A smiling, bald, Black man in a blue shirt in front of a garden.

Max Pearl

Max Pearl (he/him) is a Black, queer, trans man who has been on a life-long journey of learning about and re-connecting to his body. He has been fascinated by the body, the spirit, and culture, and more particularly, the ways in which these meet, interact, and connect. He has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and a Certificate in Theological Studies from Pacific School of Religion. He started a Buddhist meditation practice in 1990. He has been trained in a wide variety of embodiment modalities, including Authentic Movement and classical Tantra. He has spent his vocational life in a wide variety of endeavors, from academia, to non-profit technology, writing, and most recently, teaching relationship skills, mindfulness, emotional awareness, consent, and embodiment. He is a certified facilitator of the Wheel of Consent, and a member of the EroSomatic Arts Collective. In his previous life as a lesbian, he co-founded Conscious Girlfriend, a dating and relationship education organization with his ex-wife, who continues to steward it.

He also explores the topics of body, culture, and spirit as a multi-genre writer, publishing fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. He lives and works on a ranch in unceded Kashia Pomo territory, also known as Cazadero, California.

Upcoming Programs by Max Pearl

Queer Dating and Relationships: Consciousness, Communication, and Consent

June 6 - 8, 2025

Most people think about dating and relationships as just about finding the "right person". But then people are disappointed over and over again when that doesn't work out. Yes, finding compatibility is important, but ironically enough, the most important factor is our relationship to ourselves, our desires, our emotions, and our limits. This workshop will […]