Rope and Restraint

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The human eye is drawn to the triangle, the thing that is out of place, the imbalance in life. Asymmetrical bondage is not just aesthetically pleasing, but a sexually and sensually pleasing practice that puts us out of balance, reminding us where balance really is important. We will address key ways to bring asymmetry into our scenes and working with asymmetrical body forms. We will dance between lop-sided bindings to being forced to balance on one leg, punishment forms to scenes that have an asymmetrical flow to their structure. Bring at least one 25+ foot piece of rope for hands on opportunities during part of the class, though limited supplies will be available to borrow.

Rope bondage. Shibari. Kinbaku. When many people think of erotic restraint, images of intense pornography often come to mind. This is only one small sliver of what ropework can be used for. In this class we will explore how this powerful tool can create amazing art on the canvases of our lovers bodies, or be used for transformative rituals of intimacy and healing. This simple concept of wrapping lines around a beloved (or ourselves) can tap into the power of our sensuality, mindfulness, passion, and delight. It can also challenge us into cathartic ordeals and emotional transformation. Bring your curiosity and open up to the possibilities this often misunderstood tool can hold.

Rope bondage effects how we breathe – from the constriction of rope corsets and chest harnesses to positional asphyxia. But how we breathe also has the power to affect how we do bondage; chest breathing vs. belly breathing, intentional breathing for connection, and more. We will look into how breath moves through the body, how bondage positions effect how we breathe, then work to see how ties effect breath before diving into styles of breathing, breath training for bondage bottoms (and riggers too), and connecting through breath in our ties.

Spontaneous ties created from a converted tee shirt. Full encasement fetish scenes using just three pairs of pantyhose. Turning your boots into bondage mitts for human puppies. Let’s examine why we want to use clothing as bondage, from take down scenes to object fetishism, then look at how to convert a variety of clothes into tools of bondage delight. Learn how to make blindfolds, hoods, gags, arm sleeves, mitts, strait jackets, wrist cuffs, sex-assisting devices, mummy bags, strap-on harnesses, water torture devices, and so much more out of what we likely already have in our closets! Please bring a pair of underwear (or take them off in class), socks, a destroyable tee shirt, and a pair of disposable pantyhose if you want to play along.

Rope can be a wonderful tool for spicing up your sex life, and in today’s class we will learn to apply crotch ropes for a variety of shapes and layouts of bodies. Join the author of “Shibari You Can Use: Japanese Rope Bondage and Erotic Macramé” as we then convert them into hand holds for penetrative sex, craft artfully done butt bondage, and finally learn to create our own strap-on harnesses out of rope. Bring one or two 25-30 foot pieces of rope, and a dildo if you have one, and come play along (whether you are doing self-bondage, are with a partner, or just want to watch).

Rope can ground us into the earth, or have us breathe consciously into the air. Restraint can help us swim through the waves of our heart, or kindle passion from the fire within. In this class, we will be playing with the concepts of earth (strength and grounding), air (breath and communication), water (emotions and flow), and fire (passion and speed). Using exercises involving rope, we will explore how we connect to bondage, and how we connect to each other, through the notion of Intention + Attention = Magic. No experience with rope bondage or spiritual exploration necessary. Please bring a piece (or two) of rope for hands-on exploration (limited supplies available).

When many people think of erotic restraint, images of intense pornography often come to mind. This is only one small sliver of what ropework can be used for. In this presentation we will explore how this powerful tool can create amazing art on the canvases of our lovers’ bodies or be used for transformative rituals of intimacy and healing. The simple concept of wrapping lines around a beloved (or ourselves) can tap into the power of our sensuality, mindfulness, passion, and delight. It can also challenge us into cathartic ordeals, emotional transformation, and connections with the divine. Let us dance between the worlds in transcendent scenes and bound bliss. Bring your curiosity and open up to the possibilities this often misunderstood tool can hold.

Spontaneous ties created from a converted tee shirt. Full encasement fetish scenes for just a few dollars using three pairs of pantyhose. Turning your boots into bondage mitts for human puppies. Let’s examine the whys of using clothing as bondage, from take down scenes to object fetishism, then look at how to convert a variety of clothes into tools of bondage delight. Learn how to make blindfolds, hoods, gags, arm sleeves, mitts, strait jackets, wrist cuffs, sex-assisting devices, mummy bags, strap-on harnesses, water torture devices, and so much more out of what we likely already have in our closets! Please bring a pair of underwear (or take them off in class), socks, a destroyable tee shirt and pair of disposable pantyhose if you want to play along!

Imagine the human body as your canvas, and rope as your paints… let’s create art! From body harnesses to creative chest restraint, rope corsets to beautifully applied crotch ropes and rump bindings, we’ll look into some ways to turn yourself or your partner into a sight to be seen. We will also look at ways to accent and add decorative details to other forms of rope bondage. Bring at least two pieces of rope, 25+ foot in length, for hands-on exploration, though limited supplies will be available to borrow from the instructor.

So many images of people in restraint feature a specific aesthetic of model, especially in suspension bondage. In this class, we will look at the realities of the wide variety of physical forms that we want to get up into the air – including OURS! People of size, men, differently abled individuals… let’s look out how we can modify ties and think creatively to have suspension work for us. We will look at why we want to do suspension bondage, how we can use our partner’s forms in combination with rope, and explore together for excellence. If you are already familiar with suspension bondage, feel free to bring along your gear, as well as your experiences and ideas, to experiment together.

Have you found that your chest bondage feminizes the fellows you are with? Did you find it frustrating that most ties assume that women are "innies" and all boys are "outies"? Do you prefer to play with androgyny or masculinity in your kink, rather than the hyper-emphasized femininity in many of the bondage instructional books? Then this class is for you. We'll explore ties (and ways to modify bondage techniques we encounter) that can help us or our partner(s) feel seen as whatever gender we experience ourselves to be. Bring two or more pieces of rope, 25-30ft in length, for hands-on play and learning.

We look out into the world through our eyes, listen to it with our ears, breathe in every breath through our nose and mouth, and communicate our desires with smiles, sparkling looks and verbal conversation. It is understandable why for many people, facial bondage is an invasion of personal space, an intimate form of play, and a hot way to get someone’s attention. We will begin with making rope gags, tying hair bondage, and creating quick face ropes, but by the end of the class you will even be able to construct a complex head cage! Don't let length of hair, extensions, or weaves hold you back though - we will share ideas on how to make this type of play accessible to everyone. Bring one piece of 2-4mm rope (nylon, parachute cord, hemp – whatever works for you), 25+ feet in length for the head cage, as well as a 20-30 ft piece of 6mm line for gags and face ties. Limited supplies will be available to borrow from the instructor.

We look out into the world through our eyes, listen to it with our ears, breathe in every breath through our nose and mouth, and communicate our desires with smiles, sparkling looks and verbal conversation. It is understandable why for many people, facial bondage is an invasion of personal space, an intimate form of play, and a hot way to get someone’s attention. We will begin with making rope gags, tying hair bondage, and creating woven head harnesses, but by the end of the class you will even be able to construct a complex head cage! Bring a 20-25 foot piece of 2-4mm line (nylon, parachute cord, hemp – whatever works for you) for the head cage, plus a single piece of 6mm line for gags.

You have come to me to submit yourself to my will, and I will use my wicked mind and simple ties to bind your spirit to mind, my desires to yours. Have you always longed to say those words, but aren’t sure how to use your rope bondage skills (or don’t have any) to create dynamic tension in your Dominant/Submissive relationship dynamics? Whether you are looking to explore D/s in your ropework for the first time, or are passionate about power exchange but hoping to explore some beginning rope, this class will give you a chance to examine and sample rope and power from all sides of the play using conversation, demonstration and hands-on exercises.

Some of us don’t have partners. Some of us are in relationships with folks who can’t tie their shoes, or are bottoms themselves. Some of us like tying ourselves up, or masturbating while bound. Whatever your reason, you are NOT alone. Let’s explore our desires, safety techniques for self-riggers, discuss tools of the trade, then plunge into how to do a wide variety of self-bondage using rope (but we’ll mention the other options too). From putting a crotch rope on yourself to building coil and cinch hogties, we’ll explore what the human body really can do to itself with rope (and depending on time we may even peek at self-suspension and tying formal a takate kote on ourselves which both take a bit of magic). Please bring three pieces of 25-30 foot rope (6mm is my preferred width) and one piece of 10-15 foot rope as well (material is of your choice). If you have any of your own favorite equipment for self-bondage, please bring it as well for show-and-tell. This is a hands on class (though non-interactive learners or supporters are welcome), so wear comfortable clothes and bring an attitude of fun and learning.

Rope bondage is a wonderful tool for spicing up your sex life – from binding legs open for access to the loins to turning a bed into somewhere a lover relax and give into their desires. We will learn how to make simple restraints for spread-eagle poses or binding lovers to chairs, as well as exploring ways to bind limb to limb, body to body, crotch ropes (and how to convert them into pieces that can be fucked through), and more. Let’s explore and think creatively about techniques for adding bondage to your style of sensuality and sex. Bring at least one 25-30 foot piece of rope, and a dildo if you have one, for rated R hands-on play, though limited supplies will be available to borrow from the instructor.

Some of us don’t want to invest hundreds of dollars on tack, or don’t like leather. Maybe you are traveling and don’t have room for all of your gear in your carry-on. Using just a few pieces of rope we will make body harnesses, leg wraps, tails and even complex head cages together. Bring two 25-30 foot pieces of rope and one 25-30 foot piece of parachute cord to play along!

Rope has the power to be used as a diverse energetic, spiritual, and magical tool. By hearing the stories and experiences of others in the community and throughout history, you can design your own ways of applying this amazing tool in your life. Ordeal path workings using torture tie techniques. Artwork woven on our lovers’ bodies for healing and sensuality. Hand-made rope collars for intentional acts of submission. Transformational rites using rope for rites of passage or deity invocation. Bondage positions for yoga, trance workings, and divination. Listen, learn, and be inspired, no matter your path or experience level.

Ever tire of hauling around tons of toys? Ever consider just grabbing a piece or two of rope, and calling that your toybag? Now you can. From leashes to improvised whips, nooses and garrotes to gags to blindfolds, instant vibrator to genital torture device, rope has so many more possibilities to be used in a scene. Bring one 15-30 foot piece of rope for playing along. It’s time to learn some new tricks for an old friend, your favorite piece of rope!

Who says rope bondage takes ages to tie? In this intermediate level class, we plunge into a variety of techniques, from quick hair bondage to Texas handcuff harnesses, speed wrist cuffs to hojojutsu ties. We will also look at how to make our movements more efficient for speed and beauty of movement. Students need to come with a working knowledge of how to tie a square knot (reef knot) and have an understanding of how rope feels in their hands, plus show up in comfortable clothing that is easy to move in. Two lengths of rope, 15 foot and 30 foot in length is sufficient to do all of the work in this class, though some rope will be available on hand for folks without any of their own.

When it comes to bondage, when was the last time you listened to your masturbations, desires and inner erotic voice? Does suspension get you all riled up, or are you just doing it because everyone else is? We will look at our fantasies and see how we have applied these fantasies and evolving desires to what we are doing nowadays. This frank discussion/guided experience will bring up taboos, fantasies and passions FIRST, then discuss what paths and styles of bondage people may want to explore to get the most out of what they actually want to make happen in the flesh.

Think that kinky play is too complicated, or costs way too much? With a single piece of rope, you can have a whole bundle of fun, sensual and kinky things. From leashes to improvised whips, erotic restraint to playing dress up, gags to blindfolds, rope has so many more possibilities to be used in an erotic scenario. Come learn some new tricks from Lee Harrington, the author of “Shibari You Can Use: Japanese Rope Bondage and Erotic Macramé.” Whether this is your first tie, or you’ve ridden this rodeo before, add some spice while exploring in a playful and sensual way.

You have come to me to submit yourself to my will, and I will use my wicked mind and simple ties to bind your spirit to mind, my desires to yours. Have you always longed to say those words, but aren’t sure how to use your rope bondage skills (or don’t have any) to create dynamic tension in your Dominant/Submissive relationship dynamics? Whether you are looking to explore D/s in your ropework for the first time, or are passionate about power exchange but hoping to explore some beginning rope, this intensive will give you a chance to explore and sample rope and power through body positions, movement, hands-on exercises, conversation, and demonstration.

Attendees will need to bring:

o Comfortable clothes

o Four pieces of 25-30 foot of rope (hemp, jute, cotton, mfp, nylon, polyester, silk, bamboo and other materials are valid choices. If you do not have rope, feel free to contact the event organizers to borrow some)

o Extra rope (shorter or longer) (optional)

o Emergency cutting tool

o Padding to sit on or tie on (yoga matts, pillows, blankets, etc.) (optional)

o Refillable water bottle (optional)

8 hour intensive

How many of us have felt the longing to fly? To take off from the ground, and return again? Whether we are shapeshifters or sensualists, rope enthusiasts or magi who want to use aerial rope skills as a tool for ceremonies, suspension is an incredibly powerful tool. In this intensive, we will learn basic physiology of suspension, examine why we are called to do this work, and then learn how to make this magic happen ourselves. Chest harnesses, hip harnesses, one column ties, drop lines, mechanical advantage, and attachment techniques will be taught. By the end of this intensive, you will learn at least two different poses of suspension, with the basic skills for applying the concepts to many other ideas. If time allows, we will also look into moving between poses midair and employing alternative harness forms.

Students will need a minimum of five 25-30 foot pieces of rope and two 15 foot pieces of rope, all of which should be load-worthy. Students will also need either a suspension ring, four climbing carabiners, or some other metal load-bearing gear. Knowing how to tie a square knot, half-hitch, and lark's head are required, but no bondage or suspension experience is necessary. By the end of this course, every rope artist will have had an opportunity to get their partner, or themselves, up in the air.

Though focusing on the technical aspects of how to move bodies in partial and full suspension, it will also dive into how we can apply suspension for our purposes, from magic to meditation, ordeals to deity work. Let your rope be a prayer, your lines be a spell, and the work we do together create potential for us all.

Let’s get our hands on some rope, and develop our own voice as artists and sensual pleasure enthusiasts! We’ll start our day learning the concepts of erotic exploration with rope and desire as our tools, from simple restraints to beautiful combined Japanese style poses that combine chest harnesses and visually pleasing two-column restraints. Then we’ll have an opportunity to imagine the human body as our canvas, and rope as our paints. We will learn how to create decorative body harnesses, rope corsets, crotch ropes and rump bindings, and finally learn how to make our own strap-ons out of rope that fit perfect every time. With just four pieces of 25-30 foot pieces of rope (and a dildo if you want to make your own strap-on, but more rope is always nice), we will be able to create a wide variety of ties, from Gyaku Ebi (chest-based hogtie) to Kikkou Karada (tortoise shell body harness)… and everything in-between. We will get to the core of rope bondage in just one day – talking about our desires, the WHY of why we tie, physical and emotional safety, types of materials to play with, and of course, the basic three and a half knots you need to know to do hundreds of different rope ties. We will also explore partial suspension concepts and talk about the way to find your own style as a rope artist.

Attendees will need to bring:

o Comfortable clothes o Four pieces of 25-30 foot of rope (hemp, jute, cotton, mfp, nylon, polyester, silk, bamboo and other materials are valid choices. If you do not have rope, feel free to contact the event organizers to borrow some)

o Extra rope (shorter or longer) (optional) o Emergency cutting tool

o Padding to sit on or tie on (yoga matts, pillows, blankets, etc.) (optional)

o Refillable water bottle (optional)

Using a series of Japanese style techniques, we’ll look at how to get your play partner up into the air or forced onto one toe. In this one-day intermediate to advanced level intensive for students who understand the basics of one and two column ties, basic knots and some understanding of body mechanics, we will look first into the whys of partial and full suspension bondage, then start throwing rope around ourselves. Students will need a minimum of five 25-30 foot and two 15 foot load-worthy pieces of rope and either a suspension ring, four climbing carabineers, or some other metal load-bearing gear. From creating drop points and creating mechanical advantage in lifting to creating under and over-arm chest harnesses, swiss seat climbing harnesses, drum ties for inversions, concepts for flipping our partners between poses, and using a multitude of other tie styles, by the end of this course every rigger will have had an opportunity to get their partner, or themselves, up in the air. Though focusing on the technical aspects of how to move bodies in partial and full suspension, this class will also heavily look into the bio-mechanics of suspension, the whys of doing suspension (from fucking or meditation to torture or trust) to best be able to use this camp of advanced ropework for what you really want it for.

Attendees will need to bring:

o Comfortable clothes o 6-8 pieces of 25-30 foot of rope (hemp, jute, hempex, and other low-stretch ropes, or MFP and Nylon can be worked with using modifications) o Extra rope (shorter or longer) (optional)

o Emergency cutting tool

o A suspension ring and ropes for attachment, 4-6 carabiners, suspension plate and 3-4 carabiners, or other aerial attachment combination of tools o Padding to sit on or tie on (yoga matts, pillows, blankets, etc.) (optional)

o Refillable water bottle (optional)

With ropes in hand and dancing across our flesh, we can each feel it if we close our eyes. Our partner’s breath flows out, and we breathe it in. They struggle, we hold the line. In this full-day intensive, let us experiment with ways to build our mindfulness and passion alike within our rope bondage. With touch and sensuality, rhythm and objectification, let’s feel our way into different ties from both sides of the line. Dominance and submission are one form of power exchange we will tap into in our floor work, as well as giving and receiving, topping and bottoming, and artist to canvas. Beyond the binaries we will find the ways that we each let our juice flow, all while learning a variety of ties and practicing those we already know. This intimate one-day course is limited to 10 couples/triads. Bring your toy bag, your spirit, your curiosity and your power, expanding your own ropes entwined.

Attendees will need to bring:

o Comfortable clothes

o Four pieces of 25-30 foot of rope (hemp, jute, cotton, mfp, nylon, polyester, silk, bamboo and other materials are valid choices. If you do not have rope, feel free to contact the event organizers to borrow some)

o Extra rope (shorter or longer) (optional)

o Emergency cutting tool o Padding to sit on or tie on (yoga matts, pillows, blankets, etc.) (optional)

o Refillable water bottle (optional)