VoxBody Studio FAQ

Q: What is your COVID policy?

A: Our COVID policy is here! And will continue to be updated as things change.

Q: Can I get my ticket at the door for an event?

A: If it is not sold out, YES! You can pay cash or card for an event at the door. Exact change earns you a star! If an event shows as sold out on the ticket tailor event page, it is truly sold out, and we will not be able to make any exceptions at the door. Please double check event availability through our ticketing site before commuting to the space to avoid disappointment. We cap our events in consideration of space for attendees and truly don’t have room to ‘squeeze one more in’.

Q: The event I want to join is sold out. Do you have a waitlist?

A: Yes! When an event is sold out, there will be a “Join Waiting List” button in place of “Buy Tickets” on the registration page. If the event has multiple dates, click on the ‘sold out’ button to join any of the multiple waitlists. If tickets become available for an event, we will send a broadcast message to all names on the waitlist, and then it is first come, first serve. The wait list is your option to hear about released tickets…we do not / cannot track emails sent separately asking to be put on a waitlist.

Q: The classes I want to attend are all full. Do you have any suggestions?

A: We are experiencing quite an influx of attendees this year, especially to beginner events and classes. Our theory is that people have emerged from the last two years very hungry for ways to connect with one another, and that is a good thing! We know it can also be frustrating when trying to register for events. Some suggestions: * Add your name and email to the waitlist. It works! Tickets do get released and the waitlist is the ONLY way to be notified about them (emailing us separately does not put you on a waitlist or gain different access to one, we promise) You can join any event's waitlist through the ticket link. Read the FAQ previous to this one for more info on waitlists. * Keep in mind that we post events to our calendar in four month blocks, and we post them at about 2 months out. So: we post MAY-AUG classes in February, SEPT-DEC in June, etc) Keep an eye on the calendar at those times to get tickets! * Hang in there, keep the faith! We expect this surge will level out at some point. We see that it is happening across the Bay Area with rope events selling out; this is not particular to VoxBody. We are doing everything we can to fill the calendar with event offerings, thank you for your patience. 

Q: What are the studio hours?

A: VoxBody Studio is open when there is an event on the calendar. We don’t keep public studio hours otherwise. We check and respond to emails Monday - Friday 9am-1pm. Please note: we do not check emails on weekends. Your best bet for in-person purchases from our store is during an Easy Sundays or Tie by Night Rope Jam, or before/after an event that you attend.

Q: What is your refund policy?

Q: What if finances are a barrier for me to attend classes/events?

A: Please email us! VoxBody holds a scholarship spot for most events and classes. Email us and let us know which class(es) you are looking to attend (include class name and date). If the class shows as sold out online, you should still email us to inquire; we hold onto the scholarship spot until it is allotted, even if tickets are sold out otherwise.

Q: Where is the studio, do I need to print my ticket, what time should I get there?

A: Please read through our Getting Here page for answers to these questions and more!

Q: What should I wear to a class or jam?

A: Dress comfortably, be yourself. Most rope classes have students seated on the floor; come dressed comfortably to do so. We don’t recommend jeans as they can be hard to move in and troublesome to tie on. Underwire bras are not recommended if rope will be placed over them. Loose flowy clothes can be tricky as well, and create troublesome wrinkles under rope. Soft, comfortable, form fitting clothes seem to work best for rope classes, similar to an exercise class. Have something to wear that you feel fabulous in, and evokes the mood you want in rope? Wear it! Bring layers--- climate in the bay area is finicky (like its people) and also body temperatures will vary in class between periods of tying activity and sitting in discussion. This is a body positive studio and students are welcome to undress to their level of comfort (full nudity may be at the discretion of the teacher/event). The tying floor is a shoe free zone.

Q: What supplies does the studio have for class?

A: We have loaner rope for classes & jams. We have filtered water on hand, a first aid kit, safety shears, and cleaning supplies.  The tying floor is covered in mats. We also have lots of pillows, poufs, chairs, yoga blocks and stools for support. Many rope classes have students seated on the floor. If there is something you need to make the physical part of a class accessible for you, please email us and let us know how we can help make that happen. 

Q: I want to come to a class or event, but have a need to keep my attendance private and am worried.

A: We will do all we can to support your need for privacy in class! Legal names are only used to sign the liability waiver, and not shared or accessed otherwise. When registering for a class, you will be able to enter the name/scene name you want used at check-in. Please see our —> Photography Policy <— under the Studio Policies tab.

Q: Is the studio for women only?

A: No! We do what we can to cultivate a welcoming atmosphere here at the studio to human beings of all gender identities and sexual orientations. We ask you to treat fellow attendees with respect. We are committed to cultivating safer space in the studio. We ask you to do your part. Sometimes there is an event or class created as a container for a specific group or identity; the event description will clearly state this. Otherwise, all are welcome!

Q: I am unfamiliar with the request at the beginning of classes for names AND pronouns. Help?

A: We at VoxBody Studio believe strongly in cultivating an environment that feels welcoming and inclusive for humans of all sexual orientations, gender, racial and ethnic identities. We understand this is a work in progress. This article —> here <— does a great job at explaining why pronoun rounds are important and how to participate in them.

Q: I left my favorite (water bottle, sparkly crop, underwear) at the studio! Is it gone forever?

A:  Not necessarily. Our Lost and Found bin can be found in the entry closet. Please keep in mind that we intermittently donate forgotten items from the bin when it starts to overflow. Come back for your water bottle!

Q: What is a Rope Jam?

A: Rope Jams are an open practice time. There is no formal instruction; attendees come to do rope and socialize. There is music, tea and snacks. Some attendees come to 'lab' their ties and some come to have a slow and sensual scene with a partner. Some come to self-suspend or self-tie. It is a low cost, low pressure way to come check out the scene at the studio. It's totally okay to come on your own! People come solo and just enjoy sitting and drinking tea and watching; people come solo and meet a new person to tie with.  If you tie or not completely depends on who is there, who you meet, how you get along and what you both decide to do. No guarantees, but all in the range of possibilities! It's a comfortable environment. We ask everyone to adhere to our —> Studio Policies <—, and to practice common-sense communication: ask first, honor someone's "no", negotiate clearly, only clear and enthusiastic consent is consent. Never interrupt someone else's scene. Watching others is fine, but please respect their personal space and observe without perving. 

Check the —> calendar <— for the latest updates!

Q: Which class is right for me?

A: We offer monthly classes or events at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, as well as “all-levels” events.  Interested in enrolling in a dedicated curriculum? Check out our —> core curriculum <— page! Calendar listings and event descriptions will note the appropriate experience level for each class. If you still aren’t sure, please write to us and we will try and point you in the right direction!

Q: I am new to VoxBody Studio and want to come to an event, and also wonder if I will meet someone to tie with?

A: It is hard for us to answer specifically or confidently, as it depends on your comfort level, what sort of social events you thrive in (or don’t), the day of the week, and the positions of the planets.

Read about our rope jams above and consider if this might be a good entry point for you. It is one of our lower cost events, so can be a good place to give it a first/low-pressure try. We have 2-3 rope jams per month and you can find them on the calendar here.

Meeting someone to tie with can be a bit like dating. You have to put yourself out there and seek a good fit. We don’t know if you will meet someone at a rope jam to tie with, but we can guarantee that if you don’t attend a jam, you definitely won’t meet someone at that jam to tie with! To be completely honest, we strongly encourage you to first find your allies and friends in rope before finding “that perfect rope partner”; placing all your eggs in one basket can be tricky or risky especially as you newly navigate the rope scene.

There are more, and less, structured events at the studio. Consider what is your best comfort zone. Some people thrive in the chaos of an open event, some folks prefer to have something to do and a structured lesson to follow. Rope Jams, Rope Coven and OpenSpace events are more on the unstructured side; classes and intensives are on the structured side. Read event listings thoroughly, and write to us if you need clarification, so your expectations for an event are as accurate as possible.

Manage your expectations, be patient with yourself, be as courageous as you possibly can, and know it may take a few tries (or more) to get it right! We are here to support you, answer questions, provide resources, and perhaps point you in some directions that we think may serve you best, but we are not a match-maker.

Perhaps you prefer to make a post on a Fetlife group to first seek a potential partner, tying partner or a friend to attend classes and events with? In which case, we recommend posting on the —> VoxBody Studio Fet group <— (please note: this is not a group to find dates nor a meat market, it is definitely rope-centric). Another option is to join the Bloom app. There is a great chat feature on this app. Once you RSVP to an event, you can message with other folks who will be attending the same event and make plans ahead of time.

We can’t wait to meet you when you are ready, and in the context which feels best, to dip your toes in!

Q: I just discovered rope and love it and want to know all things! Tell me all the things!

A: Welcome to the wonderful world of rope. Your life may never be the same. We are excited for you; we also find it impossible to tell you everything, at once, because there is so much to know, and most of it will unfold with time and participation. And also, everyone’s journey is their own and will look like no other. And, getting there is MOST the fun.

Start at the beginning, and know that technique, knowledge of anatomy and safety in rope, and communication and consent practices should all go hand in hand, from the get-go. Rope bondage has its risks, both physically and emotionally. There is no way around that. Take your time, enjoy the ride, be risk aware and informed, look after yourself.

Go down the rope bondage rabbit hole on the interwebs and take note of what draws you in, what styles you like, what turns you on and off, begin to see how many different ways people do rope bondage. There are rope lovers all over the world, and therefore lots of styles, theories, opinions, and opportunities. Consider what you think you want and don’t want out of rope, so that when you meet up with potential rope partners you both can converse and see where your ideas overlap, or if they don’t.

You’ll hear this from time to time, probably because it’s true: “there is no one true way”.

Are you on Fetlife? Fetlife can be a good resource for finding events local to you (it can also be a place of unsolicited messaging and inappropriate behavior; take care in there). Join rope groups, search for them in your locale, become familiar with what events, classes, groups are near you. Decide which feel like a good place to join for you.

Consider what your intentions are, begin to articulate what you hope to get out of the venture, and what amount of time, effort and financial investment you are looking to put in. Rope costs money, classes can cost money (some of them don’t!), conferences cost money (but there are volunteer opportunities, too!). If you find you love rope, you’ll probably find it worth the investment; you can’t put a price tag on a good teacher, an awesome conference experience, or the impact of being hurt by / hurting a partner in rope due to lack of information. If you are a self-starter and learning through on-line tutorials, we strongly encourage complimenting that with in-person studies or a group. There are plenty of free to low-cost classes, meetups, skill shares and events, as well.

Seek out your allies, and your community. This can be a vulnerable journey, find the people and places that help you feel safer in it. If you are thinking about trying a new thing or tying with a new person, chances are someone else has done the same. There are large networks of support groups that can provide references and vetting. Ask first, as they say. There are so many of us that want to help in pointing people new to the community to the resources or information they need.

Build your awareness of the roots and context of rope bondage, and the many layered intersections of history and culture that manifest in this practice and in the community around it. Remember that our knowledge of rope bondage, specifically Shibari, comes from sex workers in Japan. Whether you are drawn to rope bondage for the artistry or eroticism, acrobatics or sensuality, keep this history in mind, do not whitewash this truth, and check your attitude on and support of sex work. This is also an important time to examine where one may be crossing the lines of fetishisation, Japanophilia and appropriation. Seek out classes and education from Japanese instructors on the history of rope bondage. If you live in the United States, keep in mind this country's history of bondage and enslavement, and the ways that may show up today in this practice, including generational trauma. There are multitude ways that practicing rope and kink is very edgy—individually and collectively. Become risk-informed, trauma-informed, and know that rope is political, and kink is political....even if you'd prefer it to not be, it already is.

If you are in the Bay Area, and interested in checking out VoxBody Studio, read through the Studio Policies and Etiquette pages to become familiar with the studio. And then, come to us with whatever specific questions you have!  

Q: What kind of rope should I get, what size, and from where?

A lot can go into choosing your bondage rope!

Use the rope that feels good in your hands, on your body, and is the right rope for the bondage you are doing. (by "right rope" for example, we mean: cotton may be great for bedroom bondage but isn't appropriate for suspension as it will stretch too much in tension)

Having a full kit* of rope can be quite an investment so we would suggest trying out different materials as you get started, learn about them, and what works well for you. VoxBody has loaner rope for classes and events, which is a good way to test drive certain kinds of rope before committing. 

People are drawn to the rope they use for the texture, or softness, the smell, the weight, the way it locks down, its safety rating, its color, based off allergies, because their partner loves it....so many reasons may factor into your choice!

There are a lot of kinds of bondage rope out there, they generally break down into organics (jute, hemp, cotton, etc) and synthetics. Organic rope is less likely to give rope burn and has more 'tooth' (it will hold against itself better), but is more inconsistent and less strong in terms of load-bearing weights. Synthetic ropes have consistent and stronger load-bearing weights. Keep in mind that some knots and frictions will hold better on either organic rope or synthetic, and be sure to learn these according to the rope you are using.

There is also synthetically-reinforced jute and hemp out there, which some riggers opt to use for their suspension lines. There is also the shelf-life of rope to consider, especially if you are doing very dynamic suspensions, or pulling a lot of friction on your ropes. If you are just getting started, you will sort these things out as you go. 

As for size, a common middle ground is 6mm diameter. (Something thinner may feel easier to manage, but will be slightly weaker, and may feel sharper on the body. Something thicker may be stronger but will make for bulkier knots).

Lengths of rope vary between 23-30'. You'll want to work with a manageable length of rope, you can always add another length as needed, but the specific length may vary according to the body being tied. Jute usually comes in 8m lengths, hemp at 30'.

VoxBody sells Ogawa jute from Japan, Amatsunawa JBO-free jute, and cotton rope. Check out our VoxShop —> here <— for rope and other rope related items! 

* what is a 'rope kit'? For a rigger it will look something like: 12 lengths of rope, carabiners and suspension gear, safety tools. When you are getting started, having 3-6 lengths of rope and safety shears is fine. That way you can really get to know your rope before investing in a full kit. 

Q: What does it mean that my jute is unprocessed/unconditioned?

A: Most jute you purchase will come this way, unless specifically noted by the vendor. It will feel rough, raw or dry. People treat their jute in many different ways.

Generally, conditioning your rope means some or all of these processes:

- Breaking in Jute: Run the rope through a carabiner, twist it around itself a few times and pull back and forth as you make your way down the length of rope. Do this outside, it will produce a LOT of jute dust!

- Singe: Run the rope thru a flame -use a gas stove or camping stove, or a propane torch. Keep it moving, watch the little fuzzies burn off! You can run a cloth or piece of burlap over the jute afterwords to clean off the soot. Do this somewhere well-ventilated.

- Oil: Apply light layers of oil to your rope and let it hang and soak in before applying another layer (take caution to not over-oil your rope! Work in layers). Use an oil that won't go rancid; jojoba and mineral oil are common choices. A dry length of rope can thirstily soak in 5-7 layers of oil. 

- Wax: Many rope vendors also sell a wax/oil balm to treat your ropes. Coat your rope with the balm and bake at a low temp. (instructions will come with the balm) Your rope will smell so yummy when it comes out of the oven! 

Some people don't condition their rope at all, and let the use of it/body oils break in the rope. 

Some vendors offer rope conditioning as an added service (VoxBody's Ivy Limieux offers this service! Email us for details).