Breath Play in BDSM: Discover the excitement

This Advent, we're giving away our favorite self-love toys, including a collar from Dominflate ! We'd like to introduce you to breathplay.                                                         

What does breathplay mean?

Breathplay or breath control is the English word for breath control.
It's about taking, reducing, and controlling a person's breathing. This can involve breathing less, more intensely, or not breathing at all. This is usually done by a top on the bottom, but can also be part of masturbation or self-love. You can enjoy the feeling of losing control, as well as the physical reaction of euphoria and anxiety.

Asphyxiophilia is the associated medical term. It describes the paraphilia, a fetish for breath control for sexual arousal. This term is particularly common in mental health circles and in legal practice. For a long time, it was considered a clear sign of the mental illness. of sadomasochism .

What is the appeal of breathplay?

For the dominant person, the attraction lies in controlling something essential like breathing—a feeling of power and trust. For the strangled partner, the attraction is often physical, as the lack of oxygen creates a rush of adrenaline and endorphins comparable to a drug trip. Dizziness, rising body temperature, and the euphoria can be arousing, especially when combined with sexual activity.

After releasing breath control, many find the gagging, crying, and coughing liberating. The strong power imbalance reinforces the feeling of submission and bondage to the dominant person. This intense experience is often rounded off by shared breathing after the session, which deepens the moment of connection.

How do you do this safely?

Oxygen supply is vital for the human body. Therefore, it's important to experience breathplay as safely and consciously as possible to avoid injury and damage.

We've all held our breath for as long as we could. At some point, our body demands air, and we breathe again. This is actually a starting point for testing the body's response.

Important: Never perform breath reduction alone – the risk of injury or death is enormous. Especially in autoerotic asphyxiation, there is no control mechanism, which is extremely dangerous.

If you want to try breathplay, be sure to attend a workshop beforehand, such as one in BDSM or martial arts. Avoid practices that involve placing a solid object over the mouth, nose, or around the neck, especially plastic bags/wrap, cable ties, or cotton rope. Inform yourself about medical risks and your partner's health. Have the emergency number ready before a session.

Safeword – Breathe safely

Breathplay is dangerous and therefore requires careful preparation.
It should only happen with consent , and set clear conditions. Choose safe techniques and define your expectations, such as the desired feeling, the duration, and the context in which breath control is appropriate for you. Since the mouth is often covered during play, you should agree on nonverbal communication methods such as hand signals and safety gestures to clearly signal "more," "less," or "stop." Keep a phone handy in case of emergency, and if someone faints, place the affected person in the recovery position and monitor their breathing. If they don't come to within two minutes, call emergency services immediately. Good aftercare is important after the session so that you can process the experience together.

Breathplay and safeword: how does it work?

During breath play, the mouth is often covered, which means we need to agree on a nonverbal safe word . Here are some ideas. For example, safety gestures.

There are various security gestures:

Tapping : Two or more light blows with the hand or leg against the controlling person.

Sounds or objects : A bell, rubber duck, or dog toy that is squeezed or dropped. A rubber duck is particularly suitable because it can be easily released when air is scared.

Body contact or arm extension: Loss of body contact or the lowering of an outstretched arm signals stop, especially when gripping from behind.

What can breathplay with Dominflate look like?

Dominflate is a synthetic leather collar that can be inflated with millimeter precision using a hand pump, restricting breathing. It remains dimensionally stable and can be controlled by yourself or by someone else.

We have seen this great product and manufacturer Felix at a BDSM Fair and were immediately impressed. The collar is easy to control and takes your play to the next level. It's visually elegant and of very high quality. You can release the air with one hand via the valve.

Thanks to the high-quality strap closure and durable buckle, Dominflate is individually adjustable in sizes between 27 cm and 52 cm. The collar is available in two different widths, 7 cm and 5.5 cm, to meet individual needs. It can also be perfectly combined with other tools, ensuring you're prepared for any mischief.

Legal perspective

Finally, there's the legal perspective: such dangerous practices bring BDSM and German law into conflict. If breathplay leads to permanent damage or death in the worst case scenario, the practice is considered immoral under the law. Even if both parties approve of this practice, this doesn't always absolve the person performing it of all blame. This is especially true when it comes to one of the more extreme forms of breathplay. Therefore, it's especially important to act fully informed and safely.