Bondage is a form of sex play in which one person restrains another for sexual pleasure. There are also people who practice self-bondage during masturbation. As the B in the acronym, bondage is commonly practiced in the BDSM community. However, many couples who identify as
vanilla can also enjoy experimenting with sexual bondage.
Physical bondage can involve anything from handcuffs, blindfolds and basic restraints, to
ropes,
gags, sex furniture, and even cages. Household items like neckties and pantyhose can also be used as bondage aids.
In most bondage activities, a dominant partner (often called the "
rigger") restrains a submissive partner (sometimes called a "
bunny") using one or more of these devices. They may fasten body parts, such as ankles or wrists, together. They may also fasten the submissive’s body to ordinary household furniture or sex furniture. The fastenings may be purely functional or aesthetically pleasing, as with the
Japanese rope art of kinbaku.They may use a single restraint or many, as with
mummification and sensory deprivation. Some dominants like to restrain their partners and use them as
human furniture.
Safety is an important consideration when playing with bondage. Restraints should be
secure without being too tight, especially around joints, the neck, and major arteries. As a rule, you should be able to slide one or two fingers between the skin and restraint or harness. Having a pair of safety shears (that cut through tough materials but are blunted at the ends so you don't accidentally stab anyone) on hand is imperative.
Some couples prefer psychological bondage, where the dominant orders the submissive to stay still or hold a position. Keen to obey the dominant, the submissive doesn’t need any physical restraints to do as they are instructed. Many dominants give their submissives a collar to remind them of their obligation to submit, even when they are not physically restrained.
The process of applying bondage restraints can be very arousing for the partners. Once the submissive is fully restrained, the dominant may tease them with toys or their hands, have oral or penetrative sex with them, or use them in any way that they see fit according to what has been agreed upon.