What is breathplay?

This Advent we are giving away our favorite toys on the topic of self-love, including a collar from Dominflate! In return we want to introduce you to the topic of breathplay.                                                         

What does breathplay mean?

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

Asphyxiophilia is the corresponding technical term. It describes the paraphilia, i.e. the fetish for breath control for sexual arousal. This term is particularly common in psychological circles and in jurisprudence. For a long time it was a clear sign of the psychological 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 person being choked, the attraction is often physical, because a lack of oxygen creates an adrenaline and endorphin rush, comparable to a drug trip. Dizziness, rising body temperature and euphoria can be arousing, especially in combination with sexual acts.

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

How do you do this safely?

The supply of oxygen is vital for the human body. Therefore, it is important to experience breathplay as safely and consciously as possible and to avoid injuries and damage.

We have all held our breath as long as we could. At some point our body demands air and we breathe again. This is actually an introduction to testing the body's reaction.

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

If you want to try breathplay, be sure to attend a workshop beforehand, e.g. in the BDSM or BJJ area. Avoid practices that place a solid object over the mouth, nose and around the neck. In particular, plastic bags/foil, cable ties or cotton rope. Find out about medical risks and your partner's state of health. Have the emergency number ready before a session.

Breathplay is dangerous and therefore requires careful preparation.
It should only happen with consent and set clear framework 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 the game, you should agree on non-verbal means of communication such as hand signals and safety gestures to clearly signal "more", "less" or "stop". Have a phone ready for emergencies and if someone faints, place the affected person in the recovery position and monitor their breathing. If they do not come to within two minutes, call the emergency services immediately. After the session, good aftercare is important so that you can process the experience together.

Breathplay and a safeword

During breath play, the mouth is often covered, which means we have to agree on a non-verbal 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 pressed or dropped. A rubber duck is particularly suitable because it can be easily released when air is scarce.

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 a Dominflate look like?

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

We discovered this great product and manufacturer Felix at a BDSM trade fair and were immediately impressed. The collar is easy to control and takes your play to the next level. It is visually elegant and very high quality. You can let the air out with one hand via the valve.

Thanks to the high-quality strap closure and the durable buckle, Dominflate can be individually adjusted in circumference sizes between 27cm and 52cm. The collar is available in two different widths of 7cm and 5.5cm to meet individual needs. It can also be perfectly combined with other tools and is thus prepared for all misdeeds.

Legal Perspective

Last but not least, 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, the practice is considered immoral under the law. Even if both sides approve of this type of play, that does not always absolve the person performing it of all guilt. This is especially true when it comes to one of the more extreme forms of breathplay. That is why it is particularly important to act in a fully informed and safe manner.