About this event:
The Poetic Current - where language and art move the masculine heart.
This is a poetic refuge for men to deepen into their intimate creative truth and remember the freedom of being fully themselves. To feel more alive, honest, and naturally in flow with their expression.
Through playful, sensuous practices of poetry, movement, and creative embodiment, you’ll awaken parts of yourself once shut down or disconnected - so you can live with more devotion and delight, savouring life through your body as a vessel of expression.
Poetry doesn’t just belong on the page or the stage. It can be a living, breathing part of you.
About the experience:
This is a space where men aren’t confined to polarities - where they can be seen and felt beyond archetypal expectations.
Where you can come back to your heart and feel for yourself, free from the pressure to internalise yet another article telling you what true masculinity is or what the world needs right now from men.
So you can remember your own beautiful rhythm of expression. Feel braver in your being. Trust your voice.
Here, poetry reminds you that your relationship to the world can be artful, alive, and entirely your own. You’ll access creativity, imagination, and expression while feeling grounded in the inner knowing that it’s safe to be all of who you are.
What to expect:
Embodiment & Free-Flow Movement
Ignite your imagination through somatic exploration. Movement becomes a living conversation - a way of listening and discovering through sensation. Feel expressive, alive, and at home in your body.
Sensory Awakening & Sensuous Writing
Engage your body to expand the landscape of your writing. Texture, taste, and sensation become playful prompts.
How does softness shape your tone? How might a sharp smell energise your words and ripple into your life? Inspired by feminine writers who celebrate love, sensuality, and intimacy.
Receive Creative Inspiration
Step into deep receptivity as I share pieces of my art - poetry, sound, movement - to illuminate the creative process and inspire you. See how a single thread can shapeshift across art forms, opening you to new creative possibilities.
Transforming Emotions into Art
Explore how emotion can become artistic expression - not to fix it, but to let it move. Let your creations evolve and surprise you, transforming alongside you. A breakup letter might become a spoken word piece, then a poetic track.
Embodied Water Wisdom
Collaborate with water as a muse through meditation and ritual. Water invites us to dream, soften, and reflect - to feel spacious, receptive, and in harmony with life’s flow.
Who this is for:
You’ve likely felt the pressure of commentary telling men who they should be - and who they are not. From a friend’s post, a poem, or a coach’s advice, these messages carry quiet expectations of who men are and how they move in the world. Here, you are given poetic licence to loosen the grip of these ideals and breathe life into the sacredness of who you are as felt, not prescribed.
This is a quiet revolt against despair and cynicism in our world. An invitation to harmonise heaviness into heartfelt beauty and soulful presence.
Leave feeling more alive, inspired, and open to your true poetic essence.
*A portion of proceeds from this event will be donated to The Man Cave, a non-profit that delivers preventative mental health and emotional wellbeing programs for teenage boys across Australia.
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About your facilitator - Emina Ashman @eminaashman
Emina Ashman is a poet, theatre-maker, performance artist, workshop facilitator and Lomilomi giver whose work flows through artistic expression, embodied ritual and devotional presence.
Her training at the Victorian College of the Arts, where she completed both her Acting degree and Honours in Independent Theatre Practice in playwriting, informs her experience as a creative guide. Her research explored synesthesia, tactile poetics and feminine writing - themes that continue to pulse through her artistic work.
Her practice invites others, often touching the hearts of men, into creative intimacy, imaginative freedom and the beauty of emotional expression. She is passionate in supporting their return to creative expression, spiritual journeys, and their desire for love and connection.
Inspired by the energy of water, mermaids and the Lemurian frequencies of love, she holds space for emotion, truth and remembrance, offering poetry not only as artform, but as a relational way of being.
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Things to note:
Centre of You has plenty of bolsters, blankets, and cushions for you to get cosy with. We recommend wearing comfortable, loose clothes to enable deep breathing and sitting/laying upon the floor with ease. Something to cover your eyes, if you wish to do so (eg. eye mask, scarf). A journal is recommended as are any familiar personal items that will aid you in feeling grounded (crystal, teddy, scarf, etc).
Personal responsibility: Please make an assessment on whether you are feeling stable and resourced enough to explore the practices on offer in this event.
Notice of Partial Moment Amateur Photography/Videography: There are many events held at Centre of You where no content is captured. The facilitator of this event however wishes to capture moments of this gathering for future marketing and community-sharing purposes. This will take place via their personal device captured by themselves or a representative. We recognise that being recorded can impact personal comfort and nervous system regulation and we want to honor your preferences. If you do not wish to have your image captured yet still wish to join, know that this is entirely possible at this event. Please speak with us at the door so we can honour your boundaries. If you’d like to review any footage captured at the conclusion of the event, you are most welcome to do so.
Arrival: Endeavour to arrive between 10:45am - 11:00am. To preserve the experience for all involved, doors will close at 11:15am. Truly, it breaks our heart to have to turn latecomers away yet the disruption to the whole group experience by virtue of lateness does require management. We ask that you find understanding and consideration for the timebound nature of the container and make every effort to arrive on time.
Driving: Centre of You is located upon Chapel Street and while you may get lucky with an untimed spot, particularly on a Sunday (try High Street) predominantly 1 and 2 hour parking is available (unmetered from 5pm). So you can fully settle into the practice, we suggest you avoid the need to move your car or risk a fine and park at the CARe multilevel carpark (8-14 King Street Prahran), a 140-metre walk from COY. 3 hours parking will be charged at $6.90.
Public transport - tram: Both the number 6 tram & 78 tram stop on the corner of High St/Chapel St. This is stop 31 on the number 6 tram (Moreland/Glen Iris) & stop 45 on the number 78 tram (North Richmond/Balaclava).
Public transport - train: Both Prahran & Windsor stations along the Sandringham Line will get you walking distance to Centre of You.
Finding Centre of You: Centre of You is nestled within the arcade that Chapel St Bazaar is in (217 Chapel St). It is up a flight of stairs with a wide landing at the half-way-point. Unfortunately, this current version of Centre of You does not have a wheelchair accessible lift. If you could use support in getting up the stairs or would like to discuss ways to make your experience at Centre of You more comfortable, please reach out via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Accessibility: At COY we aim to ensure our community and events are inclusive and accessible while alongside upholding the needs and responsibilities of our business and the businesses of our collaborating facilitators. Should you be in a time of financial challenge and unable to pay the full ticket price comfortably, please reach out via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram
Ticketing T&Cs: We get it, life happens, therefore we will gladly refund you up until 24hrs before the event start time. After that, we have a strict no refund/no transfer to future events policy. If you are no longer able to attend and wish to pay forward your ticket to someone within the community, be in touch via hello@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Questions? Email hello@centreofyou.com.au or reach out via Instagram DM.
Tickets: $222.00 early bird, $333.00 general exchange.