We just can't explain why we like certain kinks, and since they are so fun and thrilling to do, we don't care to explain why either. As long as we can engage in our kink or fetish with someone who understands our needs and wants to please us, we'll be over the moon and not have a thought in our head. All we can do is find partners who love us, care about their limits as much as theirs and want to safely fulfill our kinks with us.

One kink that is rising in popularity is Erotic Asphyxiation. This act is definitely one of the more intense kinks, and it should only be practiced with someone whom the kinkster is completely at ease and safe. Erotic asphyxiation is not an act to do with a one-night stand you just met. If all of the right conditions are met, and erotic asphyxiation is performed the right way, it can be a very liberating and pleasurable experience.

If you have been fantasizing about performing erotic asphyxiation on yourself or on someone else, keep reading. We have gathered a ton of information from all over the sexually healthy and safe side of the internet so that you can practice this act safely. No one will get hurt if you and your partner follow this guide.

NOTE: This article is not here to judge you. If you want to be choked during sex or you want to choke your partner, and you have your partner's permission, then go for it! This article is written with safety in mind. Erotic asphyxiation is a sexual act that is slowly becoming more and more popular. So we created a guide to Erotic Asphyxiation so our readers and viewers can safely engage in this activity.

The complete guide to Erotic Asphyxiation

There is a surprising amount of asphyxiation jokes in movies and television. Most of the jokes around asphyxiation are negative and are only performed by creepy or weird characters in the cast. But someone can be completely normal by today's societal standards and still enjoy it in the right situation. There is no right type of person and wrong type of person for this act.

Someone who plans on engaging in erotic asphyxiation does not have to engage in penetrative sex or oral or vaginal and anal sex at all. Erotic asphyxiation is a sexual act that can be performed on its own or added to other sexual acts for a night of pleasure.

Three ways to practice Asphyxiation

So now that we have gone over some general ideas about asphyxiation, it is now time to learn how to do it safely so you can have a fun orgasmic time without being in danger or ending up in the hospital.

First of all, there are three main ways to asphyxiate: by restricting the windpipe via choking, by having a dominant partner who tells the submissive partner when they can breathe and when they have to hold their breath, and by submerging a person underwater.

Underwater breath play has many dangers and won't be discussed in this article.

Choking or smothering and asphyxiation by commands are fun forms of breath play, and each one's intensity can be light or severe, depending on how often you and your partner engage in it.

These two methods are not the only ways to practice asphyxiation, but they are the most popular.

If you are new to asphyxiating and breath play, you must start at a very low intensity and slowly work your way higher over a couple of weeks. It is not a good idea to engage in breath play every day, no matter how long you've been doing it.

If choking is your and your partner's preferred method, the partner who is choking should not press all of their upper body weight on their partner's neck. Not only can it damage their windpipe, It could also cause injury to the neck and spine.

Breath play by command is a BDSM-based activity and it can be part of a master-slave or mistress-slave dynamic. The dominant person can order their pet or slave to hold their breath for a time and then allow them to release their breath and breathe normally. Verbal commands are also an excellent way to increase and decrease the intensity and the length of time they hold their breath.

We do not recommend drinking or doing drugs before breath play, as it can be harder to pick up on small cues that show your partner is uncomfortable.

How to be safe while engaging in Erotic Asphyxiation

As we mentioned before, erotic asphyxiation is not a simple act that can be practiced with just anyone. It is not an act anyone should engage in with a one-night stand they just met a few hours ago. You need a dedicated partner who you trust to stop and start. They should have your happiness and safety in mind, not just theirs. Trusting the wrong person could lead to dangerous consequences.

Also, remember that erotic asphyxiation has intensity levels and a person must get used to higher intensity play over time. If you are new to this or you are having sex with someone who has never done it before, it is not a good idea to go from 0 to 60. Take your time!

Signs you and your partner went too far.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation or other types of breath play can be very dangerous if nobody knows what they're doing or if somebody decides to go farther than the other person is willing to go. Spending a small amount of time without any oxygen may feel pleasurable and help you achieve orgasm faster. But you should only cut off your own oxygen supply for a fixed amount of time. Spending too long without any oxygen could severely damage your lungs, heart, and brain.

A few signs can tell a person if the session was a bit too rough and they should wait before doing it again.

• Sore throat - perhaps your partner pressed down a little too hard or the length of time you are not breathing was enough to dry out your throat. Either way, not waiting until your sore throat is completely healed can cause even more damage and dryness.
• Severe headaches - although proper asphyxiation won't cause a headache after the session is over, it is very easy to go a little too far and trigger one. Since they may have a small lack of oxygen to the brain, your nervous system has induced has raised your blood pressure to get more oxygen to the brain.
• Hyperventilation is common, especially if you've never performed erotic asphyxiation before and you're doing it for the first time. As your body notices you are not getting enough oxygen, it will trigger an auto-response to hyperventilate so that your brain, lungs, and heart can get the oxygen it needs. If you start to hyperventilate, stop everything, sit up and allow yourself to get the oxygen your body demands.
• Passing out is the ultimate sign that you and your partner have gone too far. Even if you wake up right after passing out, the small amount of oxygen that you did not receive to the brain can cause many issues in the short term, including severe headaches, a panic attack, and a small amount of memory loss. Passing out is such a bad sign. Even if you feel fine, you could still go to the doctor and get checked out.

Damage asphyxiation can cause if practiced incorrectly

The irreversible damage you or your partner could inflict on the brain, and nervous system is the main reason why no one should ever engage in erotic asphyxiation with someone they do not 100% trust. It should never be an act you feel pressured into doing by the other person, even if you two have done it a hundred times before.

Cutting off your oxygen for too long can cause you to pass out and become unresponsive. When you wake up again, you may have small amounts of memory loss, nausea, a feeling of anxiety, or feel uncomfortable falling asleep for a few nights.

Because a lack of air in our lungs can activate our flight or fight response, many people experience heightened blood pressure and stronger heartbeats for a few days after engaging in erotic asphyxiation or passing out. If you are one of these people, perhaps it is best not to engage in this act.

But passing out is nowhere near as bad as many of the other side effects of prolonged asphyxiation. One severe consequence of not having enough air in the lungs is a heart attack. An asphyxiation-induced heart attack happens in mere minutes, and it will require your partner to rush you to the hospital or call an ambulance. If your partner does not know what is going on or does not react fast enough, or ignores your pleas for help, you can end up dying. The same rule goes for choking. If your partner squeezes on your throat too hard and damage is your windpipe, you could suffocate and die. The inherent dangers of breath play are why it is so important to have a partner you can trust.

Other activities to pair with Erotic Asphyxiation

As we stated above, erotic asphyxiation is a sexual act, and it can be performed alongside other sexual acts, just like a vanilla sex session. Just like a couple would first engage in kissing and then groping and then oral sex before finally getting to penetrative sex, you can add asphyxiation to your sexual sessions to enhance the experience.

Edging

One popular sexual act that people love to pair asphyxiation with is edging. Edging, for those who do not know, is stimulating yourself or your partner until they are about to orgasm and then stopping so that they are left with the feeling with that pre-orgasm intensity, but completion never comes. If you decide to engage in edging along with expectations, we recommend that you edge first and then continue with breath play.

Sex toys

Vibrators, clitoral stimulators, lube, warming gels, and vibrating flesh light are all great sex toys that make the asphyxiation experience more pleasurable and enjoyable. When using a toy, we find it best to play with your toy for at least 5 or 10 minutes before you engage in breath play. By doing it this way, your body is already attuned to the gel or the vibrations, and you don't feel any strange or weird sensations as you are losing your breath. As you begin to lose a bit of oxygen, you can focus on the pleasurable sensations from your vibration toy or warming gel. Lack of air will cause a bit of lightheadedness, which can intensify your orgasm.

Pairing the sensation of lightheadedness with a vibrational toy can send you to the moon and back. If it sounds like a good idea and you want to experiment with toys, try using your toys on a lower setting than you usually set it at when you play with yourself. Your normal level of vibrations might be a bit too much when you are lightheaded. It is also a good idea to establish a word to signal to your partner so they can turn off the vibrator if you feel uncomfortable. It should be separate from your main safety word because you don't want your partner to stop sex altogether. You just want them to turn off the vibrator.

Conclusion

As long as you follow the rules above and take good care to select partners who will not try to cross your boundaries or put their needs over yours, you can enjoy the lightheadedness and pleasurable feeling of asphyxiation. Before you engage in any type of breath play, be sure to go over the rules with your partner and establish a safety word.

You may not be able to physically say the word since you'll be out of breath, so a safety signal is best to use in this situation. And always remember that you do not have to engage in any type of sexual activity with someone you are not comfortable with. No matter what they have done for you or what you promised them, they are not entitled to your body. Always remember this, and you will have a happy sex life.