DISCO PRIMITIVE ∞ HANDMADE ∞ ONE OF A KIND
INITIATION INTO THE ART OF BRAIN TANNING
An ancient APPROACH TO PRESERVING ANIMAL HIDES
Some thoughts on the practice as Ceremony-
Beyond sharing & guiding you through the art of brain tanning, my aim is to share & reveal to you the potential this practice has for grounding us. Breath work is a huge aspect of this practice. Remembering to breath, our full presence & attention is required. Our safety & the reverence for our hides are in our hands. Slow & steady. Watching the hide & responding to it.
At the end of the day whatever has been left undone in other aspects of my life, I feel content having spent the day in relationship to this hide & being fully present. A day spent running & spinning out but getting a lot done vs knowing I’ve spent the day fully present moment to moment is deeply nourishing. There are a lot of ways of getting into that space, skinning road salvaged animals & Brain Tanning is one that really works for me & helps to quite the chatter. In addition to the journey inward the results of our patience perseverance & presence is visible in the hide, they keep record of our intentions, our energy & our focus.
The physicality required for this practice pulls the anxiousness right out of my bones & delivers a deep nights rest. Practicing reverence for these animals, facing my own impermanence, handling caring for & preserving the remains of a Spirit once embodied is deep & yet humor always manages to emerge in every session. Emotions & thoughts arise & then drift away but we keep returning & tuning into the hide as we contemplate & send our love & our prayers to the spirit of the animal.
The end of this ceremony is only the beginning. We will have a life long connection to our hides. I see these pieces as heirlooms to be imbued with our spirit & passed down. The Cherry on Top: We get to take care of a beautiful fluffy hide that can continue to bring us joy & comfort. Furthering our sense of empowerment as we understand a foundational skill a survival skill that has allowed our species to explore & thrive.
This skill has been slowly translating into a true survival skill for me. It’s an experience that has & continues to enrich my journey. This practice feels aligned with what is alive in my heart. As I begin to step into & become holy responsible for myself and my residence here in this body. I accept that I am the architect. With clear vision & inspired action my purpose is to be fully present, excited to get out of bed in the morning & contribute real value, inspiration & authentic love based empowerment to the world. This practice is granting me the ability to meet these aims. Thank you for your support.
CLASS OVERVIEW
In this course you’ll learn how to preserve a sheepskin hide using the brain tann method. From start to finish I’ll guide you through the process. Included in the course are videos & images with detailed descriptions & how to’s.
The course will be divided into 13 Steps;
Gathering tools & materials
Building your work space- fleshing beam, softening rack, smoker box.
Dry Scraping
Racking
Washing
Air Drying
Re-Rack
Sew Any Holes
Braining
Softening
Sewing closed
Building the fire
Smoking
*Very important Notes
There are certain steps that must be completed before rest can be taken.
Steps 9 and 10 should be completed together. Once the Brains have been applied and have had a chance to absorb into the hide you’ll be ready to soften. You want the hide to be dry but damp do not let the hide dry and turn papery. There will be a sweet spot of temperature & humidity in the hide this will provide an optimal window for softening. You don’t want the hide to dry out but if its to wet the fibers wont break when you try to soften it. Best practice is to Brain the hide and let sit over night. Check your hide in the morning and soften through out the day. Once the softening begins you must be committed to seeing it through otherwise areas of the hide may dry out & you will not be able to soften the hide evenly. If this happens you may need to re-brain and start the softening step over.Temperature & humidity may cause your hide to dry faster or slower. Expect the softening process to take 4-10 hours. On & off.
A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH
The skill & knowledge of (brain tanning) preserving an animals hide, through direct hands on experience. A skill you’ll be able to practice anywhere in the world where animals can be found. A beautiful fluffy sheepskin.
Learn How To:
Build your equipment
Dry scrape a hide
Wash a hide
Make a brain shake
Brain a hide
Rack a hide
Soften a hide
Smoke a hide
In Closing
Harnessing the alchemical process of this foundational skill allows you to create many objects including leather for crafting clothing, bags, rugs, blankets, coats, gloves and shoes to keep you warm & keep you moving & shaking. Developing a foundational skill such as Brain Tanning, is a wonderful way to invest in a real tangible currency, “Knowledge & Skill”. We must RE-MEMBER our abilities, what we are capable of, nurture our strengths & reclaim our power.