What is shibari?

Shibari is the art of tying and being tied, a practice with many stories in its background.

Japan and the birth of shibari

Traditional Shibari draws inspiration from Japaneese methods of warefare including ropes made of intricate, as well as beautiful, patterns for restriction and torture. Springing from a play of domination and sexualisation in the 1960s Japan, the art form has in modern times grown into an exploration of somatic, kinky, emotional, sexual and creative curiosity of a more diverse manner. During the last decade a new approach has been born focusing on the deep meditative and pleasurable experience of surrender and the energetic work of holding space. This is what I call Sensual Shibari.

The concept of beauty and accuracy has a deeply rooted place in Japanese culture, and tying objects for both practicalities and beauty has been a well used artform since ancient times in Japan. The fact that the ropes used in warfare still had beauty as a fundamental part of the technique can start to describe the cultures relationship to aesthetics. There are also findings of ropes being included for Kamasutra from Japanese Buddhism, showing the deeper relationship to the ropes that might not be understood by foreigners.

During the 1960s these violent scenes inspired underground cultures of performance art, exploring erotic art and performance with rope. It was mainly a sadomasochistic play exploring tabus and the emotional state of vulnerability. The earlier torture ties that was designed to inflict pain and immobility to foes were redesigned to secure the safety of the model as well as enhance the beauty of the body.

Shibari later spread to other parts of the world leading to new genres, as western rope bondage with clear inspiration from Shibari.

My sensual approach

Sensuality is the art of fully experiencing the world through our senses. It’s the gentle brush of a fingertip, the whisper of silk, the aroma of a blooming flower, and the taste of ripe fruit. Sensuality invites us to slow down and savor each moment. It is a dance between the body and soul, celebrating the richness of being alive and opening us to profound, exquisite experiences.

For me the ropes are a chosen tool among many possible to create a framework to explore intimacy, creativity and personal growth through the senses.

A framework...

The ropes for me is a framework where sensation and intimacy lives. A frame work that open up the gates to pleasure and connection, and where I can add all ingredients that I am curious to investigate. Anything from love, lust, and meditation to empowerment, kink and sexuality. The investigations can be as broad as life.

The ropes provides a powerful and unique possibility to step into the roles of leading and surrendering.
These roles becomes a way for us to explore attraction, excitement, lust and personal growth.

With consciousness we can choose to enter a role that either challenges or relaxes us. It gives us the chance to ask ourselves in which direction we want to expand. What qualities we want to cultivate. The polarities of the roles that can be found in the art of tying and being tied gives us the chance to step into each and every part of ourselves, if we are willing to be curious of them.

... Guiding us through personal growth ...

Through the ropes we meet ourselves. Our bright sides and our shadow sides. Our longings and fears. As a coming therapist this approach is entangled in my own curiosity of ropes and teaching. Many times it is a necessity to work with our own blocks, fears and challenges to be able to experience the beauty that made us attracted to the idea of Shibari in the first place.

Maybe we long for intimacy, strength or depth, and find that there is work within ourselves that needs to be done to access those experiences. Therefore personal growth and how we can take small steps closer to dropping our fear is always a part of my way of teaching. This means that rope technique in all its glory will not be the main ingredient, but instead how to use this framework to explore intimacy with ourselves and others.

... And into intimacy

Intimacy to me occurs when we dare to be open and honest in a meeting, when we let eachother close and stay in truth. This can take on endless shapes, moods and ways of relating. Laughter, nervosity, love, presence. It can happen on a physical, emotional, intellectual, sexual and/or spiritual plane. The “truth” is the component that I believe really creates intimacy, and it demands a great deal of self awareness and motivation. Many times it is quite difficult to admit the truth of what is actually present in the moment, since that is not always what we expected or longed for.

But without it there is no real intimacy. This intimacy will be our common aim to explore, learning what we want and need in order to experience intimacy with another person. How we can create it within ourselves and in togetherness. Dropping the expectations of how it should look and meet in what is.

In this sense the ropes are merely our tool, and what a powerful tool…

What others have experienced

" It was amazing! I loved the teachings and felt so safe in the space Molly created. Definitely 5/5 stars! "

"I felt that I reached the depth of my unconsciousness through Shibari with Molly. I got comfortable with my own sensuality, which have helped me outside of shibari in general. I never would’ve thought that shibari could carry my mind so far beyond the sensuality of just that moment. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget, and thank you for helping me achieving it."

" Through Molly's guidance, I felt like I could relax into the process of tying without getting caught up in my head, something that always seems to happen. "

" For me, the whole experience was transformational. I learned that I actually love to be the one tying as much as I love to be tied, quite astonishing as I have previously despised holding any dominant position. "

"Molly creates a space where I feel welcomed and can explore my sensuality and subtleness. She also challenge me to step in and take the lead when I tie and to allow myself to feel and fully express what I am experiencing when I'm being tied. Each time I visit the space it surprises me, it's rich and expansive."

"Molly is absolutely brilliant at creating a safe, inclusive, exploratory, and playful environment. She is pedagogical and has the perfect balance between teaching technique and focusing on what is truly important - the connection."

"Molly has the ability to be both an excellent guide for beginners as well as deeply inspiring, skilled at conveying a sense of safety and knowledgeable calm"

"The tempo was so well balanced, giving space to explore, learning both about technique and how to really have a deep experience."