Shibari & Shibantra Sessions

This is an acronym used by some members of the BDSM community to describe a philosophical view that certain risky sexual behaviors are generally accepted as long as the participants are fully aware of the risks.

In the context of a bondage session, this means that we are aware of the potential risks and act responsibly to minimize the risks as much as possible.

 

The prerequisite for a session is therefore

that you are informed about the risks and how to minimize them

and that you are prepared to consciously take these risks. 

 

In the following, I will inform you about the risks involved in tying up, but I would like to point out that this list is not final. 

 

Self-evident for responsible people...

• Pregnant women, minors, mentally ill people, epileptics, people under the influence of drugs, alcohol, severe stress, (nerve) injuries or pain must not be tied up. The same applies to people who do not wish to be restrained.
• The tied person must not be left alone.
• A suitable emergency opener (e.g. bandage scissors or safety knife) must always be to hand.
• A restrained person often has no way of catching themselves in the event of a fall (stumbling, circulatory problems, loss of balance, etc...). Therefore, a restrained person should never stand without a safety rope.
• Not every body is suitable for every type of restraint. Some restraints are not at all feasible for certain body types or restrictions.
• We only tie up with suitable materials.

 

Please let me know if any of the following are true for you:

• Diseases of the vascular system (e.g. diabetes, varicose veins, low blood pressure...)
• Diseases of the respiratory system (e.g. asthma)
• Diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system (e.g. muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, bones)
• Recent injuries (e.g. to the skin)
• Existence of psychological trauma in the context of helplessness/anxiety   

 

What we must expect

 

Rope bondage is one of the more extreme "sports" and is therefore often accompanied by minor injuries which, depending on the degree of bondage, can range from barely visible to lasting for weeks on the skin. However, this is highly dependent on the individual person and their skin condition, physical characteristics and the type of restraint.

 

The "normal" physical marks after a bondage session include

• Rope marks (ropemarks) - disappear after a few hours.
• reddened skin due to friction (more rarely due to an allergy to certain ropes) or slight abrasions 
• slight hematomas (bruises) or bruises from hanging or pulling. 

The less pleasant but quite common occurrences (mainly with suspensions or restraints with a strong tension) include

• numb limbs, especially hands, arms and feet
• pinched skin or rope burns due to the friction of the ropes
• Pressure sores or severe hematomas (quite rare, actually only when hanging)
• Slight panic attacks in certain people who are at a tendency to have them
• Circulatory problems (in hot weather, psychological stress, stress...)
• Blood congestion, discolored limbs
• Nerve injuries (persistent numbness on the skin, drop hand, drop foot, see below)
• Pain

 

Limbs that go numb

 

Limbs can get numb in a tie. This can happen either due to an unfamiliar body position, e.g. if the arms are tied above the head. The hands do not necessarily always get numb due to the ropes and their pressure, but can also simply be caused by the body position: The unfamiliar position (e.g. arms stretched upwards) can cause nerves to become jammed (e.g. in the shoulder), resulting in a tingling sensation in the hands. The problem can be easily solved by changing your posture.

 

 

Nerves whilst bondage   

 

The most common sources of danger include pressure damage and overstimulation of nerves. Nerves run through our entire body and with a solid basic knowledge you can minimize the risk of possible damage. 
Generally speaking, if nerves are pinched or overstimulated, numbness occurs or the person being restrained feels a tingling sensation in the affected areas. Damaged nerves can lead to anything from short-term impairments, paralysis and numbness to long-term conditions that require medical treatment. These manifest themselves, for example, in the form of temporary or permanent numbness or loss of sensation through to the above-mentioned symptoms of paralysis.  This is referred to as short-term pressure damage, medium-term damage such as loss of function (neuropraxia) and permanent, lasting injuries (neurotemsis).  Caution: Damage is not always indicated by signals! In quite a few cases, it is only noticed afterwards that a nerve has been affected!

 

 

How we prepare ourselves

• We only tie up when we feel fit and sober
• Bandage scissors are available for emergencies
• Personal medication (e.g. asthma inhaler) is within easy reach
• Something sweet and water are in the room
• In a preliminary discussion, we clarify all the details for the session (setting, communication, state of health, type of restraints, vocabulary, limits and taboos)