats participants. This Code of Ethics affirms our shared commitment to creating environments rooted in integrity, joy, consent, and safety, where all bodies, identities, and experiences are welcomed with reverence.

Our Guiding Values

We lead with authenticity and joy.
We embrace our queerness and lead with joy, play, and celebration as we integrate mind, body, and spirit into our lives and leadership. We affirm our wholeness, including our sensual and erotic selves, as vital expressions of our humanity.

We act with integrity and honesty.
We hold ourselves and each other accountable. We operate with humility and align our actions with our ethics, even when it’s hard. We recognize the risks and heightened responsibility of working in intimate, embodied spaces, and we commit to conducting ourselves with clarity, respect, and care.

We cultivate safety and trust.
We create trauma-informed, consent-based, and judgment-free spaces that honor boundaries, invite vulnerability, and center emotional, physical, and sexual wellbeing. We celebrate every person’s right to shed shame and define their own experience of connection and pleasure in an environment that prioritizes safety and trust.

We feel and experience this moment.
We listen to our bodies, feel deeply, and show up authentically, reclaiming inner wisdom, self-love, and the knowing that we are more than enough. We honor the body as a source of presence, healing, and liberation.

We are open-minded and grow together.
We embrace lifelong learning, vulnerability, and compassionate communication, cultivating a stable, supportive culture that fuels self-understanding, collective growth, and shared impact. We celebrate diverse expressions of identity, embodiment, and intimacy.

We celebrate our bodies and desires.
We nurture a body-positive and, where appropriate sex-positive, culture that embraces the full spectrum of expression. All bodies are worthy and pleasure, whether sensual, sexual, or simply for its own sake, can be a source of healing, joy, and deeper aliveness. We honor both intention and impact and recognize that they are often experienced differently. We honor consent and the sacredness of each retreat container.

Our Ethical Commitments

At Qasa, we hold our work as sacred. As facilitators, contractors, staff, and volunteers, we commit to upholding the following ethical commitments in service of each hotel guest and retreat & event participant’s healing, liberation, and belonging. This is how we protect the magic of our space and intend that all who enter feel safe, seen, and honored.

We honor the dignity and wholeness of every participant and guest.
We meet all participants and guests with reverence and compassion, recognizing the courage it takes to show up fully. We treat every person’s identity, story, and expression with deep respect.
We create trauma-informed containers in our retreats.
Our facilitators are trained in trauma awareness and attuned to signs of distress or activation. We embed trauma-informed approaches into our work. For example, potentially activating experiences are followed by grounding and integration. We prioritize emotional safety and nervous system regulation. We attempt to attune to each participant’s unique process. We screen all potential participants for suitability in our efforts to hold a “safer space” and we refer them to other resources, as necessary.
We prioritize choice and autonomy.
All exercises and practices offered at Qasa, and on our retreats, are optional. We actively support each person’s right to choose what level of participation feels appropriate for them at any given moment, as well as their right to change their mind at any time.
We protect confidentiality.
We keep all participant and guest data and experiences private, and handle personal information and data with utmost care. (If there is reasonable concern of harm to self or others, we may enlist the help of professionals and we commit to handle such situations with discretion and respect.)
We uphold clear professional boundaries.
The Qasa team agrees to uphold strong professional boundaries, including around intimate and/or sexual interaction with guests and with one another, as outlined in the sections below. These boundaries intend to protect the integrity of the retreat experience, honor the impacts of power dynamics, and create space for authentic healing and integration.
We are power-aware as we practice consent.
We are deeply aware of how power differentials affect the relational dynamics between “up-power roles” (Qasa facilitators, contractors, staff, volunteers) and “down-power roles” (event/retreat participants, hotel guests). We recognize that vulnerability is an inherent experience for people who are in down-power roles and that a higher level of responsibility is held by those who are in up-power roles. Qasa expects the team to learn and to use trauma-informed and power-aware practices in all containers. We acknowledge how important it is to have trauma-informed and power-aware leaders in particularly sensitive environments such as sex-positive spaces and in working with sacred plants.
We model consent culture in all interactions.
Consent is foundational. We practice receiving clear, ongoing, and enthusiastic consent before any exchange of touch – especially intimate or sexual. Especially when power differentials are present, we practice looking more deeply into the proposed interaction to see if we can find any poorly verbalized “no” underneath the verbalized “yes” before we proceed with connection. We recognize that consent is a living agreement that can be amended or withdrawn at any time. (NOTE: For touch-specific consent guidelines, see appendices.)
Facilitator-initiated touch must follow participant-led and client-directed frameworks. All touch should be explicitly requested and clearly consented to by the participant. Facilitators must never assume consent.
We respect appropriate time and place for sharing our work.
Qasa team members may offer light invitations (not heavy sales promotions) to share information about additional Qasa programs, experiences, and one-on-one sessions during appropriate, intentional moments that honor the integrity of the space. Team members refrain from using Qasa communication channels to market personal or non-Qasa offerings and uphold clear, ethical boundaries around consent and contact beyond official Qasa contexts.
We are responsible with our personal use of substances and sacred plants.
While Qasa does not condone or permit the use, sales, distribution or possession of illegal substances, certain substances may be decriminalized for personal use under Costa Rican law. We acknowledge and agree to comply with all applicable Costa Rican laws and regulations, and accept full personal responsibility for any personal use of substances.
We remain sober while working and on-call for participant care. We do not consume alcohol or recreational drugs with participants on Sacred Plant Journey retreats or Conscious Kink retreats.
The sale or distribution of illegal substances to guests is prohibited. We do not act as intermediaries for obtaining or distributing illegal substances to participants or guests.
We are accountable to this Code and to each other.
We remain aware of our own and each other’s conduct and we commit to act accountably for the impact our actions generate in our community If concerns arise, we commit to addressing them directly, compassionately, and through proper channels.
We uphold restorative pathways for resolution.
We offer support for challenging experiences experienced on the Qasa premises or during a Qasa event. We have a trusted, trauma-informed, sex-positive mediator on-call to assist with resolving relational conflict and addressing harm in a restorative way. All community members, team members, guests, and participants are encouraged to fill out this online form to report any challenging experiences.

Retreats & Events: Sacred Containers & Boundaries

Every retreat and event at Qasa operates within a clearly defined container that reflects its level of privacy, intimacy, and sexual openness. Qasa and/or the facilitator(s) clearly define and communicate to retreat participants and team members the Container Type and Sexuality Agreements in advance of the retreat or event.

The Qasa team agrees to honor the boundaries of the container they are in.

Container Types

Closed Container: No hotel guest or staff participation in retreat activities/practices from outside the retreat group. Meals will be held in a separate space (nobody from outside the container will eat at the same tables as retreat guests). The workshop space will be held as privately as possible.
Semi-Private: Hotel guests or staff may join designated retreat activities (to be communicated in advance). Meals may be held in a shared environment, meaning hotel guests and staff could sit at or next to tables where retreat participants are eating.
Fully Open: Hotel guests and staff may join all programming and meals will be held in a shared environment, meaning hotel guests and staff could sit at or next to tables where retreat participants are eating.

Defining Sexual Activity / Interaction

In embodied and consent-centered spaces like Qasa, it’s important to clearly distinguish between sexual activity and non-sexual touch, especially as we normalize affection, platonic intimacy, and sensuality that may not be sexual in nature.

Sexual activity / interaction includes (but is not limited to):

Genital or anal contact or stimulation (manual, oral, or genital)
Oral sex, vaginal or anal intercourse
Contact with or stimulation of breasts or nipples in a sexual context
Mutual or solo masturbation in shared space
Any interaction where the primary intent is sexual arousal or gratification
Expressing or acting on romantic feelings (e.g., flirting with romantic intent, declarations of affection, initiating emotional intimacy that implies a romantic connection)
Kink interactions (including rope, flogging, spanking, etc)

Non-sexual touch includes (but is not limited to):

Cuddling, hugging, or holding (without the intent to sexually arouse)
Massage (when not erotic in intent or effect)
Shared bathing or nudity in non-sexualized contexts
Consensual platonic and/or comforting touch offered with non-sexual intent

Note: A non-sexual activity, such as dance, may lead to arousal. For touch to remain non-sexual, there must be no action on the arousal if it occurs naturally and allows the arousal to diffuse.

We recognize that intention, context, and consent shape the experience of touch. What may feel sexual to one person may not be experienced as sexual by another. Therefore, we rely on clear verbal communication, mutual attunement, and shared agreements to guide all interaction. When in doubt, we check in, ask, and clarify, celebrating the courage it takes to name needs, boundaries, and desires with care.

Sexual Boundary Agreements

To honor the container of each retreat, we have designated the following three Sexual Boundary Agreements. Each retreat will clearly designate which agreements will be followed for the retreat.

Fully Abstinent (e.g. sacred plant retreats)
- Intention: To create a clear energetic space allowing for the deepest possible emotional vulnerability, clarity, and healing. In alignment with nearly all sacred plant traditions, we honor the guidance of abstinence before, during, and after ceremony, supporting participants in connecting inward, free from distraction, attachment, or external energetic entanglement.
- Participants: No sexual activity during the retreat. (Couples attending a retreat together should abstain from sexual activity.)
- Qasa Team: No sexual interaction with participants before (from date of registration), during, or for 6 months after the last day of the retreat.
Sexually Closed (e.g. transformational embodies pleasure / sexuality retreats which may unearth sensitive material)
- Intention: To cultivate a sacred space where internal exploration, erotic awakening, and emotional vulnerability can unfold in safety and trust. By keeping erotic connection within the container, we protect the intimacy of the group field and support deeper presence, attunement, and integration.
- Participants: May connect sexually with one another with consent. Participants will not connect sexually with anyone outside the container.
- Facilitators: No sexual interaction with participants before (from date of registration), during, or for 2 months after the last day of the retreat, unless it is in the context of designed retreat activities and/or participant support in alignment with the Touch Appendix.
- Qasa Team: No sexual interaction with participants during the retreat.
Sex Positive (e.g., festivals, hotel stays, adventure retreats, and social events without deep inner work)
- Intention: To foster a sex-positive environment that honors freedom, mutual respect, and the authentic expression of erotic and sensual energy. In these open, socially-oriented spaces, we invite joyful, consensual connection and support the release of shame often carried around sexuality. This freedom is grounded in strong cultural agreements around consent, personal responsibility, and awareness of power dynamics.
- Participants: May connect consensually with other guests, staff, or hotel guests.
- Retreat Facilitators (retreat lead, co-lead facilitators and assistant facilitators): No sexual interaction with participants during the retreat.
- Qasa Team and Event/Festival Workshop Teachers: May engage sexually with participants and hotel guests in alignment with the ‘Sexual Interaction Boundaries’ below.

Sexual Interaction Boundaries

When permitted, sexual interaction between team members and guests/ participants must follow these principles:

Clear verbal consent is modeled and practiced.
Power dynamics are acknowledged and handled with care.

Professional Boundaries with Guests

Guest/Participant Spaces: Qasa Team will not enter guest/participant cabins without an explicit invitation and entry is permitted only outside of when team members are working.
Work Hours: No sexual activity between staff and guests/participants while conducting professional activities or during the staff member’s work hours.
Staff Areas: Guests/participants may not be invited into staff areas

Consent & Consent Culture

Definition of Consent
Consent is an active, ongoing, voluntary agreement among all parties. It can be withdrawn at any time, without consequence.

Consent Culture
We seek explicit verbal consent before any touch, especially with any sexual interaction (as defined above). Anything short of an enthusiastic yes is a no, and all boundaries are honored with respect.

Consent Training Requirement
All staff and volunteers must complete consent training (live or recorded) before engaging sexually with any guest. This is a baseline, not a permission slip.

Team Member Retreat Participation
If team members attend a retreat as a participant, they are treated as a participant (not team member) for the retreat, and must follow the ethical guidelines of the retreat container. While they are treated as a participant, they must remain aware of and attentive to potential power dynamics. They will discuss any concerns with the facilitator and agree to make necessary adjustments in the interests of other participants and the container if necessary.

Exceptions to These Agreements

There are two exceptions to the agreements above:

1) Pre-existing relationships including romantic, sexual, or intimate relationships that were established prior to the participant’s registration for the retreat and did not originate through Qasa communication channels. These relationships must be transparently disclosed, and the details of the exception must be approved in writing before the retreat begins.

Examples of pre-existing relationships include:

Spouses, partners, or ongoing romantic relationships
Established sexual partnerships (including friends-with-benefits or lovers)
Former romantic partners with whom a clear relational history exists
Individuals within a facilitator’s or staff member’s existing polyamorous network
Community relationships with documented past intimacy (e.g., kink community, queer community, spiritual community)
A team member’s existing romantic or sexual partner who is attending the retreat as a participant (while the team member is working in a staff or facilitator role)

(Note that for sacred plant journeys, sexual relationships and contact — even if pre-existing — are discouraged during retreat between couples attending together, and disallowed altogether for Qasa staff/facilitators and participants.)

Examples that do not qualify as pre-existing relationships:

If a facilitator first meets a participant after the participant has registered, that does not count as a pre-existing relationship.
Matches on dating apps made shortly before the retreat do not count as pre-existing relationships.
Professional-only relationships do not count as pre-existing relationships.

2) Professionally guided 1:1 sacred intimate or somatic sessions provided within a facilitator’s professional scope, with supervisor approval and written consent (as discussed in the Touch Appendix).

If circumstances emerge where an intimate or sexual connection between a facilitator/staff member and a participant/guest feels mutually consensual, appropriate, and safe, and falls outside the standard agreements as described in the exceptions above, sexual and/or romantic interaction may only occur if:

The situation is reviewed and explicitly approved in advance by a supervisor (CEO or General Manager), and
All parties sign a written consent agreement (in appendix) before any interaction takes place, and
Our core agreements are held in tact (for example, no sexual contact or relationships during our sacred plant journey retreats)

Managing Emotional Dynamics and Power Awareness

We recognize that retreat environments can heighten emotional dynamics for everyone involved. Participants may be more vulnerable, open, or susceptible due to the intensity of transformational work, which can include experiences of transference or fawning. Likewise, team members are human and may experience countertransference, including attraction, aversion, irritation, protectiveness, or any other strong emotional charge toward a participant.

Whenever a team member becomes aware of a noticeable emotional charge, positive or negative, toward a participant, we disclose this to a supervisor and at least one peer on the staff team. This disclosure is for grounding, reflection, and support, and is essential for maintaining ethical, trauma-informed, and power-aware practice.

As a trauma-informed and power-aware organization, we:

Recognize that participants may be in a uniquely vulnerable state and adjust their presence and boundaries accordingly.
Maintain awareness of transference from participants and countertransference within themselves (including attraction, aversion, or heightened emotional responses).
Seek supervision or peer support immediately if internal experience may influence judgment, boundaries, or the safety of the relationship.
Engage in honest self-reflection to ensure actions remain aligned with the integrity of the retreat container.

Our shared commitment is to uphold an ethical, attuned, and safe environment for all participants and staff.

Supportive Space-Holding: Facilitation Boundaries

We support participant self-healing. We hold a loving, sacred, and supportive space for retreat participants to tap into their own inner healing intelligence and to own/drive their processes of personal transformation and growth. Emotional, energetic, and physical interventions (e.g., clearing, balancing, moving energy, emotional supports, supportive touch) are done only with participant consent and with the intent of supporting participant-driven transformation.
We refrain from sharing subjective interpretations about participant experiences. We do not psychoanalyze, interpret, or share what participants “should” think or do.
We respect indigenous lineages. We honor the origins, traditions and lineages of sacred practices and modalities shared. All team members follow appropriate channels of training and permissions to use practices/traditions from various Indigenous/traditional lineages – including meditation, yoga, and ceremonial practices.
We refrain from proselytizing or imposing our personal worldviews on participants/guests. We speak carefully about our beliefs and convictions, moving with moral integrity and prioritizing the participant’s/guest’s freedom while respecting their vulnerable state. We aspire to be curious about different worldviews, deeply respecting the diversity of perspectives present at Qasa and beyond. The utmost priority is to protect the moral and spiritual integrity of participants/guests.

Community Conduct and Boundaries

Relationships Among Team Members

Any relationship between team members must honor Qasa’s official sexual harassment policy. Complaints will be taken seriously:

Any violation of consent may result in immediate dismissal with cause.
Attention must be paid to power imbalances, abuse, communication, and personal worldview as described above.

The goal is to create and maintain a healthy, safe, and respectful work environment for everyone. All complaints will be mediated through a mediation service to ensure a safe and non-retaliatory environment for everyone.

Nudity
Qasa is a nudity-friendly environment celebrating the human body. The Qasa team will not comment on anyone’s body without consent, whether the comment is positive or negative. Team members will avoid making others feel sexualized by their nudity, demonstrate self-awareness to ensure everyone’s comfort, and model these principles firsthand.

Nature
Nature is one of the most precious elements at Qasa. We aim to create a space of respect and celebration for both humans and nature. Staff will care for nature at Qasa by:

Removing plastic or trash and disposing of it properly.
Avoiding excessive cutting of flowers, plants, or trees.
Conserving water in the retreat center and caring for rivers and waterfalls.

Abuse
Economic, physical, spiritual, professional, sexual, or romantic exploitation or abuse of participants/guests is strictly prohibited.

Gifts, Private Work, Continued Work with Participants

The Qasa team will not engage in private work with participants or guests of Qasa without written approval of Qasa leadership.

In order to receive approval, team members:

Provide a detailed written protocol of the services offered.
Provide a personal ethical standard for the practice.
Provide a sample demonstration to a staff member of Qasa.

The prices for said services are crafted in agreement with Qasa, and will observe the 30/70 split fee between the Qasa and team members.

Regarding continued work with a participant or guest or former participant or guest, team members continue observing the highest standards of ethics and be observant of power imbalances and disparities, personal worldviews, transferential material, and susceptibility of participants.

Gifts
Team members are mindful of the complexities of the interactions with participants and guests. For this, staff do not accept gifts above the value of USD $50. In case the participant or guest insists, staff will be clear that this will be donated to Qasa.

Tips
“Tip outs” are handled by Guest Services and distributed using a standard formula across the team. Personal tips handed directly to a facilitator or team members are also acceptable.

Mediation & Conflict Resolution

Guests and team members are encouraged to bring concerns to retreat leadership.

We also maintain a trusted relationship with an external, holistic, trauma-informed and sex-positive mediator, Kamela.

If someone experiences or witnesses a challenging incident during a Qasa event which they believe caused harm, we welcome concerns to be shared directly with Kamela through our Qasa Challenging Experiences Report Form.

Confidentiality and Safe, Secure Handling of Data

Protection of Personal Data
All personal and health data of participants is confidential and is handled with the utmost care and discretion. The Qasa team is aware of confidentiality laws and therapeutic ethical commitments. This includes discussing personal and health data in public areas of the center, being cautious about where and with whom such information is shared.

Privacy in Communications
Any communication involving participant information is handled cautiously to avoid unauthorized access. This includes discussing participants/guests in public areas of the center or with individuals not part of the team. If it is necessary to share information with someone outside the team, team members seek approval from the supervisor or on-site manager and obtain explicit consent from the participant/guest.

Appropriate Use of Information
Participant/guest information is only used for treatment and care purposes and never for personal or external interests.

Duty to Report Risk of Harm
The Qasa team shares participant/guest information with Qasa leadership when it can mitigate or prevent risk or harm. They are responsible for timely sharing of information that may pose a risk or harm to the participant or others (e.g., suicidal ideation, intention to cause physical harm, etc.).

Management of Group Dynamics
The Qasa team remains aware of group dynamics and contributes to creating a safe container where participants/guests can share private information, stories, and experiences. The team is committed to building trust and being mindful of the impact of sharing vulnerable and intimate material, especially when working with participants dealing with trauma, addiction, or coming from marginalized communities.

Consent for Use of Photos, Information, and Testimonials
It is prohibited for the Qasa team to use any participant’s testimonials, photos, or information for research or publication on social media or shared elsewhere without explicit and documented consent from the participant./guest

Reporting Security Breaches
The Qasa team is obligated to report any suspected breach of confidentiality.

Continuous Evolution

This is a living document. We revisit and refine our ethics regularly, guided by community feedback, shared learning, and lived experience. We humbly request feedback to this code which can be shared directly with us at welcome@qasa.house.

Appendix A: Touch (Sacred Plant Retreats)

At Qasa, we recognize that touch can be a profound form of support, grounding, and care during altered states of consciousness. We also understand that touch can carry complex personal and cultural meanings and must always be guided by consent, safety, and professionalism. This policy establishes clear boundaries and shared understanding for all facilitators, team members, and volunteers who may offer physical support to participants during and after ceremony.

1. Foundational Principles

Consent and Awareness: Touch must always be consensual. Whenever possible, verbal consent should be requested and received before initiating touch. When participants are in non-verbal or altered states, facilitators must use extreme discretion, prioritizing the participant’s dignity, energetic boundaries, and non-verbal cues. (Should a participant become agitated or require de-escalation, facilitators may use restraint techniques only to prevent harm to self or others.)
Non-sexual Intent: All forms of touch must be non-sexual in nature, given solely for grounding, reassurance, or physical safety.
Integrity and Professionalism: Facilitators serve as guardians of a safe and sacred space. Physical touch should never blur professional or relational boundaries.

2. Supportive Touch Defined
Supportive touch is consensual, gentle, brief, and attuned to the participant’s needs and comfort. Examples of appropriate supportive touch include:

A light hand on the upper back, upper arm, or calf.
A hand on the heart center (sternum area) or hand-to-hand contact.
A supportive embrace or hug, when mutually initiated or clearly welcomed by the participant.
Brief, gentle touch for grounding (e.g., lightly placing a hand on the shoulder while speaking calmly).
Supportive touch should generally be:
Short in duration (a few moments rather than extended contact).
Neutral in pressure (light, non-lingering, and steady rather than massaging or aggressive.).
Grounded and present (offered from a state of calm awareness, not emotional dependency or projection).

3. Inappropriate or Prohibited Touch
The following types of touch are strictly prohibited:

Any genital-to-genital or hand-to-genital contact.
Touching or resting hands on breasts, buttocks, or inner thighs.
Extended full-body contact (e.g., spooning, lying beside participants, cradling).
Stroking, massaging, or rhythmic movement intended to stimulate or soothe beyond brief grounding support.
Any touch given without consent, or after a participant has withdrawn or shown discomfort.

4. Post-Ceremony and Integration Contexts

After ceremony, touch may include consensual gestures of connection such as touching a hand, short hugs, or brief, grounding touch. Facilitators must remain attentive to participant cues and avoid over-familiarity or emotional entanglement.

Appendix B: Facilitator Touch in Erotic and Embodied Pleasure Retreats

At Qasa, some retreats explore touch, sensuality, erotic energy, and body-based practices as pathways to healing, learning, and liberation. Because these retreats may include practices ranging from massage and somatic work to kink or self-pleasure, it is essential that facilitators operate within clear ethical frameworks regarding how and when they may participate in or demonstrate touch.

All facilitator touch and erotic engagement must serve the participant’s process and the retreat curriculum—never the facilitator’s personal gratification or desire.

Facilitator Modes of Engagement

Facilitators in embodied and erotic retreats operate within four distinct modes of engagement. Each mode carries specific responsibilities and boundaries to protect the safety, integrity, and transformative potential of the experience.

Mode 1: Active Workshop Facilitation (Hands-On Demonstration)

In this mode, facilitators are guiding structured sessions where demonstrations may involve sensual, erotic, or somatic touch. Facilitators may:

Demonstrate techniques on themselves or others,
Engage in consensual touch that supports the learning or healing goals of the group.

Key Boundaries:

Every act of touch or erotic engagement must be preceded by explicit, verbal, and informed consent.
Participants will never be put on the spot or asked to engage in a demonstration publicly without advance invitation or opt-in.
Another facilitator or participant must be present during demonstrations to maintain transparency and uphold container integrity.
Demonstrations must remain aligned with the retreat’s stated purpose and collective agreements.
Facilitators do not actively participate in participants’ closing rituals. Their role in these moments is to observe, support, and uphold the integrity of the space.

Mode 2: Space-Holding for Erotic Play or Self-Pleasure Circles

In this mode, facilitators are holding the overall energetic and consent-based structure for spaces that invite erotic exploration.

Facilitators:

Focus on attuning to group dynamics, maintaining safety, and regulating the energetic field,
May participate in limited, intentional ways, such as guiding touch sequences, modeling consent through self-touch, or offering educational interventions,
Must ensure their involvement directly supports participant comfort, embodiment, or learning.

All facilitator engagement in these spaces must remain rooted in service, not personal gratification.

Mode 3: Outside of Structured Sessions (Private or Informal Settings)

Outside of official sessions, facilitators must maintain clear professional boundaries. This includes:

No engaging in erotic or sexual activity with participants in private spaces (e.g., cabins, private gatherings, off-hours environments),
Deferring all sensual or sexual interaction to structured, consent-based group sessions,
Offering non-sexual support—such as emotional attunement, integration conversation, or casual connection—within the bounds of professional ethics.

Even if a participant initiates or invites sexual engagement outside a structured context, the facilitator’s responsibility is to decline respectfully, and redirect the interaction into a container-appropriate format—or clearly state that it is not appropriate at all within the retreat.

Mode 4: Private 1:1 Sessions (e.g., Sacred Intimacy, Erotic Massage, Shibari)

In certain retreat contexts, facilitators may offer private one-on-one sessions that include erotic, sensual, or somatic touch as part of their professional scope of practice.

These sessions can be powerful opportunities for personal healing or embodied exploration—but only when held within clear ethical, logistical, and consent-based agreements.

Private 1:1 Sessions Are Permitted Only If:

The session is part of the facilitator’s established professional offering, clearly described and publicly available outside the Qasa context.
No participant receives special invitation or preferential access; all sessions must be available equally to the group.
The session is pre-approved by Qasa leadership before being offered during the retreat.
A written informed consent agreement is completed by the participant before the session.
The session’s purpose, structure, and boundaries are clearly communicated in advance.
The facilitator remains in service of the participant’s experience, without directing the session toward their own arousal, gratification, or emotional needs.

Facilitators must approach these sessions with the same trauma-informed, power-aware, and consent-centered frameworks that govern all Qasa retreat spaces. These sessions are an extension of professional service—not personal interaction—and must be treated with the same gravity and integrity as all other modes of engagement.

Summary

These four facilitation modes—Active Demonstration, Space-Holding, Outside Session Boundaries, and Private 1:1 Sessions—serve as ethical pillars for facilitators engaging in touch and erotic work at Qasa. By upholding these frameworks, facilitators model:

Trauma-informed and power-aware leadership
Consent culture in action
Sacred and shame-free engagement with touch, intimacy, and erotic energy

This structure ensures that all participant interactions are guided by clarity, integrity, and deep respect for the healing process.