The Medicine Of BDSM.

When I started exploring BDSM I was young and delighted by the sexiness, mystery, and badassery of playing with sensation and power. Over the years since those initial dabblings, my relationship with BDSM has occupied many realms. Currently I feel quite discerning and careful about this kind of play for myself. I’ve deepened into a space of more fully feeling how sacred and powerful this kind of erotic journey is. Through BDSM I access a depth of awareness of how I exist in this world.  A deepened ability to feel my skin, my nervous system, my trauma, my biologic, chemical, spiritual, and psychic composition. I  expand capacity to feel and understand power and oppression in somewhat shuddering ways. This makes BDSM a powerful healing tool for myself, and, one to be handled with care. I very much feel that BDSM is a part of my soul’s apothecary, and a key resource in my wisdom journey.

Along my path I have been blessed to have learnt with and from many wise players, educators, artisans, and sex workers. And, I am now delighted to accidentally find myself occupying all of these roles for others. I am teaching a workshop on somatic trauma informed BDSM practices soon - one I’ve developed for the University of Victoria. I’m reflecting with appreciation on the winding path of my journey, and how I will be teaching much different content to the students at this workshop than what I was learning as a university student. Seeing and feeling the cultural advancement of social justice, intersectionality, and trauma informed care is a delight as I build out my offering for this workshop.

I won’t be able to weave all that I want to into this workshop, however, I feel absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to emphasize the importance of following your own body wisdom when exploring BDSM. To tune into the somatic conversation happening within in these potent experiences of power and eros. That there is a reason behind whatever your desires, preferences, and limits are being felt. And those feelings are important and needed parts of your journey with BDSM.