In this blog, Vanessa from Hawaii discussed "Vanilla Bondage" for beginners. 

Why would anyone want to try bondage?

Maybe you've wound up here by accident or maybe you're cautiously meandering the internet to learn more about the different worlds within human sexuality. When some people are considering bondage, they might be wondering what would compel a person to be into that.

Thanks to inaccurate portrayals in media, the thought of BDSM (the 'B' stands for 'bondage') sometimes conjures up images of being forced to commit unpleasant things that you don't want to do. But those images couldn't be further from the truth.

So, what is the real appeal? According to a survey in the UK's Daily Mail, 80% of women and 90% of men are excited by the domination and submission Grey theme. Forty-three percent said they were now more likely to use handcuffs in sexual role play and 47% wanted to experiment with blindfolds and other bondage gear.

Arden Leigh, author, and director of training at New York's most renowned house of professional domination explores the psychological themes at play with bondage in an interview with Karina Velasco. And she does it with a radiant charm.

"One of the reasons that bondage is so great is that by limiting your mobility, you free up parts of your mind because you're not thinking about "well what should I be doing next?" she says. "When you're tied up by your partner you literally have no choice but to surrender. I mean, everyone always has a choice. You can always opt out. But if that's the scene that you're doing, you just surrender and you can just be. And there's this quietude in that. There's this peace in it that's really lovely."

It can be especially appealing for someone who shoulders many responsibilities and wants to release their need for being in control.  

What's it all about? 

A big part of BDSM is consent and safety. Establish a safe word that will let your partner know if you are in any way uncomfortable physically or emotionally. The word can be used by either the person being bonded or the person doing the bonding.

Since the person in bondage, or the submissive, will be feeling heightened sensations now that you've taken one of their senses away, experiment by teasing their sensitive erogenous zones with various things.

This can include feathers, ice cubes, hot wax or silk scarves. Discuss what you're open to trying before engaging in the act, ideally. The goal is to explore and experiment safely and comfortably while achieving new sensations and levels of intensity. The dominant's goal for playful bondage is to arouse greater heights of pleasure through teasing, tickling, licking and sucking their submissive.

Fortunately, Sportsheets has a very versatile collection of toys and tools for those looking to experiment with vanilla bondage, in their Restraint Play section. Happy bonding, double-entendre intended.     

So What Does Vanilla Bondage Entail?

Vanilla Bondage is playful experimentation that is pleasurable for both, where you reach new levels of excitement and arouse sensations not felt before. Remember - it's always consensual.  No need for fear as there are different types of bondage. 

Begin slowly with a Blindfold.  When we take away one sense, the other senses peak and you will be transported to a whole new level of intensity.  What is your partner doing? Are they in the room? Did they just put ice on my... ummmmmmm? 

Next a feather, flogger, tickler to enhance the sensations running through your partner's body. Try a pair of Beginner Handcuffs to limit some movement, or, if you want to limit even more movement, use the original Sportsheets Under The Bed Restraint Kit, you can make any bed your fantasy playground. And any Under the Bed Restraint Kit travels well and sets up in minutes. While doing my research, I discovered that The Sportsheet was the first product ever made by Sportsheets.

As you progress, the rope can be especially exciting because there are so many possibilities. If you learned how to tie different knots in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts I bet you never imagined it might come in handy for your sex life. But rope bondage isn't for rookies. For beginners looking to experiment you will want to start out with simple and easy restraints or soft handcuffs.  

I love that with Sportsheets you're only as tied up as you want to be.