A Pilates instructor, Rust became a widow more than a decade ago. In the years since, she's tried dating apps with little success. But instead of giving up, she decided to give in β and joined a tantra speed dating event in San Francisco. Tantra speed dating aims to go beyond the usual superficial interactions. There are no candle-lit tables here but the premise is pretty much the same.
Women are positioned in an inner circle, while the men stand in the outer circle. Instead of brief conversations, participants engage in exercises designed to form meaningful connections. At the end of each encounter, women place a bead into the pouch the men wear around their necks, if they're interested. To avoid the sting of rejection, the men are asked to close their eyes during the bead ceremony. This is just one of many rapid-romance events enjoying a comeback these days.
Deborah Oppenheim, the host and lead facilitator at Tantra Speed Date San Francisco , said the resurgence is a reaction to people's growing dissatisfaction with dating apps. In the end, Rust handed out five beads.
And while she's not sure any of the men will turn out to be Mr. Right, she came out feeling optimistic. Speed dating with a New Age vibe is a blast from the past.
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