Life & Work with CJ Du Trieux of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to CJ Du Trieux.

Hi CJ, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
“You do… what?” is the common question when I share that I host cuddle parties. In 2019, I stumbled across Cuddle Sanctuary and was intrigued. I found out that a cuddle party is a consent and communication class with mindfulness exercises, slowing down to really tune into ourselves and listen to our instincts. We practice asking for what we would like, receiving other’s boundaries graciously, and saying yes or no in a low-stakes setting. It makes the cuddle part of the event so much different – I felt comfortable and safe asking for hugs from others. If you haven’t had a long hug in a while, it feels like it is absolutely a human need. I didn’t know I needed this. I have been coming back ever since.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. Cuddle professionals and cuddle party facilitators are launching a movement around platonic touch, a concept that’s unfamiliar to many people. They want to know, is it really just cuddling? (yes, it is). People arrive, nervous yet courageous for finding this way of taking care of themselves. I can feel everyone get more relaxed as we go through the warmup exercises, communication prompts in pairs, and demonstrations. We go over the guidelines and expectations: nothing is required – no one has to do anything they aren’t comfortable with, clothes stay on at all times, arrive and remain sober, take breaks anytime. As we break down the layers and people feel their compassion for themselves and others, a transformation takes place. The room fills with this wonderful energy of flowing oxytocin – the “hug hormone.” In can, of course, also feel challenging, as people are on their own journeys and can be healing from past harms. But with good facilitation and a commitment from participants to stay with the guidelines and be present, we all have the chance to discover, connect, and grow.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What sets me apart is my combination of education and lived experience. My background is in health education: I have a master’s degree in public health and over a 15 years of experience leading trainings and workshops. But through experiencing my own health challenges with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and C-PTSD, I learned that I needed much more than what is traditionally thought of as healthcare. After discovering the life changing magic of community, through mindful meditation, peer support, somatic & nervous system work, cuddle parties, authentic relating, and other events, I knew I needed more spaces to give and receive care and human connection. I trained to become a cuddle professional with Jean Franzblau at Cuddle Sanctuary. Cuddle parties are one of my offerings of mind-body workshops designed to be trauma-informed, accessible, body positive, and welcoming for queer folks like myself. I am still on my own healing journey, but this feels like a great place to be.

What makes you happy?
I feel so happy when I see an interaction at a cuddle party where participants are being genuine, curious, and vulnerable with each other. It gives me hope that we have the opportunity to re-write the unspoken rules in our society for how we communicate, and that it’s possible to care for each other while also putting ourselves first.

Pricing:

• $30 – sliding scale workshop ticket
• $40 – standard workshop ticket
• $50 – workshop sponsor ticket

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mindbodyconnectionwellness.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectionwellnesscj
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connectionwellnesscj

Image Credits
Allison Cook and Malachi Mott