Lady Sidara met her "ticklee" through her work as a professional dominatrix. Because tickling is a form of torture, she never tickles her clients without negotiating. She described intense tickling as erotic torture, edge play, gentle exploration of top and bottom head space and playfulness. Then she said her bottom is a thrasher, so she has to restrain him. Since she knew there would not be a large bed in the conference room, she brought a massage table. Its legs were so wobbly that keeping him on it used up so much of her time and effort that she could not enjoy the session without worrying about her "victim" getting hurt, so she and several volunteers secured the ticklee to a sturdier table.

Lady Sidara and her ticklee used a range of colors to indicate the degree of his comfort. Both obviously enjoyed the scene, as did most of the audience. Many people, including Lady Sidara, laughed hard and loud, which, she said later, sends wonderful energy and endorphins coursing through them both. She also said that although her sessions normally run for an hour, she often continues an extra half hour or so because she has such a wonderful time. I very much enjoyed watching her because her tickling manner was both lightly erotic and extremely playful. She was sweet and insistent without hurting him. As she tickled, she kept a careful watch on his energy level and physical needs. She tickled him thoroughly while talking about how most people have tickle spots on their bodies and touching them there is what makes the tickle. She said people like a variety of touches and that it is very important for the tickler and ticklee to be cozy and nurturing afterward.

Jay talked briefly after the break about safety. He said continued laughing effects the breath both via the vegus nerve which effects the heart rate and via shallow or no breaths which effect the gas exchange (oxygen level and proportion). Therefore, anyone who laughs long and hard may soon feel lightheaded and/or faint. He also cautioned that raucous laughter fatigues the breathing muscles. Thus, people in poor health or susceptible to dizziness should be careful.

Next, several people volunteered to tickle and be tickled. I glanced around the room and saw reactions ranging from disappointed apparently unticklish people to someone who could be tickled by a finger pointed from across the room to another person, who looked shell shocked (his top said from the endorphin rush) from a thorough tickling.

Posted with permission from Society of Janus
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