Erotic Orgasm Denial 101

Erotic orgasm denial is supremely hot. Though we've just been introduced to this idea, it already sounds fabulous. And it's the weekend, what better time to try new things sexually? On top of that, we just love articles by Portia Blush. Without adieu, Portia Blush, our master of female domination, is here to talk about erotic orgasm denial.

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You've heard that old adage, "Tis' better to give than to receive", right? Orgasm has long been the goalpost that most of us look forward to reaching during our sexual escapades, so much so that sometimes we lose sight of enjoying ourselves in the pleasure of the moment. When sex is goal-oriented and we become fixated in whether or not we're going to climax, it can actually lessen our pleasure, rather than heighten it. This anxiety over whether or not one is going to climax or not, or how long it's taking to reach that point, can actually inhibit the very thing we crave. But what if we took the goal away? What if suddenly there was no finish line?

What is erotic denial?

Erotic orgasm denial, or sometimes called "tease and denial" play, takes away the goal of orgasm, and helps your partner not only focus on the pleasure they are giving, but also heightens the pleasure they are receiving.

Orgasm Denial is the practice of withholding and/or denying orgasm during sexual activity in order to maintain a heightened state of arousal for an extended time. Within a D/s (dominant/submissive) bond in a BD/SM relationship, it is also used as a method of, or reinforcement of, control. For it to be most effective, a degree of familiarity with your partner is paramount; knowing the subtle (and not so subtle) cues of their stages of arousal will be needed for you to learn where their orgasmic edge lies. Intimate knowledge of your partner's sexual response will help you to know how, where, and when to vary the intensity and timing of the stimulation accurately. The amount of time orgasm is withheld varies upon many factors, just as the reasons for doing so, and can range from hours, to days, or even months! Although the word "denial" may sound controlling, please know that this type of play is consensual, and not forced. Both partners are willing and hopefully eager, participants.

The numerous degrees of orgasm denial

Orgasm Denial can include several different degrees of play. "Edging", or "tease and denial", is when you stimulate your partner almost to the point of orgasm, but then reduce or stop the stimulation just prior to climax, only to then work up to that point again, and repeat the process. This style can be done in short or long-term scenarios, as decided by between lovers. Enforced Chastity is another form of orgasm denial in which orgasm is not only controlled and denied, but other sexual stimulation as well. It can also include masturbation, in addition to partner sexual exchange. This can be done through just verbal command and acceptance, or through more extreme measures by using chastity enforcement devices.

The joys of Orgasm Denial can be experienced within the context of a D/s relationship in BD/SM play, or it can be shared between two partners who just want to enjoy experimenting with new forms of erotic sexual play. No matter what your relationship style the benefits are the same; sustained, intensified pleasure. Also, orgasm control can be shared between couples of varying gender configurations. Please know that I am writing this article from the viewpoint of a woman with primarily male lovers, so I am referring mostly here to male orgasm denial, though the characteristics of female orgasm denial are extensively similar.

Top 5 Reasons to Try Orgasm Denial

#1 Heightened Sensations

While one might think of denying orgasm as incredibly limiting to pleasure, it's actually the opposite. By withholding orgasm you force your partner to remain in a place of sustained arousal, and that arousal continues to build upon itself, instead of decreasing through the release of orgasm. When you don't allow your partner to fall over that climactic edge, the erotic energy magnifies, making even the subtlest of stimulation that much more intense than before. Your partner will experience your touch at a whole new level. Suddenly the person being denied the orgasm will rediscover kisses, touches, and other pleasures that had become routine.

#2 The Big "O" Just Got Bigger

When you deny your partner an orgasm by continually bringing them to the precipice of their edge, but never allowing them to fall over, you increase their ability to sustain that state of arousal for longer and longer periods of time. This allows the person being denied the orgasm to experience that heightened pleasure for longer periods of time, but also now is able to focus intently on the pleasure in the moment, without the pressure of progressing towards climax. After remaining in this tide of the ebb and flow of this state of intensified arousal, when they are allowed to come, the orgasmic pleasures experienced will be intensified above and beyond those felt during a typical sexual experience. Some people say that even their most pleasurable peaks were no comparison to those reached after being denied orgasm for periods of time.

#3 Increased Sexual Frequency 

Heightened sensations mean heightened enjoyment, and the longer you remain in that heightened state of arousal, the more often you want to be experiencing sexual sensations. The person is stimulated that much easier, as they are almost in a constant state of arousal because they have yet to complete the arousal cycle through orgasmic release. It can become almost a constant state of desire. And what does this mean for you? More sex! They will want to have sex more often, and you get the reap the benefits!

#4 Rediscovery of Your Partner  

Ladies, restricting his orgasms, and exercising control over whether or not he has one, and when , will have him focussed on pleasing you! When his orgasm is restricted, your lover will become more tuned in to you, and will learn how to put your pleasures before their own. It will help him relearn the exquisite pleasure of a lingering deep kiss, or a soft caress, as they no longer are markers along the way to orgasm, but now the main course to savor. Orgasm Denial teaches your partner how to derive pleasure from pleasing his partner; you!

#5 The Joy of Surrender  

Power Exchange can be incredibly erotic in itself, so what better way to enhance your intimacy then by surrendering the control of your most intimate, personal acts; orgasms. It can be highly arousing to give yourself over to another this way, and allow yourself to experience how freeing giving up control can be. When we are expected to be in charge of so much in life, surrendering the responsibility to your lover to take care of you can be not only a relief, but intoxicatingly powerful.

It's always exciting to try new experiences together, especially in the bedroom. Orgasm Denial may be that next new thing on your horizon to bring you closer together! While I understand it may not be everyone's erotic cup of tea, I encourage you to have an open mind, and consider that Orgasm Denial play may have something to offer you and your lover. As always, play safe, and most of all, have fun my fellow sexplorers!

Seeking to shatter the myth that "nice girls don't talk about sex", and somehow trying to survive her mid-30's in suburbia without large doses of vodka, Portia Blush is a saucy Sapiosexual who shares with an infectious wit and a candid vulnerability about her explorations of sex, love, intimacy, kink, the occasional obsession, and everything in between; one true story at a time.

She has over 10 years experience playing Switchy in the BD/SM scene, and has explored a myriad of relationship configurations from monogamous to poly. She holds a BFA from some hoity-toity NYC art school, and still ponders the meaning of life on a regular basis. Follow her on Twitter @erogenousblog and Facebook and of course, ErogenoUS her blog.

You have read this article bd/sm / BDSM / better sex / erotic / men / orgasm control / orgasm denial / sexual adventures / sexual exploration / Sexuality / women with the title bd/sm. You can bookmark this page URL https://lamentoeternal.blogspot.com/2012/12/erotic-orgasm-denial-101.html. Thanks!

Bondage 101: What Every Beginner Needs to Know

We think about BDSM a lot. Analyzing the psychology of BDSM. Alternatively, bringing BDSM into bed. Why submissive skills are underrated and even the BDSM contract. But today we've got some special advice from our favorite, 'Queen of Kink', Portia Blush. Portia is back for a special episode on bondage. We like to mix things up in bed, so what better way of trying something new? How about bondage? Have you tried the art of bondage before? If not, Portia Blush is back to talk about bondage basics. Go ahead--get your kink on!

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Tis the season for giving and receiving! What better way to celebrate the spirit of the season, than by learning something new that both you and your lover can enjoy together! Dominance and submission is all about giving and receiving at the core of it's sensual and sexual exploration, and bondage is one of the most popular expressions of the gift of this power exchange. Here are 5 tips for the beginning bondage enthusiast to get you started, and inspire you for hours of play to come!

#1 Safety first

Safety is paramount in any kind of bondage play. Tying someone up, or using restraints on someone, involves a fair amount of risk. Don't do anything that is above your skill level. You need to understand the safety precautions you must take, as well as the signs to check for in case your submissive needs help. If you're using rope, make sure not to tie them too tight so as to cause lack of circulation. Make sure you check in regularly with your submissive to make sure they are not losing circulation; verbally, as well as by feeling hands and feet when wrists and ankles are restrained. If you're going to be using locking restraints such as locking cuffs or handcuffs, make sure you have the correct keys nearby and at the ready.

If you're doing rope bondage, make sure you have a pair of safety scissors on hand in case you need to cut your partner out in a hurry. You as the Dominant are in charge of the care and well-being of your partner's care. And, most importantly, never under any circumstances engage in any bondage play when you are under the influence f alcohol or drugs. A glass of wine in your system is fine, a bottle is not. You need to have a clear head, and be alert at all times. In addition, never leave your partner unattended for more than 30 seconds when they are restrained. Taking a bathroom break is ok, anything longer is not. Their safety is in your hands: respect it.

#2 Know thy tools

Knowledge is the most important tool in your tool box. Before you whip out the ropes and tie your lover to the bedpost, know what you're doing. First of all, it will give you confidence, and when you're the Dominant in the situation, confidence is a major factor in being effective in a scene. It's much sexier to be tied up by a person who knows what they're doing, than by someone is is very evidently fumbling. So, if you are into rope, learn how to tie knots safely and effectively.

While as a beginner you will be fine with the standard "I can tie my shoes" knot, there are knots you can learn for quick release, as well as ways of tying rope so that the knots won't slip and inadvertently tighten, causing a lack of circulation. Same goes for any restraint done with fabric too, like scarves or neckties. If you're into to using handcuffs, know how they work, and how to apply them safely, as well as how to remove them. Leashes, collars, cuffs, rope, and spreader bars are just the beginning! Explore, read, learn, and enjoy!

#3 Be creative!

You don't need to go out and buy a bunch of uber expensive scene gear to have a good time! Hardware stores and home improvement stores are your friends! You can find all sorts of fun things to do bondage play on the cheap, and yet, just as effectively as all the pricey scene sites. Want cotton rope? Metal d-ring clamps? Wooden dowels? Pallet wrap? Home Depot is your new best friend! Wooden dowels with an eye screw screwed into each end make great spreader bars! Pallet wrap is a fun item to use to wrap your partner to something, without needing to know how to tie knots! Or, think of what you have handy at home that you can use! Silk neckties, scarves, leather belts, are all readily available and affordable! Don't have a four poster bed, or even a bed with a frame? How about using a dining room chair! Use your imagination, and have fun!

#4 All tied up with no place to go, now what?

So you have your partner restrained. Now what? Have a purpose and a plan. Even if it's a loose one about what you envision for them while they are your captive. Do you want to be the cruel captor who plans to punish and use their new found captive for their own gratification, or are you the temptress; seducing and teasing their body with every sensual tool at your disposal? The fantasy you play out will largely depend upon what you have both negotiated as what want out of the scene. Bondage is about helplessness at it's core.

You can emphasize that in any way you choose. Play with their senses. Always keep them guessing. Once they're tied up, move methodically, keep changing directions. Add a blindfold into the mix to further instill that feeling of helplessness, and also to heighten their other senses. Touch: use your hands, your fingertips, your fingernails, ice cubes, feathers, warm massage oil, or whatever else you can think of to entice and enliven the skin's senses craving for more! Play music to help set the mood, or to mask the sound of your movements as you walk on the floor around them. Don't forget the seduction of their sense of taste. Food is incredibly sensual! Have an array of bite-sized pieces of fruit, chocolates, and syrups at the ready. Explore your partner's body like the gift it is.

#5 Communication is key

Lastly, it is just as much the Dominant's responsibility to communicate as it is the submissive's. The better you communicate before and during a scene, the better the experience will be for both of you. If you don't want to be tied with your hands behind you back, let your partner know beforehand. If something is uncomfortable, or you are losing circulation, don't be worried about breaking the mood to say so.

There is nothing sexy about losing the feeling in your limbs. I guarantee you that your partner wants you to enjoy yourself, just as much as you want your partner to enjoy tying you up! Also, if your partner's body has limits to it's flexibility or movements, make sure you take those into consideration when you devise your bondage scene. While bondage is about the helplessness of restraint, and the inherent discomfort that goes along with that, discomfort that hinders or hurts someones enjoyment of the full experience, or their physical safety, is never sexy.

Have fun, play safe, and play smart! For more information on bondage, or D/s, feel free to contact Portia Blush below!

Seeking to shatter the myth that "nice girls don't talk about sex", and somehow trying to survive her mid-30's in suburbia without large doses of vodka, Portia Blush is a saucy Sapiosexual who shares with an infectious wit and a candid vulnerability about her explorations of sex, love, intimacy, kink, the occasional obsession, and everything in between; one true story at a time.

She has over 10 years experience playing Switchy in the BD/SM scene, and has explored a myriad of relationship configurations from monogamous to poly. She holds a BFA from some hoity-toity NYC art school, and still ponders the meaning of life on a regular basis. Follow her on Twitter @erogenousblog and Facebook and of course, ErogenoUS her blog.

You have read this article bd/sm / BDSM / bondage / Dominance / Portia Blush / restraint / sensory deprivation / sexual adventures / sexual exploration / submission with the title bd/sm. You can bookmark this page URL https://lamentoeternal.blogspot.com/2012/12/bondage-101-what-every-beginner-needs.html. Thanks!

Why Submissive Skills Are Underrated

We're fans of kink. From the history of kink, to the psychology of BDSM, to skills around dominance. How about being submissive? Even though it's Dick & Dildo December, that doesn't mean you gents can hone your submissive skills! Ladies, you, too! Curious about being a submissive? Clarisse Thorn offers her perspective as a "BDSM Feminist" on why submissive skills are truly underrated. Wondering if you have what it takes to be a submissive? Read on.

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I write a lot about my experiences with BDSM — that’s a 6-for-4 acronym that covers Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission, Sadism and Masochism. I have a fair amount of experience engaging in BDSM; I also have a fair amount of experience in the BDSM subculture. The subculture consists of meetup groups, educational workshops, dungeons where people practice BDSM, a set of well-reputed books and resources, Internet social networking sites, etc. The subculture also has its own norms and pitfalls.

Many BDSMers use the word “bottom” to refer to a masochist and/or submissive, and “top” to refer to a dominant and/or sadist. I am a switch, which means I feel comfortable in either the top or the bottom role. I haven’t observed every BDSM group in the world, but in my experience, one BDSM subculture pitfall is that we don’t explicitly teach very many “bottom skills”. In fact, a lot of the time, “bottom skills” aren’t even recognized as skills.

But bottom skills are totally the skillsiest skillz you can imagine. Let me start by describing my ex-boyfriend who was most in touch with his bottom side. When I met him, I was much less experienced than him at BDSM, and I was basically unaware of my top side. I think there are probably a lot more women than we think who would be up for being BDSM tops, but since cultural norms tell us that women aren’t dominant, lots of those women simply don’t recognize those feelings. My ex-boyfriend agrees, and as a result he’s specifically trained himself to surreptitiously draw out a woman’s dominant desires.

With me, he started by giving me the gift of his fear. We saw each other around the community a few times, and I guess he took note. Then one day, we were both at a BDSM meetup, and from nearby — while he was speaking to someone else — he remarked that I terrified him. He knew that I’d overhear.

I looked at him. He avoided my gaze. Eventually he worked his way around the crowd so he was actually speaking to me, and that was when he actually met my eyes and said directly to me, straightforward, in a charming and casual tone: “I’m terrified.”

Of course, this is vulnerability on a silver platter: it’s confident vulnerability. You scare me. Yet I’m still talking to you, even though I’m sure you could hurt me real bad. He was being so obvious, yet there were still so many tacit dimensions to what he was doing, and I had never quite seen anyone like him before. I was intrigued, and felt myself gain a predatory focus.

He was like that throughout our relationship. Throughout the flirting, throughout the BDSM encounters. He communicated very directly when there was a need for direct talking. But he also showed me so much of what to do. When I put my nails in certain places, he’d arch his body directly into them and groan. When I did something that was difficult for him, he’d get quieter and less responsive in an extremely obvious way while he dealt with it. He’s the only man I’ve ever seen who knew how to tip his head back for a kiss (he was also tall, so most women would have to be in very particular positions for this to work, ahem). A lot of this was instinctive, of course; many bottoms would recognize themselves in these tendencies … but he’d learned his own instinctive responses and fine-tuned them.

I want to make it clear here that I don’t want anyone to “perform” a type of sexuality that they don’t like; trust me, I know just how much a person can feel responsible for “acting out” their sexuality. I’ve been there. But that’s different from a person taking their own desires and reactions, and honing them for maximum communication power. That kind of thing takes experience and self-knowledge. Which is one of the things I value most about BDSM — the inner exploration it can enable. I just wish we taught about it better.

I definitely think the BDSM subculture is great at teaching certain topics: for example, how to perform certain activities safely. In major USA cities, there are often workshops on how to safely hit people with whips. Communication also gets a decent amount of airtime; for example, everyone in the community knows what a safeword is (indeed, a lot of people outside the community know about safewords, too). Sometimes, tops are even “judged” on their “dominant skill set”. But bottoms are usually seen as just being “along for the ride” — or are merely judged for “how far they’re willing to go”, which is even worse, because it discourages some bottoms from setting boundaries.

As a side note, here’s a pro tip on looking for tops. If you’re talking to a top who can’t stop bragging about how awesome and experienced they are, I advise you to walk away. Or perhaps I should merely say that I, personally, would walk away from that. My favorite, most respectful dominant partners have all had a hefty sense of humility and been very willing to learn — even if they were very experienced.

So why sub skillz got no respect? I think it’s partly because a lot of them are subtle and hard to see. In general, any “receptive” social role is going to get less credit in an interaction, because lots of people think that the “initiating” social role “does all the work” — but the truth is that the “initiating” social role simply does more visible work. You see this happening with mainstream gender roles, too; for example, some men complain about how women expect them to do “all the work”, like asking women out on dates. But the truth is that for any role played by one gender in the usual heterosexual mating dance, there is an opposing or matching role that takes its own kind of work. For every man who has trouble asking women out, there is a woman who has trouble appearing approachable … or who wants to ask men out but thinks that she will freak men out by doing so (and indeed, she might well be correct). Things are tough all over, baby.

Communication — any kind of communication — is not just explaining one’s desires out loud. There’s also a ton of non-verbal feedback and non-verbal reading that goes on. Everyone communicates, but because a lot of bottoms communicate primarily by responding, bottom communication is often invisible. There’s also a whole nother level of bottom communication sometimes achieved by people who are really good, which involves tacitly running the encounter from the bottom side. Like what my ex-boyfriend did in my anecdote above.

Other bottom skills have to do with bottoms monitoring their body and taking care of themselves. Some of this is physical. One thing I would absolutely love to see is a BDSM workshop on body chemistry: I’ve written about it and I try to keep an eye on how it works in my life, but I’ve literally never seen a class on the topic. My experience is that all kinds of things — from sleep to intoxicants to the quality and amount of food I’ve eaten — can drastically alter my experience of BDSM (and, for that matter, sex). But I’m not a nutritionist or a doctor, and although some things are obvious — like: it’s easier to take pain when I’ve had enough sleep — some things are not obvious at all.

And then there’s breath control. I am definitely a novice at this, but I’ve got the feeling that understanding how my breathing intersects with my pain tolerance could lead to a whole new level of BDSM. The one thing I’m sure of right now is that it’s easy to reflexively stop up my breathing when I’m in a lot of pain, or to breathe irregularly. But if I can force myself to breathe more regularly, then it gets easier. So the only advice I can offer bottoms here is for them, too, to watch their breathing and look for patterns.

Of course, taking care of oneself isn’t just physical; it’s mental and emotional too — setting boundaries and understanding oneself. It’s important for a bottom to know what they won’t do, will do … or what they want to do, but suspect will be complex and hard to deal with. In fairness, it is also important for tops to know these things about themselves, but the risks bottoms take tend to be more intense and direct than the ones tops take. Also in fairness, the BDSM community has developed some tactics for talking about this: for example, I often write about BDSM checklists, which list a huge array of BDSM activities and encourage people to rate their desire for and experience with those activities.

A lot of taking care of oneself involves a self-aware learning process. Calling a safeword is absolutely a skill, and it’s a skill that gets easier with practice; but sometimes I’m still not sure whether I actually want to safeword, and I’ve been doing BDSM fairly regularly for years. (For this reason, a lot of BDSMers use the “stoplight system”, whereby “red” means “stop definitely for real!” and “yellow” means “I’m not sure about this, but I don’t think I want to stop, so let’s slow down or switch activities”.) A lot of bottoms enter an altered state of consciousness we refer to as “subspace“; understanding how to navigate subspace is its own highly personal thing that deserves multiple stand-alone articles. Plus, I’ve learned a lot about which types of pain I like and dislike, but my tastes (like everyone’s) can and do evolve over time.

In short, processing intense sensations — and understanding where a person’s brain is at, and what they want even when they’re processing those sensations — is its own constellation of BDSM skills. Again, most relevant for bottoms, but also relevant for tops.

Originally posted at Clarisse Thorn's blog.



Clarisse Thorn is a feminist S&M writer who has lectured from Berlin to San Francisco, and written from The Guardian to Jezebel. She wrote a book about men, dating, and sex called Confessions of a Pickup Artist Chaser; she's also got a best-of collection called The S&M Feminist. She's always writing something new, so check out her list of books.

Find her on Twitter @clarissethorn and Facebook.

You have read this article bd/sm / BDSM / better sex / Clarisse Thorn / Dominance / dominant / sex educators / sexual adventures / Sexuality / submission / submissive with the title bd/sm. You can bookmark this page URL https://lamentoeternal.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-submissive-skills-are-underrated.html. Thanks!

6 Ways to Be a Powerful & Loving Dominant

You've just read Fifty Shades of Grey, or maybe your partner has, and now your curiosity about BDSM play has seriously piqued. Taking the fantasy inspired by books, and bringing it into fruition in the bedroom may seem a little daunting at first. Especially to a beginning dom/me. Here at GetLusty, we believe that some fiction can become a reality, Portia Blush at ErogenoUS gives us five key ingredients that every dom/me should remember when beginning their new adventure into the world of BDSM play.

Definition: A domme is a female dominant also known as a dominatrix. A Dom is a male dominant, though these spellings are occasionally interchanged. These are also interchanged with top and bottom.

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#1 Communication

Communication is lubrication, I always say! What better way to get the erotic juices flowing than to talk about your fantasies with each other! Communication is an extremely important part of any relationship, but even more important in the realm of BDSM play.

Whether you and your partner have been together for awhile, or are new to one another, ask your partner what their fantasies are, what new experiences they would like to try and explore, as well as what things they are not into, and do not wish to do. This will give an erotic map of sorts, and makes a fantastic starting point for exploring this new journey into kink together.

You can also fill out what is known in the community as the "play partner checklist". If you're just starting out this list can seem a bit overwhelming and scary, but it too will provide both you and your partner with a starting point for more advanced exploration, as well as a list of negotiable and hard limits. Knowledge is power!

#2 Mutual satisfaction

Domination is not simply about ordering your submissive around, and having your own desires met. It's about mutual satisfaction and fulfillment. A lot of people new to D/s exploration assume that, as the Dominant in the relationship, it's all about meeting their own fantasies and desires, when that is simply not the case.

Your submissive has fantasies and desires too, as well as needs to be met just as you have. Finding out what those are, and blending them with your own in a harmonious way, will bring a symphony of erotic pleasure and fulfillment for the both of you. D/s is a dynamic in which we exchange power, and that power flows from the bottom, up to the Top. Remember, your submissive is giving you a gift in their submission to you. Respect it, and use it wisely.

#3 An exceptional imagination

Leather pants and a flogger does not, a dominant, make! It's very easy as a new dom/me to get caught in the trappings of toys like floggers and riding crops, and forget about the mental and emotional aspects of dominance and submission. Flex your mental muscles and use your imagination. Create an aura of dominance using just the way you move, speak (or don't speak), and act.

Look to characters in books and movies to inspire you. What is it about them that makes them a good example of dominance in your eyes? For me, it was always a cross between Linda Carter as Wonder Woman and Diana, the leader of the alien invasion in the mini-series "V". Find what inspires those feelings in you, and make it your own.

#4 Ingenuity

Again, it's easy to get caught up in all of the new gear that the world of BDSM play has to offer. While nothing beats the smell of a new suede flogger, having one from the start is not a necessity. You don't need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on toys to start having a good time playing!

A little ingenuity goes a long way! That handy silicone spatula from your kitchen makes a great spanking tool, as does the flat back of a hairbrush! The aisles at your local pet store will be most useful as you choose which pretty colored nylon collar and leash to use with your new submissive. Or have fun repurposing that cat toy, the plastic wand with a feather on the end, as a caning/sensation toy on your new submissive!

One of my favorite toys is a battery operated electric fly swatter; a paddle with the added bonus of an electric “zap”! You would be surprised just what kind of toys you can come up with with just a little stretch of the imagination, and little stretch on the budget. Have fun with it!

#5 Safety - Physical and Emotional

Safety is an important part of good play. Remember, one of your most important roles as a Dominant is caretaker of your submissive. Make sure you know what you're doing, and be prepared in case of an emergency.

 A pair of EMT sheers is great, and I think a must, to have in your play bag. They will cut through rope, leather, or clothing in a hurry, without risking cutting your submissive in the process. It's better to lose that expensive leather than it is to lose, or endanger, the life of your submissive. If you get a new toy and are unsure how it may feel, the best way to find out is to test it on yourself first. This way you not only know how it feels, but what the effect would be with varied application, or on various areas of the body.

Also, remember that beyond the physical aspect, you are also in care of your submissive’s emotional well-being, too. Designate a safe word; a word that when spoken, will mean that all play must cease immediately. A safe word should not be words like "no" or "stop", as these are sometimes fun to say in scene play. Instead, it should be something that is totally unrelated and wouldn't be something that you would unconsciously utter in the course of play, like "banana" or "trumpet".

#6 Remember aftercare

Lastly remember that it takes a lot of vulnerability, emotionally as well as physically, to submit to another, so respect that your submissive will need some "after care" beyond the scene itself.

The adrenaline and endorphins heightened during a scene often cause drastic changes in mood afterwards. This is sometimes refereed to as "Sub Drop". Be aware of this, and make sure to check in with your partner even a day or so after the scene has ended to make sure they are feeling emotionally secure.

With these tips in mind, you are well on your way to some exciting and delicious D/s play. Remember, in this age of readily available instant information research is your friend. Learn as much as you can, to be the best that you can. Have fun, and play safe!

Seeking to shatter the myth that "nice girls don't talk about sex", and somehow trying to survive her mid-30's in suburbia without large doses of vodka, Portia Blush is a saucy Sapiosexual who shares with an infectious wit and a candid vulnerability about her explorations of sex, love, intimacy, kink, the occasional obsession, and everything in between; one true story at a time.

She has over 10 years experience playing Switchy in the BD/SM scene, and has explored a myriad of relationship configurations from monogamous to poly. She holds a BFA from some hoity-toity NYC art school, and still ponders the meaning of life on a regular basis. Follow her on twitter @erogenousblog and Facebook and of course, ErogenoUS her blog.

You have read this article 50 Shades of Grey / advice / bd/sm / D/s / Dominance / Portia Blush with the title bd/sm. You can bookmark this page URL https://lamentoeternal.blogspot.com/2012/12/6-ways-to-be-powerful-loving-dominant.html. Thanks!

The Psychology of BDSM

What's BDSM all about? Where does it come from? Maybe you are confused as to why people engage in such activities or don't get why people do it. Sure, Fifty Shades of Grey put a face to the acronym. But BDSM been existed way before Christian Grey was flogging Anastasia Steele. Even though the book "normalizes" what used to be an unconventional sexual practice, many are still confused as to why people do it, or if they are even normal — whatever that means.

Clarisse Thorn, a pro-BDSM, sex positive writer is here to dive into the historical and psychological aspect of BDSM. It is about time we educated ourselves on BDSM and see why it's really just a fabulous sexual outlet for couples, vanilla or kinky.

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BDSM is a 6-for-4 deal of an acronym: Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission, Sadism and Masochism. It's sometimes referred to as S&M, B&D, leather, or fetish. As an S&M writer and educator, I get lots of questions about the psychology of S&M. People ask whether it's a disorder, how psychologists would describe it, etc. I'm an advocate, not a psychologist, but I've read up on the history and done my best to keep tabs on current research.

First things first: S&M is not a pathology, and all people who practice S&M are not "damaged" in some way. There aren't many S&M studies, but in 2008, this conclusion was supported by a large and well-designed survey that reached 20,000 people. The survey was done by public health researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia, and it found that S&Mers "were no more likely [than non-S&Mers] to have been coerced into sexual activity and were not significantly more likely to be unhappy or anxious." Another recent study found that consensual S&M usually increases intimacy for a couple.

I'd like to note briefly that people have told me about using consensual, intimate, trusting S&M activities in order to work through previous non-consensual, abusive experiences that they'd had. There's nothing wrong with that. Indeed, the psychologist Peggy Kleinplatz once published a scholarly article called "Learning From Extraordinary Lovers: Lessons From The Edge," which discusses how therapists can help their clients by studying alternative sexualities. Kleinplatz included a case study of a couple whose S&M experiences helped them process and deal with past abuse.

Still, as the 2008 Australia survey shows us, most people don't practice S&M because they've been abused or because they're unhappy. People who practice S&M have the same record of unhappiness and abusive history as non-S&M people. Yet S&M was first described as a disorder in 1886, when a doctor named Richard Krafft-Ebing published the manual Psychopathia Sexualis. This landmark tome hauled many sexual practices into the light, then attempted to categorize them. Of course, the doctor's ideas hewed close to contemporary mainstream ideas of what was acceptable, and so he thought that basically everything was a disorder -- including, for example, homosexuality.

It's interesting to imagine what our mental health paradigm might be if Psychopathia Sexualis had never existed. It had a huge influence on psychiatry. Later, the psychiatric establishment began publishing a text called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. The DSM doesn't specialize in sexuality, but it includes quite a lot of it. The first edition of the DSM came out in 1952; it's currently undergoing its fifth revision, and the proposed new language can be found at the DSM-5 website.

Like Psychopathia Sexualis, the original DSM called homosexuality a disorder. This changed in 1973, partly in response to gay activists. But subsequent versions of the DSM are still criticized for many reasons. Our cultural diagnoses of mental illness are shaped by lots of people with very different motives, and truth is hard to find. A 2010 New Yorker article by Louis Menand outlined many critiques of the DSM, such as the allegation that today's psychiatry "is creating ever more expansive criteria for mental illness that end up labelling as sick people who are just different." Naturally, the medical establishment has an incentive to do this, since it makes money selling treatments for illness, and more illness means more treatment.

S&M is currently in the DSM (heh, you see what I did there?). My understanding, however, is that S&M occupies a strange space within the much-edited manual. S&M is no longer listed as all-disorder-all-the-time, though it once was. But if a person has an urge towards S&M, and that person feels unhappy about it, then it is classified as a disorder. In other words, an S&Mer is labeled "healthy" if she's happy about S&M, and "unhealthy" if she's unhappy about it.

Actually, this is basically the spot that homosexuality occupied for a while. And the reason homosexuality was taken out is the same reason S&M should be taken out: because a person who wants a completely consensual type of sexuality, and who is unhappy about it, is probably better off working to change the unhappiness rather than the sexuality. Like homosexuality, S&M is stigmatized and misunderstood. A person who is stigmatized and misunderstood is likely to be unhappy, but that doesn't mean there's something wrong with her.

Within the S&M community, we have ways of working around this problem. Some people are campaigning to change the DSM directly. Others are more indirect. Years ago, the activist Race Bannon made a handwritten list of doctors and lawyers who were S&M-friendly, and began passing it around to his friends. Names were quickly added to Bannon's list, and when the Internet became popular, the list migrated online. Now, the Kink Aware Professionals list is enormous and includes profession categories from accounting to web design -- not just doctors. When I was going through my own complicated and difficult S&M coming-out process, I was lucky enough to find the list. My S&M-friendly therapist talked me through my anxiety and socially-created disgust, rather than diagnosing me with a spurious "disorder."

There's a great organization called the Community-Academic Consortium of Research on Alternative Sexualities; one of their projects is an annual conference to sensitize psychologists and therapists to the needs of alternative sexuality communities. In my home city of Chicago, there's a project based at DePaul University that seeks to change the representation of S&M in human sexuality textbooks. The Kink Representation Outreach Project involves talking to different S&Mers about their actual experience (what an idea!) and getting their recommendations about how these texts might better represent S&M. And finally, if you want some idea of the sparse and scattershot research that's been done on S&M, the blog Kink Research Overviews is a good place to start.

Within the S&M community, there's some talk of S&M as its own "sexual orientation." I have mixed feelings about this, and I've written about those mixed feelings. I think it can sometimes be helpful, but I'd rather move to a paradigm where we encourage people to see any consensual sexual act as awesome, rather than talking like "orientation" is what legitimizes sexuality. Nothing legitimizes sex except consent.

Originally posted at Clarisse Thorn's blog found here.



 Clarisse Thorn is a feminist S&M writer who has lectured from Berlin to San Francisco, and written from The Guardian to Jezebel. She wrote a book about men, dating, and sex called Confessions of a Pickup Artist Chaser; she's also got a best-of collection called The S&M Feminist. She's always writing something new, so check out her list of books.

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Why I'm Not (Yet) Out Of The Closet About S&M

At GetLusty, we're all about communication and telling your spouse your true feelings. This holiday season, some of you might choose to come out to your families in one way or another, too. Think: introducing them a new spouse or pet?

We make choices everyday on what our friends, family and co-workers know about us. In this article, Clarisse Thorn, the S&M feminist, addresses the pros and cons of coming out in the 'real' world. She may not reveal her secret identity yet, but she does discuss what conditions she requires to come out. Though National Coming Out Day has come and past, talking to family or friends (maybe even co-workers) about your innermost sexual secrets can be complicated or near impossible. For more on what Clarisse is thinking about, read on!

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Today was National Coming Out Day. I cried when I saw Milk and I think outness can be an important political act, but I’m not coming out - not yet.

In 2008, I decided to take all my theories about S&M — and all my confused feelings — and use them for sex-related activism. I started Sex+++, my sex-positive film series in Chicago, which was an unexpectedly huge success. I volunteered at the Leather Archives, the world’s only S&M museum. I also began writing this blog. Soon, I was getting speaking engagements. Then I started publishing articles in big outlets. Always under the name, Clarisse Thorn.

I had several reasons for writing under a pseudonym:

#1 Employment

I thought I might want to explore a career path at a conservative company. In fact, I spent the first two years of my Clarisse-Thorn-time working for bosses who would not have been okay with the fact that I’m a decently well-known S&M writer.

The social climate now is somewhat liberal — it’s mostly okay to be gay, for example, or at least it’s more okay than it has been for hundreds of years. But S&M is something else. Less than ten years ago, a prominent U.N. employee named Jack McGeorge was publicly attacked in the media because he was an S&Mer. And while you might think times have changed, a sex blogger who called herself The Beautiful Kind (real name Kendra Holliday) lost her job in 2010 when her boss found out.

BDSM -and sexuality in general- is still very stigmatized. People who write openly and personally about sex are taking huge risks with their employability.

#2 Friends

I’m lucky because my parents are both very analytical, liberal thinkers; they’re deeply interested in gender politics, and they think my work is awesome. However, there are other people in my social network who would not be cool with Clarisse Thorn. For example, one of my closest friends comes from a hardcore religious family. I like her family. I’ve been to their house for Christmas. They’ve told me that I’m “a good influence” on their daughter, although they understand that I’m pretty liberal. But if they knew I was kinky, God only knows how they’d react.

Another example: a former boss of mine is very, very conservative. In fact, he’s a Tea Party member. This boss has always been incredibly kind and generous to me; I visit him occasionally even though I don’t work for him anymore, and he’s told me that he thinks of me like a daughter. Would he “disown” me if he knew about Clarisse Thorn? I don’t know.

Some people who work in sexuality say: “Well, I wouldn’t want to work for someone who can’t accept me as I am,” or “I wouldn’t want to be close to someone who wouldn’t be okay with my sexuality.” Maybe that’s true for them. But people are complicated, the world is a nuanced place, and I’ve drawn a lot of comfort and joy from these relationships, even if I disagree with those folks in some ways.

#3  Kids and marriage

I hope to have kids at some point. In U.S. culture, the most efficient way to go about that is usually to get married. I don’t want a potential husband to be in a position where people will assume he’s perverted just because he’s marrying me; if he wants to be out, then that’s fine, but I don’t want outness to be a precondition. I don’t want to risk his employment along with my own. If I’m going to meet a fiancé’s family, I’d rather they had the opportunity to get to know me as a person before they Google me and discover this. I mean, I’ve dated men whose families would have had trouble adjusting to the relationship because I was white. Imagine if they knew that I was a pervert.

And my poor potential kids! I mentioned Kendra Holliday earlier; her son has definitely caught some flak at school. I’m pretty sure the famous S&M writer Janet Hardy stayed in the closet, writing under the name Catherine Liszt, until her children were grown — I seem to recall seeing something she wrote where she described kids as “hostages to social stigma,” although I can’t find it now. (Update: Janet did stay in the closet until her kids were grown, but she doesn’t recall saying anything about hostages.)

#4 Personal Privacy

There are other reasons for being closeted. I am, in fact, nervous about having everyone in the world know details about my sex life (even though my writing is fairly vague, emotional, and political compared to most sex writing). Personal safety worries me, too.

There is something shadowy and romantic about having a “secret identity” — and as a dedicated child of the Internet since 1996, when anonymity was the norm, I always liked playing identity games. But this is more inconvenient and stressful than romantic. I mean, earlier this year I spoke at the biggest news media conference in the world. Imagine attending a four-day social media convention while preventing yourself from being photographed or identified. It was intense.

I like being able to shed the CT persona if I have to, although this writing has become so integral to me that it’s kind of difficult relating to people who don’t understand this aspect of me. On the other hand, the last three times I went to Wicker Park, I ran into people who know me only as Clarisse Thorn. And there have been many opportunities cross-pollinated among my various lives. People who know mostly my “real” self have given many leads to Clarisse, and vice versa.

I made a list a few years ago, of factors that I’d want to have in place before I came out of the closet:

#1 Either massive wealth (ha!) or a career trajectory that makes me certain I won’t ever need a job where CT’s existence is a drawback.

#2 Married to someone who doesn’t mind, with kids who are all grown up.

#3 Social changes such that there’s massively decreased social stigma around sexuality, especially S&M.

#4 Some factor that tips the balance towards making it worth coming out of the closet: i.e., some opportunity that I can’t take unless I come out, which I would be a fool to turn down.

#5 The development of Clarisse Thorn as a “legitimate” public intellectual.

I have put so very much energy into maintaining my privacy. But it has always chafed, too. I’m writing this now, because I’m really close to coming out. S&M has become way more culturally okay in the last five years. Clarisse Thorn has written for major media outlets and lectured at important cultural institutions, and an opportunity has come my way that I would be a fool to turn down.

I find myself on the brink of a decision that has been in the back of my mind for years. I’m hesitant. My cautious freelancer side tells me that I want some serious money in my hand before I make any big decisions. My list is incomplete. I’m not married. I don’t have kids yet. In this economy it’s impossible to be certain of anything, career-wise.

I’m thinking of making coming out into a game. It appeals to my geeky soul. Offering some kind of prize to a person who identifies me, as long as they document their Internet Detective procedures; this would be a great lesson of why long-term pseudonymity is impossible in the Information Age. I’d love to see how different people go about it!

I’m not there yet, though. I’m close. I’m so close. It will most likely happen soon, but I’m not quite there. I’m uncertain and scared and once I make this decision, I can never take it back. I’m waiting to see if a couple of things pan out.

Cross-posted with permission from Clarisse Thorn's blog.

Clarisse Thorn is a feminist S&M writer who has lectured from Berlin to San Francisco, and written from The Guardian to Jezebel. She wrote a book about men, dating, and sex called Confessions of a Pickup Artist Chaser; she's also got a best-of collection called The S&M Feminist. She's always writing something new, so check out her list of books.

Find her on Twitter @clarissethorn and Facebook.

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Do 'Vanilla' and 'Kinky' Sex Crossover?

We have used the terms "vanilla" and "kink" a lot around here. But, why should we be so exclusive? Plenty of people out there could fall into both categories and not even know it! Sunny Megatron, sex educator and sex expert, wants to rid us of those two words because we all have a little vanilla and a little kink in us. Its not fair to corner yourself to only one side. We written extensively on BDSM, and Sunny Megatron is our sex educator extraordinaire, so read on!
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When it comes to vanillas and kinksters there’s a real “us” and “them” attitude. It’s like the Sharks and the Jets (Yes, I’m showing my age . . . and my love for musicals. Quiet, or I’ll dance fight your ass). If you’re one, you can’t be the other. You should never let it be known you occasionally associate with the opposing side, right? Look how badly that turned out for Tony and Maria. It’s also assumed if you’re on one side, you think the other is less than worthy. Breaking it down to basic stereotypes, vanillas think kinksters are scary and weird. Kinksters think vanillas are unadventurous and boring.

I can’t tell you how many times a self identified vanilla has asked me, “How do I tell my partner I want some new things in bed? I’ve never told them I like some light spanks and nibbles— even a hand on the throat sometimes. I’d love for them to take charge a bit more and be more demanding. I also really enjoy role-playing. But don’t think I’m into, like, *makes the face* BDSM or anything. All that crazy stuff is just too freaky for me!”

Clothing

I’m not sure what most people think BDSM is? Sawing people in half while wearing all leather? Let’s examine a few “other side” observations about BDSM: The Outfits Practicing BDSM does not require special clothing. Yes, I’ve heard people say, “How silly would I look practicing S&M!? No one wants to see my muffin-top popping through a latex catsuit!” Or “I wouldn’t mind taking charge a little bit, it could be fun— but there’s no way I’d even try kink because of those outlandish get-ups they wear!”

You can be naked, in work clothes, lingerie, jeans and a sassy sweater, a baseball uniform, a space suit– whatever you like! The clothes in no way define the action. Yes, the leather and whips are what we see in porn, magazines and on TV— that’s because it’s flashy (and hot to spank it to). It’s also a stereotype. Nope, I don’t want to see my muffin-top in a catsuit either and I can’t walk in heels to save my life– but I still practice BDSM. I often do it in the ratty old nightgown I got from Old Navy.

BDSM acronym explained 

The Acronym BDSM stands for Bondage & Discipline/Dominance & Submission/Sadism & Masochism. It can be one or more of these things but for many it’s rarely all. Sometimes do you like your lover to take charge, pin you up against the wall and give you direction? That’s dominance and submission.

Do you like to give your partner a smack on the ass or hold them a bit tightly? What about a little bite or nibble? Have you ever left a little mark that’s visible the next day? Sadism! If you like receiving, that’s masochism.

Do you enjoy restraining your lover? Pinning their hands behind their back or above their head? Perhaps tying their wrists or ankles together with a scarf or tie? Bondage!

If you have done any of these things, you are practicing elements of BDSM without even realizing it.

Also, kinky people do not necessarily like every kind of freaky activity under the sun (most don’t). Just because you enjoy being tied up every once and a while does not mean you also have to like pain and vice versa. If you are into the BD but not the SM you are still technically considered a practitioner of BDSM. It’s a common misconception that people have to be into the B, the D, the S and the M to be considered kinky.

The gear 

Many assume you need to have: expensive floggers, whips, ball gags and a saw-a-person-in-half machine to effectively practice BDSM. Have you ever used a scarf or tie to blindfold a partner? Yes? Then you’ve engaged in sensory deprivation on a dime!

Use that same scarf or tie to restrain their hands or feet— we’re back to bondage again. What about that French maid costume from three Halloweens ago you got out that one night to surprise your partner just for kicks? Sexual roleplay! You can even grab some clothes pins out of the laundry room for impromptu nipple clamps. While you’re in the laundry room, grab the clothes line rope too— it’s great for restraint. Even something as simple as a wooden kitchen spoon makes a wonderful paddle.

Whether you’ve used these items in a vanilla setting “once just for fun” or intended to use them for sinister and mysterious (that’s sarcastic) BDSM, you’ve discovered pervertables! Pervertables are common household items repurposed as sexy/kinky accessories. With pervertables you can get your kink on for little to no money. Many of us, vanilla and kinky alike, have used pervertables (think cucumbers or that phallic shaped shampoo bottle that was popular in the 90s. Uh huh. You know you did).

The only piece of gear you must have to practice kink is your mind. They always say the greatest (vanilla) sexual organ is the brain— the same goes for kinky sex. All you really need is your imagination and creativity.

Public play

“BDSM sounds sort of interesting but I just can’t do it. I can’t have sex in front of people or go to kinky parties! Also, I’m in a happy monogamous relationship, I can’t do that with other people—EW! That is just NOT my thing!” Yes, some kinksters do go to parties, play publicly and play with multiple partners even if they are in a committed primary relationship. Those folks are only a small piece of the pie, however.

 There are scores of people who identify as kinky but only share that with their partners. They don’t belong to internet groups, go to parties or shout it from the rooftops. We’re not sure how many of those are out there but I’m willing to bet it’s quite a few. Then add to that the people who are kinky who don’t realize they are (the “I’m into hair pulling, spanking and I occasionally like to go in the bathtub and pee on my partner but I’m not into any of that freaky BDSM stuff or anything” types). See where I’m going with this?

Public players are usually very dedicated to their sexy hobby. They also aren’t afraid to tell everyone about it. These folks have blogs dedicated to kink, join BDSM social groups and websites, they are even the people writing the BDSM books. Just because the public kinksters have the loudest mouths, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are an accurate representation of the entire kinky pie.

Think of public kinksters as the crisscross patterned golden crust everyone sees on the surface of the pie— but what about the hidden sweet filling?

Private BDSM players

Much of that pie filling is comprised of private players. These are your neighbors who like to get their freak on alone in their bedroom once a month when the kids are away on a Cub Scout sleepover. It’s your roommate who told you one night after a few beers they prefer lovers who are rough, commanding and pull on their hair. It might even be you. Many of these pie filling people don’t even realize they are kinky! But how could that be? How can someone not know they are practicing BDSM? Well, namely because there really is no “US and THEM,” a least not in a clear-cut sense. When it comes to vanilla vs. kink activities there’s a huge crossover. Break it down like this, for instance . . .

Are you vanilla or kink?

Vanilla acts = regular intercourse, oral sex, kissing, light touching, giggling, etc.

Kinky acts = spanking, retraining, biting/nibbling, telling someone what to do/doing as told, pain (hair pulling, squeezing, pinching, etc), role-playing, using toys, etc.

Most of us, self identified kinky or vanilla, engage in activities from both categories during play. I’m kinky but I still engage in intercourse, oral sex and pretty much everything from the vanilla list. I can guarantee a large percentage of the vanilla folks dig some of the stuff on the kinky list also.

When it comes to sexual/intimate activities we can’t agree on what is kinky or vanilla. To some, sex toys are kinky but to others, they are commonplace. On which list would you put anal sex? 69? Cumming on someone’s face? Tickling? Calling your partner a “good little whore”? Pinching nipples very hard? It’s all subjective.

The writing of this blog post was inspired by the mental image of a Venn diagram that popped into my head randomly a few nights ago. I’ve drawn it out for you. Forgive me for using Microsoft Paint. Part of my brain still lives in 1997.

On the vanilla side we can include basic activities like kissing, snuggling and missionary position sex with the lights out. The kink side would clearly include some of the more extreme things such as play piercing/blood play, scat and perhaps clown sex.

But again, this is all subjective. I can’t really put electric play in the Kink category because housewives of middle America are currently loving the Jopen Intensity vibrator/kegel exerciser. That toy is marketed to the mainstream but operates based on the same principles as a TENS unit (usually associated with BDSM). These vanilla ladies are receiving the exact same sensation as they would from an insertable BDSM electric device but they’d never guess!

Stop "us" versus "them" 

So what’s the point? Simply, stop playing “Us and Them.” Pointing the finger at others prevents us from experimenting, growing and discovering what we enjoy sexually. It ultimately keeps us from being happy.

If I’m into BDSM and I feel like having a slow, tender, vanilla lovemaking session I should be able to tell my partner I want that without fearing they’ll think I’ve lost my edge. If I’m vanilla and have been longing for my lover yank me by the hair and give my ass a good smack, I should be able to ask for that without being afraid they’ll think I’m a weirdo. It’s not about living up to your self proclaimed label, it’s about doing what feels right.

Homework

Your task: ask your lover to try out that thing you’ve been thinking about but we’re too afraid to bring up for fear they’d think it was out of character for you. You might find it’s easier than you imagined to delve into some of those things you always thought would remain just a fantasy.

Originally posted at Sunny Megatron's blog.

Sunny Megatron is a pleasure advocate, adult sex educator, sex blogger, sexpert, and unintentional superhero. Sunny not only hosts Red Light District Sex Tours for Weird Chicago Tours, she also teaches classes such as: Networking for Kinky People, BDSM 101, and Junk for Your Junk: Sex Toys 101. She is passionate about sex positivity, sex exploration and sex education/safety. The female orgasm is one of Sunny's favorite topics and she has helped hundreds of women have their very first G-spot orgasm.  

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Lee Harrington on Relationships, Sex & Sexuality

Lee Harrington is a prolific writer, speaker, author, artist and BDSM expert and overall, an internationally renowned traveling sex educator. We followed Lee through the social media grapevine and of course we had to pry.

Why did you become a sex educator? What have you learned that you can share with us? He dished. And then some. Check out some of what we chatted about. Lee is a character and has some really interesting perspectives on sexuality.

What we talked about:

• Why Lee's experience in the adult film industry led to work as a sexual educator and prolific writer (of 20+ books)
• Where the inspiration for Lee's books comes from? Many sources, including the evolution and understanding of his own sexuality!
• Why being transparent about his own journey, has led many participants, readers and observers open up about their own evolutions and struggles.
• What are some of the prevalent relationship struggles Lee sees with the couples he works with? One struggle, he says, is when people have certain sex and relationship expectations based on cultural myths. Why? There's shame from deviating away from these cultural expectations.
• Having problems (sexual or emotional) in your relationship? Lee recommends couples choose a safe space, outside of the bedroom, as a neutral ground where they can share their feelings with each other and discuss deep-seeded issues.
• What is Lee looking forward to? He's doing a "whistle stop tour" across multiple cities with classes and workshops on alternative lifestyle and kink communities. More than anything, he's excited about seeing where the adventure takes him.                                                                     

More about Lee:
Lee Harrington is an internationally known spiritual and erotic educator, gender explorer, eclectic artist and award-winning author and editor on human sexuality and sacred experience. He is a nice guy with a disarmingly down to earth approach to the fact that we are each beautifully complex ecosystems, and we deserve to examine the human experience from that lens. 

Lee’s been traveling the globe (from Seattle to Sydney, Berlin to Boston), teaching and talking about sexuality, psychology, faith, desire and more, and has no intention to stop any time soon. He has been an academic and an adult film performer, a world class sexual adventurer, an outspoken philosopher, is a kink/bondage expert, and has been blogging about sex and spirituality since 1998. Read more about Lee's ventures at PassionAndSoul.com, connect with him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter @PassionAndSoul. 

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