Blog Archives
First Amateur Bondage group meet – Oct 3
Our first beginners bondage group meet was a huge success. A lot of people came to learn about bondage, share with others, and refine some of those knots we couldn’t quite remember how to tie.
Many of us had attended one or more of the bondage workshops offered at the ALCC-CCVA and learned a few rope ties that we were doing. All of us had forgotten one or more of the steps to getting it right but interestingly, we all remembered a different part and combined, we were able to remember the whole process and finish the tie perfectly! It was fantastic watching someone get to a stand-still and another jump in to carry us to the next part lol.
I had hoped more people would bring step-by-step instructions or ROPE at the very least, so we didn’t quite have enough for everyone to practice with. While we have some we can share, please do not depend on this for the next group. It is very important for everyone to bring something to contribute. I’d like to see more books and photos to help us learn more.
Thank you to all those who attended, laughed, had fun with us, and to the wonderful people who allowed me to practice rope bondage on them. Since Moonchild Kitty was not there, I didn’t have the chance to fulfill my challenge of tying her so she can’t escape. However, hindsight, I’m REALLY glad I didn’t have to do it that day because my serious eff0rts to practice my technique on Kasandra resulted in a 30 second escape and a quickly defeated challenge lol…. I’LL GET YOU NEXT TIME MY PRETTY, AND YOUR LITTLE KITTY TOO!!!
See you next month!
– Contessa Alura
Alternative Lifestyles Workshop @ Club Sin – Oct 1
While we had a small group, it was nice to hear share so many personal stories about our workshop subject.
Rarely do I get to meet a F2M cross dresser (biological female who cross dresses as a male). It was so nice to discuss the differences and similarities among genders, cross dressers, and kinksters alike. I meant to invite her to our next CD meeting… I better get on that!!! If you are reading this, please check our schedule and come!
As well, it is becoming more and more common that people are choosing and living healthy and positive poly relationships (Polyamory). I had the opportunity to listen to someone talk about his experiences in his own poly relationships and offer his perspective about making it work.
So in the end, though I was the one giving the workshop, there was more of the group teaching and sharing and myself listening, than me teaching at all.
It is interesting to note how much people really know about alternative lifestyles. Now imagine how sharing that knowledge with others helps educate people and reduce the misconceptions and fears about these communities!
– C.A.
Contessa’s Breath Play & Dunter’s Strangulation Play – Sept 22
Since there are many people out there engaging or experimenting in high-risk BDSM activities, Dunter and I felt it was important to offer workshops that explored them, the risks, and consequences in an attempt to make them safer. With a bit of knowledge and some strategies for reducing the risk instead of increasing it, people could be more prepared to deal with emergency situations and also practice better/safer techniques. We also wanted to be clear that not everyone is capable of carrying out some of these types of edge play, that it is may not be appropriate to their personality, coordination, observation, etc.
It takes a very keen sense of observation and connection to your partner when you are doing breath play. The risk is possible death, the risk is injury and that is NOT what you want. It should be a high intense activity that brings pleasure in the end.
We decided to do back to back workshops. Mine on Air Restriction, Dunter’s on Circulation Restriction (strangulation).
The breath play workshop was awesome. Kinky K, my sexy assistant, allowed me to demonstrate various types and techniques of breath play. We demonstrated re-breathing, suffocation with plastic bags, saran wrap and simply the hand. We discussed the signs of needing air, what is too long, how to determine the length of time one can be held without breathing before it is dangerous. I physically put Kinky K in all the situations to show what it looks like so people see his reactions, his body and eyes, his movements.
We had time to do a quick activity so everyone had the chance to learn a bit about their own breathing. I had everyone take out a clock and time themselves on how long they could hold their breath. We did that three times in a row and took a moment to reflect on their times.
I had a really great tie and positive feedback about the workshop.
Thanks to everyone who attended!
– Contessa Alura
… Some of the photos from Dunter’s wokshop are posted below. We hope to have a posting about his workshop soon.
Wax Play with Contessa Alura – Sept 21
I’m really impressed with the turn-out. There were some new faces in my workshop and new comers to wax play itself, and even out-of-towners!
The workshop went very well. My sexy and very wonderful demo model Karl, was very responsive during our demonstraion and provided his perpectivr on his sensations offering a better understanding about the subject. Often it is only the instructor tat explains the how and what to do but when we are doing activities/play, that involve two people, the person feeling what is being done offers a very important point of view.
I had wonderful feedback and personally touching comments given to me about the workshop but also about the ALCC-CCVA in general. This was to the effect of how professional this person felt our organization was and how much this person apprecaiated that suh a community effort and organization for alternative lifestyles even existed. It really feels good to hear those things because it takes many people and a GREAT deal of effort to make a centre grow. It just felt like this person really understood that and it was rewarding for all of us to hear!
A speacial thank you to the wonderful gentelman from Winnipeg who spent time with us when he was only in town for two weeks. He will be missed!
What an amazing evening!
– Contessa Alura
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Beginners Flogging Workshop – Sept 7
I had a small group for his workshop, but a very enthusiastic one!
We looked at the various types of floggers and what they do, how the material of floggers change the feel and force of the impact, and how to move the body and wrists.
We talked about starting soft an incorporating sensuality in flogging. I often see people begin wailing on others or starting rough. If you like that, great, but there’s a lot to be said about starting slowly and softly to establish comfort and trust and then progressing to hard. Enjoy the journey I always say.
We talked about safety and areas NOT to flog with too much force. We covered warm-ups and getting the skin ready for flogging.
The students had a chance to practice some of the techniques we covered such as finding their wrists, and aim, by hitting the backs of chairs. Then we moved on to people. A big thank you to Glovesub for being our fabulous demo model and braving the newbie floggers. I was amazed to see how quickly some people progress and how others are truly naturals and just get it right away.
We will be doing an advanced flogging next month, learning how to Florentine (double handed flogging) and as well another basic course for those of you who missed this one.
– Contessa Alura
Saxnot’s Rope Bondage 101 / Ligotage 101- Sept 5
[La version française est ci-dessous]Lord Saxnot taught in a fun, yet professional way. We learned a lot about the properties of rope, safety, the physiology of using rope, as well as the psychological effects of rope bondage. A sure sign of an excellent workshop is how fast the time went by.
We had some good hands-on practice and had a lot of fun with it.
I have been fascinated with rope bondage for a long time now, but had so little knowledge about it, it seemed intimidating. After taking this workshop, I feel even more interested in the subject and feel eager to learn more and more knots.
I was totally sold on the superiorty of hemp rope in any case. We are very fortunate in Montreal to have a resource like the ALCC which provides this kind of education.
Looking forward to the 202 workshop!
– petal
J’ai assisté à mon premier atelier de ligotage – extrêmement instructif.
Lord Saxnot enseigne de façon amusante, mais professionnelle. Nous avons beaucoup appris sur les propriétés de la corde, la sécurité, la physiologie de la cordes, ainsi que les effets psychologiques du ligotage. Un signe sûr qu’un atelier est passionnant est la vitesse à laquelle le temps file!
Nous avons eu aussi pu pratiquer, ce qui était très amusant.
Ça fait longtemps que le ligotage me fascine, mais je ne m’y connaissais pas du tout. Après l’atelier, le sujet m’intéresse encore plus, et j’ai très envie d’apprendre de plus en plus de noeuds.
Je suis maintenant aussi convaincu de la supériorité de la corde de chanvre. Nous sommes très chanceux à Montréal d’avoir une ressource comme le CCVA qui offre ce type de formation.
J’ai hâte à l’atelier 202!
– petal
the ALCC / le CCVA 