Why I Created Tantric-Shibari Workshops for Intimate Partners
Tantric-Shibari workshops did not start as a “concept” on paper. They grew naturally out of my own rope journey and from watching what people actually need when they come into the studio: rest from their thinking mind, a safe container to explore desire, and a way to feel each other more deeply.
First of all, I believe that Shibari is a powerful tool, serving different needs in a very effective and immediate way. Needs such as our longing for deep relaxation and getting out of our thinking mind, especially when living in a big and fast-paced city like Berlin.
Shibari can create a framework for intimate play with power dynamics, exploring your own body and emotions in a playful but also potentially deep setting. Practiced regularly – alone through self-tying, together with the same partner, or within a romantic relationship – it offers countless opportunities to discover new sides of yourself and your partner while deepening the practice.
That is why it is so much more than just another hobby you “do together”, like dancing, yoga, or any other sport. Of course, you can treat it like that if you want: staying more on the surface, practising knots, frictions, and patterns with each other. But the real power of Shibari lies in its ability to go much deeper on an emotional and physical level. Through ropes, you might even explore new parts of your sexuality, your desires, your boundaries, and your capacity to trust.
My wish with these workshops is to bring more people in touch with Shibari – to open the door for them, give them the opportunity to get a glimpse of this practice, and then find out for themselves if they want to go further or not.
Showing the “why” before the “how”
From the beginning, my intention was to create an immediate experience for people who come into my workshops. I wanted them to feel the depth Shibari has to offer, instead of spending four hours only learning knots and frictions.
If someone enjoys the overall experience – the atmosphere, the connection, the sensuality, the feeling of being held – they are usually much more motivated to later learn the technical topics: effective rope handling, patterns, body manipulation, safety. But first, it is about showing them the why.
Why do we tie at all?
Why do we want to be seen, held, or dominated in this way?
Why partners, and why Tantric rituals?
I realised that to go deep quickly, you have to connect with the person you are practising with. The more you know each other, the more honest you can be, and the easier it becomes to drop into a deep experience – especially in an intense four-hour workshop.
Working with existing intimate partners creates a base of familiarity and trust we can build on. We are not starting from zero; we are refining and expanding what is already there between you.
Adding Tantric connection rituals supports this process. They help you slow down, look at each other, breathe together, and tune into the subtle field that arises when two people give each other full attention. These rituals are not about “performing tantra” – they are simple, grounded tools to create the intimacy needed between partners so that the rope can actually do its work.
When we enter this Tantric-Shibari ritual, we look for…
When we enter this Tantric-Shibari ritual, we are not just tying bodies – we are shaping an energetic field between two people. We look for:
Presence – arriving fully in the space, leaving phones, to-do lists, and thoughts that are not serving the “here and now” at the door.
Consent and clarity – understanding what each of you is open for today, what is a “yes”, what is a “maybe”, and what is clearly a “no”.
Polarity – allowing one person to lead and one to surrender, or to play with these roles more fluidly, always with respect and care.
Breath and slowness – letting the breath guide the rhythm, making space for sensations to unfold instead of rushing through them.
Embodiment – feeling the rope not just on the skin, but in the nervous system: how it grounds you, excites you, holds you, or challenges you.
As the ritual unfolds, the room often becomes very quiet. There may be soft sounds, deep exhales, a tear, a laugh, a smile of recognition. For some couples it feels like a moving meditation, for others like a slow, erotic dance. For many, it is the first time they experience such a focused, undistracted, and embodied intimacy together.
How it feels inside the workshop
The feeling inside a Tantric-Shibari workshop is usually a mix of curiosity, tenderness, and intensity.
If you are the one tying, you might feel a new sense of responsibility and power – not as control over someone, but as service to them. You learn to read their body, adjust pressure and pace, and hold space emotionally.
If you are the one being tied, you may feel vulnerable, exposed, deeply cared for, or deliciously challenged. It can be confronting to let go of control, but also incredibly liberating.
There is often a moment when time becomes soft: the outside world disappears, and all that exists is the person in front of you and your shared connection and experience. This is where the practice becomes more than “doing Shibari”. It turns into an intimate language of two people evolving in "being” with themself and each other.
What you take with you after such a workshop
After a Tantric-Shibari workshop, you go home with more than a few new knots:
A shared experience – a strong memory that belongs only to the two of you, something you have lived together in a conscious, sensual way.
A new intimacy reference – you now know how it feels when you both slow down, connect, and play with power and surrender in a safe and intentional container.
Practical tools – simple rituals, communication tools, and rope basics you can repeat and adapt at home, whether you tie every week or only on special occasions.
Inspiration – for some, it opens the door to a deeper rope journey; for others, it simply becomes a beautiful way of spending quality time together.
Ultimately, my hope is that you leave the studio a little softer, a little braver, and more connected – not only to your partner, but also to yourself.
Summary
Tantric-Shibari workshops for intimate partners exist because Shibari, for me, is not just about technique or aesthetics. It is a powerful, immediate tool to drop out of the head and into the body, to explore intimacy, polarity, and trust in a structured and playful way.
By combining rope with Tantric connection rituals, we create a space where couples can go deep quite fast – safely and intentionally. You are invited to feel, to connect and to discover a play with polarity, presents and trust, all along a few well-placed ropes.
More about our Tantric-Shibari workshops; a guided intimacy experience for couples:
All details about our upcoming Tantric-Shibari workshops and tickets:
Dorcara tied by Dan Carabas in 2025
