SHIBARI
Since I am running a Shibari day in February, I thought I would write some stuff on Shibari and my take on it in the context of Tantra for those who may not know what Shibari is.
Shibari (or Kinbaku) is the Japanese art of rope bondage. It originated from the Samurai who acted as Law enforcement when not engaged in wars. It found it’s way into performances and then as an art form.
As with most things Japanese, there is a lot of ritual around Shibari when done in a traditional way, which is one of the parts that really appeals to me about it and allows it to drop nicely into Tantra.
For me, Shibari is an expression of Shatki and Shiva. In this context I’m not talking about man / women but of the expression of the Dominance / Submission energy. Shibari is about Domination and in that domination the person being tied is allowed to completely submit to the experience. One of the misconceptions people have around Domination and Submission is it is seen that the Dominant is getting their fun at the expense of the submissive. As with a lot of things in life this is the complete opposite of the truth. The Dominant is normally in service to the submissive, allowing them to enjoy a unique experience.
When I tie I try and take complete control. I am going to slowly take away someones control of their own body. I enter into a commitment to them that I will keep them safe, while they are with me nothing bad will happen to them. No one can submit unless they do feel safe, otherwise you are always worrying about yourself. This way the person being tied can surrender to the experience.
I treat Shibari as it originally was, an extension of a martial art. If you have ever watch a skilled swordsman, the sword is a extension of their body, in the same way I allow the ropes to do the same. Unlike a sword, the ropes leave a trail across the body of the person being tied. During that time the you are the only thing I am concentrating on. Slowly your movement is restricted and you are invited to surrender to the experience. Tying is not the end of the journey, there is an expansion as the ropes are then removed from your body, slowing giving you back control.
On the Shibari day I plan to introduce the basics of Shibari, safety around using ropes and hope to demonstrate how I use Shibari to give great pleasure to those being tied. Feel free to message me if you want more information.
