| Safety Manual by Catherine Gross |
| It’s important to make sure that you are giving your body enough air to deal with potentially stressful activity. When your body is under stress, breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth will significantly increase your ability to deal with pain, your stamina, and feeling focused. Airating your blood and muscles will help your body and keep you clear minded as well. Using breathing as a point of focus is also extremely helpful. It can have a calming effect and allow you to focus precisely on your body. This, for some, is an invaluable technique for settling into their scene. Breathing can also be a primary component of attaining spiritual play for many. It can be connective between a top and a bottom if you |
| Generally, breathing is something we don’t think about. It’s simply something we do. In scene, one should be aware of breathing and pay special attention to the rhythm, rate and depth of your bottoms intake of air. Breathing well is pivotal to the success of any scene. A bottom should breathe evenly and take full deep breathes. If your bottom is breathing faster than thirty- six intakes per minutes, you need to stop and evaluate the situation. Perhaps simply a break or slowing down is in order. Make sure you don’t begin heavy play again until their breathing has slowed and is more even. Hyperventilating is not a good addition to any scene. Should this occur place their head between their legs and have the person breathe into a bag. |
| get into the same rhythm of breathing. Eye contact during a breathing exercise will also aid the situation. If someone has asthma, it is definitely a piece of information you wish to have prior to scene. With asthma it’s recommended that their inhaler is close at hand at all times. Ask them what the best methods of treatment are beforehand as they may not be able to tell you when they are having difficulty breathing later. With someone who has asthma one should be aware of certain types of play. For instance, use of alcohol on the skin could be inhaled and cause an attack. Use of smoke (fire play, cigar or cigarette play) can also incite an attack. Ask your partner as they are the expert regarding their condition. |
| Breathing: Asthma, Muscles and Spirituality |
| Party Etiquette & Helpful Hints |
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| Sometimes we all find ourselves in awkward situations if we aren’t entirely familiar with party etiquette. If you keep in mind a few basic concepts, these situations may be easily avoided. A simple apology will also generally be enough to extricate yourself from an awkward situation as well. Apologies are for tops and bottoms alike. Do not touch anyone else’s toy bag or toys that are hanging for a scene. It’s good form to ask for permission first regardless of whether you are a top or a bottom. Do not touch a bottom or submissive who is in a collar without permission from their top. Some people feel it’s fine if the collar does not have a lock on it, however, I would suggest asking to clear any doubt. Do not assume by someone’s looks how they wish to be addressed. Ask them. If you see a scene that makes you uneasy, you may simply walk away. Interrupting a scene is not good form. You always have the option of asking the DM if what is going on is ok. Always remember that a top needs “whip space”. This is the surrounding space that it will take to throw a whip or flogger. Walking behind a top and into a top’s whip space can interrupt the scene or you could get hit. Do not speak or laugh loudly near an on-going scene. It can interrupt the players, disturb their concentration or may feel intrusive. It is generally good form to give each scene at least six feet of space. On occasion this is not always possible due to space limitations. Do your best. If you’re new and don’t know too many people, a wonderful way to get to know more people is to ask your hosts if there is anything you can do to help. Most people are pretty approachable. If a top did something in a scene that interested you and you’d like to find out more about that activity, most tops, or bottoms for that matter, would be open to talking to you about what they did. A compliment goes a long way to starting a conversation. Please and thank you go a long way! Use those phrases often. After a scene has ended, give the players some time to wind down before approaching them. Always ask your host/hostess if they need any help with clean up or set up, this is very good form and not practiced nearly enough by many of us! |
