Some more pictures from our time at Burning Man 2015. Over a thousand people had their feet washed and also had the opportunity to give the gift of washing feet at Burning Man this year. A lot of work and a great success!
Healing Foot Wash
Healing Foot Wash
Gathering in the shade
Maybe a little more sunscreen next year?
Hanging out with our neighbors
Healing Foot Wash camp
Healing Foot Wash camp
Healing Foot Wash group photo including a number of visitors
View from the top of the shade structure
Taking down the shade structure
Happy Burner
View from the top of the shade structure
The high winds broke the ropes holding the flag to the pole
We finally arrived and were warned at Greeters that there were 40-50 MPH wind storm gusts predicted for that evening, so batten everything down that we didn’t want to blow away. We would have multiple white-out windstorms over the next couple of setup days but made the best of it and had a great time getting everything setup for our Healing Foot Wash camp.
Kind of dusty!
Goggles and face masks came in handy
Starting to build out our shade structure
Pretty hair
Pretty hair
Dusty tents
Carol hammering in rebar in the wind storm
Core of the shade structure is erected
First part of the shade cloth assembled
Working on prepping shade cloth
Waiting out a white-out dust storm at Burning Man
White out!
Happy campers
Shade structure coming together!
Pausing for some rest
Foot wash station chairs setup
Working on setting up
Happy campers
Happy campers
Dust storm left a lot of dust!
Dusty sleeping bags inside of tent
Dust storm left a lot of dust!
Hanging out after everything is setup
Healing Foot Wash camp setup! – “But do you have a flag?”
Washing feet at Burning Man results in some gray water that needs to be evaporated or brought back home. We’ve been working on building an evapotron to help evaporate water while we’re on the playa. Mark, Rachel and Anna Lisa did a great job on this!
We were asked to move our Burning Man theme camp stuff out of the Berkeley CSO basement and storage space. It was a good opportunity to consolidate and find a new home for our infrastructure.
We’re excited to have been given Placement for 2015 Burning Man!!! In 2014 Healing Foot Wash camp was located at 9:05 and I. This year we have been Placed at 5:30 and B. This is very close to Center Camp and will put our camp right in the heart of all the action.
Congratulations!!!
It is our pleasure to inform you that Healing Foot Wash has been officially placed for Burning Man 2015: Carnival of Mirrors!
Your approximate location is 5:30 & Ballyhoo and will measure approximately 100 by 50. If your dimensions contain a + or – sign, it means your camp is an odd shape.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at Burning Man this year! Come by and have your feet washed and join us in washing feet yourself. 🙂
Thanks to help and urging from Rainbow Rachel and Anna Lisa, we just finished our 2015 Burning Man Placement application for Healing Foot Wash. Hopefully we’ll get placed into the 6:00 sector this year, but if that doesn’t work out second choice is 9:00 streets or plaza area.
Camp/Village Name?
Healing Foot Wash
Interactivity Description
We are bringing foot washing to Burning Man for the third year in a row. We have a proven 4 step process that uses a total of about 1/2 cup of water per person and leaves them feeling wonderful, refreshed and relaxed. We have a beautiful 40’x60′ open shade structure that encourages visitors to wander into camp and sit in our comfortable and sturdy chairs. We have a single rule for the foot washing experience — You must have your feet washed by another person before you are allowed to wash someone else’s feet. Each visitor is encouraged to participate both as a recipient and as a giver. Our visitors regularly spend between 15 minutes to several hours enjoying the oasis environment. This is a true practice of love and service, operating from just after breakfast (~9am) to dinner time (~6pm) every day.
Project Interactivity
Primarily Day Time,Acculturation for First time Burners,Chill Space,Create an Environment,Entertaining Guests,Environmentally conscious,Meditation,Services Rendered,Shared Experience,Theme-related activities
Number of Campmates
16 to 20
Acculturation
We invite each visitor to directly participate both as a recipient and as a giver of a fantastic foot wash experience. This is both practical and loving, and is one of the best gifts we know how to give.
Physical Description
We have a 40’x60′ established shade structure that provides billowing silver shade cloth protection from the sun. It is 12′ tall in the center and is open on all sides.
We have carpet and beautiful heavy cushioned chairs for people to sit on and relax while their feet are being washed. Each person is encouraged to stay as long as they wish.
We use primarily batteries and solar panels for power needs. No generators.
Tents and vehicles are kept near the back of the camp. The feeling of the camp is very open and welcoming.
Know anyone who is going to Burning Man this year who might like to join our camp? Drop me a line: gserafini@gmail.com
We are a family-friendly service camp at Burning Man devoted to sharing love for our fellow human beings by washing their feet and providing a quiet sanctuary for rest, relaxation and conversation.
We have no agenda other than to practice love. We are open to all who wish to participate in this giving activity.
Video from 2013 Burning Man, showing the simple method we used to wash over 200 people’s feet
Expectations for participants in the Healing Foot Wash theme camp:
Subscribe to the official “Jackrabbit Speaks” Burning Man email newsletter. Every issue is jam-packed with excellent up-to-the-minute information that you will benefit from. Subscribe here.
Purchase your ticket. Burning Man has a detailed explanation of what you’ll need to do at http://tickets.burningman.org. You will need to follow their instructions exactly. Plan for tickets to sell out in the first minute they’re available, so be at your computer before then. As a member of our camp, you may be invited to participate in the Directed Group Sale, meaning you will have an early opportunity to purchase a ticket.
Plan your own transportation to get to Burning Man. You can carpool with other participants, take the Burner Express bus or drive your own vehicle (vehicle pass required in addition to your own ticket).
Plan to bring your own food and shelter to Burning Man.(Update: This may change depending on the year, some years we do a group meal plan). In previous years we’ve coordinated a group shelter and food for the entire group. This year we are going with individual preparation and/or small self-organized pods within our larger group. Burning Man is a harsh environment and requires a good amount of preparation (see the Survival Guide).
Plan to be available for semi-regular conference calls. These will likely occur more often as the event gets closer and logistics need to be figured out.
Be responsive on the email list once you’ve committed to the group.
Plan to spend a minimum of 3-4 hours each day in camp washing feet, refilling bottles and supplies, and talking with people when it is your assigned shift to do so. This is the main activity this Camp does and is its primary reason for being. There are literally thousands of other things you could be doing at Burning Man at any given moment, so it is important that you are committed to participating fully in giving this particular gift to the community. We wash feet between approximately 9 AM and 6 PM (from after breakfast until it’s time to eat dinner). You should see yourself as an integral part of this process, and plan to participate accordingly. We have a sign-up sheet with shifts for participants. Missing shifts without arranging for someone else to fill in is grounds for not being invited back to camp with us next year.
Plan to help strike camp and clean-up / MOOP the camp area thoroughly before we leave.
Practice the Golden Rule as much as possible — treat one another the way you would like to be treated. Give the respect and love you wish to get.
Bring your best ideas, enthusiasm and good intentions to Burning Man.
NOTE: The Healing Foot Wash camp is a family-friendly group that welcomes hundreds of Burners to our space each year. We ask that every participant understand that as the hosts of this space, we interact with our visitors with respect, integrity, and commit to maintain a safe space for people to visit and experience our gift. This isn’t the place at Burning Man to practice your pick-up lines.
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