Astrid AKA Desire Lines

Astrid AKA Desire Lines is a Shibari educator and practitioner. Likewise, she is the founder of Embodiment CT, which is a space for people to learn about bondage.

Astrid’s interest in Shibari began in 2015, when she went to a kink party in Cape Town. After that, she began her research about kink life. While she was doing her research, she went to a house in Tokai. There, she saw many naughty things happening, and she thought of herself doing all those things. When she completed her Master’s degree and PhD in Australia, she learned shibari, the traditional Japanese practice of bondage. Then, she came up with the idea to share her knowledge in South Africa.

Astrid began with peer to peer rope learning and sharing her skills and learning. She holds workshops and personal classes for those who are into or want to learn more about Shibari. She believes that practicing rope does not mean that practitioners are automatically into BDSM or Sex Bondage, as many assume. Moreover, she believes that althought sexual elements may be present, Shibari doesn’t necessarily has to end in sex. Shibari is surrounded by misconceptions, which she wants to clear out. Also, and she wants to transmit that Shibari is not only an erotic practice, but a meditation tool as well.

Astrid AKA Desire Lines goal is to encourage all people, no matter their colour, sexual preferences, size, capabilities or disabilities to come to her classes and learn about Shibari. She wants to share with everyone her love for rope, and use it as a sensational object rather than a restrictive object. She wants the rope community to feel and express throughout rope, and learn how to tie like if you were hugging instead of tying in a restrictive humiliation aspect.

Image: Cape Talk