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Here are 7 of the most pleasurable states a model can experience during shibari:

shibari-states

 

  1. Shibari isn’t just about ropes. It’s about states of the body and mind – a mix of tension, trust, breath, and rhythm. When the process is safe and technically correct, the nervous system opens doors most people don’t even know exist. These states have names, and each term describes not a single feeling but a whole physiological pattern involving the nervous, endocrine, and emotional systems.

    Let’s walk through them.

    Ecstasy

    Ecstasy in shibari appears at the moment when the body stops resisting and slips into waves of deep pleasure. Endocrinologically it’s a cocktail of dopamine, oxytocin, and a touch of endorphins. The real magic is in the sequence: tension → release → focus on sensation.

    Ecstasy isn’t always “oh yes this feels incredible.”
    Sometimes it’s “I can finally stop holding the whole world together.”
    Athletes get something similar after long runs, meditators after dropping their thoughts – in shibari it arrives right after surrender and control release.

    Floating

  2. Floating feels like drifting inside your own sensations. Not flying – drifting.
    It happens when the nervous system shifts into a balanced parasympathetic state: the heart rate drops, breathing deepens, micro-tensions leave the muscles.

    Floating is basically meditation on natural steroids.
    Hydration and electrolytes influence it more than people expect. A dehydrated brain won’t allow the body to “let go.” No resources – no floating.

    Deep Relaxation

  3. This is the state bodyworkers describe as “the moment the body suddenly becomes heavier.”
    Muscles stop holding unnecessary contractions, cortical activity decreases, and the vagus nerve guides breathing and relaxation.

    Deep relaxation is a universal indicator: the session is working.
    For the model it feels like the savasana moment in yoga.
    For the nawashi it means the rhythm, communication, and connection are aligned.

    Euphoria

  4. Euphoria is a wave of clarity, pleasure, and lightness – a mix of endorphins with a small spike of adrenaline.
    It’s not always loud; often it’s silent and warm.

    People who sleep well, eat enough protein, maintain magnesium levels, and aren’t chronically stressed enter euphoria faster and deeper.
    The nervous system needs resources to produce pleasure.
    If the body is exhausted – euphoria will be shallow or short-lived.

    Surrender of Control

  5. This is not only psychological – it’s neurobiological.
    When the model surrenders control, the prefrontal cortex (the “analyze-plan-hold-everything” center) reduces its grip, allowing the limbic trust response to activate.

    In simple words:
    The body says, “This interaction is safe. I can switch to feeling instead of guarding.”

    That’s why boundaries, safety communication, and the competence of the nawashi are non-negotiable. Without trust, this state doesn’t appear.

    Catharsis

  6. Catharsis in shibari looks different for everyone: tears, laughter, long silence, or deep breathing.
    It’s an emotional release – the stress hormones finally dropping through a controlled, safe experience.

    Breathing plays a major role. Strong diaphragmatic breathing shifts the system out of sympathetic overdrive, and emotions that were “held” finally exit.

    Athletes experience it after extreme fatigue, meditators after insight, models after deep trust and structured emotional space.

    Subspace

  7. Subspace is its own universe.
    A calm, trance-like state where external noise fades and the body becomes the primary reality.
    Psychologically it’s a form of guided trance; hormonally it’s oxytocin and endorphins creating a warm internal cocoon.

    Subspace is romanticized a lot, but it must be guided.
    The nawashi is responsible for supporting the model in, through, and out of this state.
    Aftercare isn’t optional – the body is open and sensitive.

    Conclusion

  8. All of these states appear when technique, ethics, communication, and physiology meet.
    Shibari won’t work well with a depleted body – same as training or meditation. Sleep, water, nutrition, mental calm, and trust are prerequisites for deep psychophysical experiences.

    Shibari isn’t magic.
    It’s biology, hormones, human connection – beautifully woven through rope.

 

Interesting and useful on the topic:

• How Many Ropes Do You Need for Shibari
• Rope Care Guide
• Home Page ‒ Introduction to K-Shibari

Feel free to ask for a PDF with information about sessions or training on Telegram.