Bondage Safety 101
The "B" in "BDSM" stands for Bondage, which is the act of tying your partner up for sexual pleasure. Bondage can be a whole lot of fun if you know what you’re doing, but it can also be very dangerous. Here are some things you can do to make it a whole lot safer.
- Always get to know your play partner before you allow them to tie you up. Maybe even get a few references.
- Discuss all of your hard and soft limits, and all of your partner’s.
- Discuss any physical or mental restrictions either of you may have, such as allergies, injuries, or mental/emotional triggers.
- Use a safe word, or another agreed upon way of communicating when you need something or it’s time for the session to stop.
- Avoid alcohol or drug use during a bondage session, as it can dull the senses, slow reaction time, and greatly reduce a person's ability to recognize an issue within their own body.
- Keep a constant eye on the bottom’s body temperature and skin color (particularly in the extremities). If their limbs are numb, cold, or turning blue, adjust or remove the restraints accordingly.
- It’s worth repeating: Bondage is dangerous. Never leave the bottom alone.
For the most part, all of the different types of bondage can fall under three categories: (1) device bondage, (2) institutional bondage, and (3) rope bondage.
Device bondage often involves the ‘bottom’ being attached to, or restrained by, various objects—like a Saint Andrews Cross, a cock cage, or a spanking bench—with leather, vinyl, or cloth restraints.
Institutional bondage involves things like straight jackets, police handcuffs, and bodybags.
Rope bondage, obviously, involves tying the bottom up with rope, and can be an art form in and of itself. In fact, the Japanese have been inspiring bondage enthusiasts for centuries with an ancient bondage art called "Shibari". The ‘artist,’ if you will, uses both rope and body positioning to mold their medium into something deliciously sensual and undeniably beautiful.
As you can imagine, all of these forms of bondage require some planning, and a bit of safety gear.
Things To Have On Hand:
- Safety scissors*
- Spare key
- Water
- Panic snaps
Things To Watch For:
- Skin discoloration
- Loss of body temperature
- Cold extremities
- Lethargy
- Shortness of breath
- Abnormally elevated or decreased heart rate
A spacey bottom and an elevated heart rate can also indicate the bottom is experiencing a condition called ‘subspace,’ or an endorphin high. Many bottoms describe this as ‘going away’ or ‘floating.’
If you’re new to bondage, don’t let the potential danger scare you away from it. As long as you stick to these guidelines, you’ll be perfectly okay. And hey, maybe you’ll enjoy it. There’s something darkly delectable about allowing your lover to render you helpless and have their way with you, don’t you think?
* Some people suggest a knife, but this is super dangerous. Safety scissors generally have blunt ends, which allows you to slide the scissor tip under the restraint(s) without injuring the person being restrained.
peepshow toys would like to thank Rayne from http://www.insatiabledesire.com for authoring this piece on bondage safety.
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