Being suspended is something I was always curious about, but was reluctant to try. You need someone very experienced, and with the correct equipment. And I thought I was out of luck on both fronts.
That is until I began seeing some of Dom Ellliot’s work (find his twitter here or his Bluesky here). He’s become a very accomplished rigger, with a focus on rope suspension (but he’s not exclusive to that!). And funny story… I actually know him. Pretty well. I tied him up on multiple occasions starting back in 2017, and posted about it on this very blog… look him up as Three Stripes (which is why he has three “L” in his screen name–get it?). I recently reposted my first session with him, and he had an incredibly kind response, which you can see below.
Not only that, but unbeknownst to me, my husband had been attending some online ropework classes, which he wanted to share with me… and, uh, guess who was leading them? That was pretty funny to explain to my husband that I knew exactly who that was and how I knew him, lol. You can find out a bit more about his classes and workshops (based in the Los Angeles area, but sometimes offers online classes) at his account, @CanYouKnot.
Aside from my husband, I’m very particular about who I allow to tie me up. I have to know them very well, and have repeated meetings with them. But DomEllliot fit the bill!
In any case, he and I reconnected, and while we both have busy schedules, we were finally able to meet up. I can say he is a very kind, funny, and generous person. It was great to visit with him again, as it had been a while since we had seen each other in person. After chatting a bit, I was impressed he had a book with a checklist of items I should be prepared for, if I had any body limitations, what to expect, and communication expectations. He even asked if I had asthma and if I had an inhaler with me. Honestly, it was impressive to see him so prepared.
He warned me the ropework would be very snug, and that most people find it more intense than they expect. From the moment he started to tie me, it was about 30-40 minutes to get me in the air in a couple of positions, and back down again. First I was hoisted laterally, as seen in the first pic, and then I was turned face down, as you see in the lower pics.
I’m sure the vibe of his scenes will vary from person to person, but we kept our vibe very casual. Aside from being put in intense bondage, no other sexual acts happened at all. As he worked, he explained the reasoning of certain ties, so I understood what was happening and why. I asked him many questions about the rope, other guys he’s tied, where he got some of his gear (the tripod is from Etsy!), and what his process was. Honestly, it was surprisingly educational. Despite all my experience with scenes over the years, I would never really claim myself to be an advanced rope rigger by any means. I know enough to get by, and my rope work is serviceable at best. But it’s clear that DomEllliot has done a lot of study and practice, has a lot of knowledge, and is always ready to learn more.
When I finally did come down, I was actually a bit lightheaded, which he said is not unusual. One thing I didn’t really think about in this type of suspension (hung from a single ring) is that you will spin and swing quite a bit throughout the process, which can lead to some disorientation, as you are also likely at an unusual angle as it happens. Not to mention the fact that the ropes are so snug, it can make breathing a bit strained (he is prepared for emergencies if need be, which he also made clear before we started–and why he asked about the asthma). I was feeling the after-effect for a number of hours afterward. And truth be told, towards the latter half of the experience, one of the rope knots was sort of biting and pinching into my shin, and did cause a bit of discomfort (which I told him, and I came down to the ground not too long after).
The ropemarks you see below are the signs of how snug it all was. But it was a great experience I will not forget anytime soon! And if our schedules ever align again, we both agreed it’d be great to do another tie… maybe next time a hogtie! So stay tuned… if we meet up again, I’ll be posting it here!
