For many, the initial attraction to BDSM is compelling. There’s a curiosity to explore power dynamics, to give up control or take it in a way that feels both freeing, erotic and exhilarating. The promise of self-discovery, creativity, and even spiritual awakening is alluring, empowering. There’s the possibility of uncovering aspects of oneself that have been repressed or hidden, breaking through the barriers of conventionality and entering a world where the mind and body are stretched in new, intense ways.

Yet, alongside this desire lies the looming fear. The fear of what others might think, the fear of vulnerability, and perhaps most pressing—the fear of change. To embrace BDSM is to open the door to new experiences that can feel destabilising, even threatening, and immensely erotic in the moment. Until… waking up from a hot fantasy, or even better a scene, questions arise often unwarranted: How will this fit with my life? Can I keep this hidden? What if I can’t handle it?

Balancing desires presupposes that both partners have a sense of what they like and wish to experience, that they are aware of their sexual fantasies and that they are prepared to talk openly with each other