Pawed NYC!

If you haven’t heard of PAWED yet – you are going to hear a lot more! It’s an event for men to experience touch and body positivity, and… well I will let the two founders Jon and Jon explain it better in their interview when I got the chance to talk to them last week. 

BWM: I’m thrilled to be talking about Pawed with the two co-founders, Jon Fischer and Jon Tucker. I recently caught wind of the events you’ve been hosting in NYC and wanted to sit down with the two of you. First of all, you guys are both named Jon and you’re basically cub twins. Who are you both and how did you meet?

Jon F: Hehe, yes we do confuse a lot of people. I’m Jon Fischer (AKA Coach Cub).  I’m a health and wellness coach for gay men, with a focus on the bear community. I’ve been running a coaching practice as well as organizing group meetups and events for the last three years. Back in the spring of 2016, I hosted a lunch for my bear wellness Meetup group and, due to individual schedules, the only person who showed up was Jon T. We immediately hit it off, and within an hour we had the idea to create a bear massage event.

Jon T: That’s right. We quickly bonded over our passion for self-love, body positivity, personal growth and exploring sexual energy. I had gone through my own personal journal over the last few years and was passionate about discussing what I’ve experienced and all the knowledge I acquired. While chatting about the events I had attended, Jon F and I realized there were not many similar classes and events that serve the bear community. Within an hour we had the early idea of Pawed NYC. Our first massage events were held in May and October 2016. The groups of men who attended were great and diverse, and the energy in the rooms was positive and joyful. We knew after the second event that we were on to something.

BWM: It sounds like your group has been growing and evolving over the last year. What is Pawed all about now? What’s the essence of it?

Jon T: All of our events are focused around making connections, with yourself and fellow members. Our intention is to create a safe space for guys to explore the power of loving touch, movement, sexual energy, and overall wellness (mental and physical).

BWM: Sounds interesting. I’m curious about the type of guys who attend your events.

Jon F: Really anyone who identifies as male is welcome at our events. Our events do have an emphasis on the bear community, but we draw a wide range of body types, backgrounds, and ages. We attract guys who are looking for something more meaningful and positive from in-person experience with other men. Often times, we find guys have some reservations before attending their first event – it’s a big deal to try something new or different – but the feedback we get is always that the events are welcoming and inclusive.

BWM: What types of events are you now hosting?

Jon F: Right now, we hold a few monthly events – a bear massage night, nude and clothing optional yoga classes, tantric edging, massage techniques workshops, and Bear Hug which is a Pawed cuddle party – plus we are starting to plan special, seasonal events.

BWM: You mentioned “special events.” What that those all about?

Jon T: I created a special immersive theatre/ role-play experience called “Roman Holiday” that is set in 49 B.C. during the Roman Republic. Pawed workshopped “Roman Holiday” at Freddy Freeman’s amazing Bear Your Soul retreat in upstate New York. It was so well received that we wanted to bring that experience to NYC and are planning something the last week of October in time for Halloween. The event is hard to explain and we don’t want to give any surprises away but let’s just say the experience includes togas, gladiators, and roman baths!

We’re also teaming up with Bear Your Soul to bring a special workshop entitled “Spirit of the Bear” to Rainbow Mountain Resort’s Bear Weekend the second weekend in October (10/13-10/15). The program we have created together includes a variety of experiences designed to foster deeper, more heart centered connections between men. We will offer meditation, cuddle parties, body affirmation, and both sensual and erotic massage during the day. You can use code PAWEDNYC for reduced rates on rooms that weekend on rainbowmountain.net. We hope to offer these types of workshops at bear events on a recurring basis, so if you miss them this year, check out our website for updates on the next events.

BWM: So, sounds like you’re expanding beyond NYC? Where is all of this headed?

Jon F: Yes, we’re super excited to bring Pawed to other spaces and audiences. We’re actually creating our first offshoot called “Pawed Philly” in Philadelphia. We’ve set up meetup.com/Pawed-Philly and will begin hosting events there in autumn 2017. We will explore other cities as well over the next year and beyond.

BWM: How can we learn more about you and your events?

Jon T: There are a few ways, the easiest is heading over to our website www.PawedNYC.com where you can get information on our upcoming events and register for our mailing list. We do a bi-monthly newsletter which highlights our monthly events and includes Early Bear discounts. We also have a group Facebook page and Meetup Group. We encourage anyone interested to check us out and definitely contact us directly with any questions or reservations they have about coming out to their first event.

Upcoming Events

September

September 28^th– Nude Bear Yoga

September 28^th– Pawed: Bears on Edge

October

October 6^th– Bear Yoga with Carlos (7pm-8pm)

October 6^th– Bear Hug Cuddle Party (Clothed Event) (8pm-10pm)

October 12^th– Pelvic Floor Yoga with Drue (7pm-8pm)

October 12^th– Massage Night- Intro to the Sacred Sacrum (8pm-10pm)

October 13^th-15^th– Spirit of the Bear at Rainbow Mountain Resort

October 22^nd– Taste of Tantra with Andrew (6pm-8pm)

October 28th – Roman Holiday

Note that all scheduled events are held in a studio in NYC’s Union Square area with the exception of Spirit of the Bear