My Shibari is Preferred Minimalistic, Organic and Mostly Floor-Based

20 Nov

My Shibari is minimal, mostly floor-based, and above all fluid and organic — every rope has a clear reason to be there, serving sensation, connection, and emotional depth rather than just a pretty pattern.

Shibari, for me, is not primarily about complex patterns or impressive suspensions. My tying is minimal, close to the floor, and focused on how rope can shape, move, and transform the body. Every strand is placed with intention, always in service of a felt experience rather than a fixed visual goal.

Since my very first workshop about a decade ago, taught by Nicolas Yoroï (one of Europe’s most experienced and respected riggers, who developed Yoroi-ryu after years of studying Shibari in Japan with a focus on minimalist, organic, and movement-based tying techniques), I have been fascinated by the simplicity of rope and the way it interacts with the body. That encounter pulled me deep into the world of minimalistic, organic, and motion-based Shibari.

How My Approach Evolved

Over the years, continuous research, practice, and exploration led me to develop my own way of expressing myself in rope, based on a few essential concepts.

The aim is always to create a particular meaning for every rope. Each rope must be in service of several intentions: shaping the body, transforming posture, or evoking a specific sensation. When each strand has a purpose, the tying naturally becomes fluid and organic, evolving with the body rather than being imposed onto it.

Every Rope Needs a Reason

In my sessions, rope is never just “added” for decoration. If I place a line, it is:

Shaping the body into a certain structure or posture
Intensifying or softening a specific sensation
Directing attention to a particular area
Supporting emotional or psychological states that arise in the process

Because of this, the tying often looks less like a fixed pattern and more like a conversation between body, rope, and moment. The structure grows step by step, responding to breath, reaction, and subtle changes in the body.

Patterns vs. Organic Tying

This approach stands in strong contrast to sessions where the rigger applies well-known patterns like a TK, Futomomo, etc., with a strong focus on tying them “correctly” and following established rules.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that way of tying. There is no absolute right or wrong here. These patterns have been developed and refined over decades; they are usually fairly safe and essential for any long and sustainable suspension session.

My personal preference simply lies elsewhere. Since my focus in a session is strongly on the feelings of my model and the sensations they experience, I prioritise the connection we build through the ropes over the technical perfection of a pattern. I put my model’s inner experience first, not the construction of an aesthetically or technically impressive shape.

Process Over Final Picture

This naturally leads to more organic, sometimes seemingly chaotic shapes on my partner’s body. From the outside, it may appear less structured or less “clean” than a textbook pattern. But the goal is not to arrive at a particular final image.

The goal is the process itself:

The intensity that every new layer of rope creates on the body
The shifts in posture, breath, and emotional state
The interplay between tension and release, control and surrender

The “art of Shibari” unfolds during the process of tying, like a wave in the ocean built up by energy — flowing and rising with our increasing intensity until it fades back into the waters.

The Subtle Elements: Breath, Balance, Time

Other essential elements in such a session are often invisible from the outside but deeply felt on the inside:

Breath – following and guiding the breathing rhythm, using it to time the next pull or wrap
Body patterns – observing how the body naturally reacts, where it holds tension, where it opens
Posture – using rope to invite certain shapes, curves, and alignments
Balance and off-balance – playing with weight shifts, stability, and controlled instability
Time and space – taking pauses, letting sensations sink in, giving moments room to expand

All of this leads to more or less intense body manipulations, not in a brutal sense but as a precise, attentive way of working with someone’s whole system — nervous system, emotions, and physical structure.

Summary

Minimalistic, organic, mostly floor-based Shibari allows me to work very closely with the body and the inner world of my partner. Instead of chasing perfect patterns or impressive suspensions, I give every rope a clear purpose: to shape, to transform, to create sensation and connection. The tying becomes a living process rather than a fixed design, guided by breath, balance, and shared presence. In that space, Shibari becomes less a display and more an evolving, intimate experience for both of us.