Eden Cafe

“Exchanging Intimate Energy??” I know, I rolled my eyes the first
time I was told about it as well. I remember thinking disparaging
things about the “woooo wooooo” side of sexuality (you know, where
everything is ultimately about energy flow or whatever) and wondering
why it can’t just be taken at face value as a sensation. But the more
I dabbled the more I understood – play piercing can be taken at face
value, but it’s always going to be so much more

One of the people who taught me to do needles told me that for years
she never believed needles were anything but a tool to go to a
spiritual and mellow place – till she took up with a particularly
sadistic needle loving partner. It’s true, too – play piercing so
easily takes a scene to a serene place as a result of its intensity
and quick mind altering abilities. But in the wrong hands (discussion
point: wrong or “oh-so-right”?) it can go to a place filled with very
unusual pain sensations. Some seek out Play Piercing for that
masochistic outlet, and some seek it out as a spiritual tool. The
fascinating thing is that while those two extremes can blend, it is
actually possible to take it to one end of the spectrum or the other
and keep it there, and with very little effort, I might add.

Play Piercing is a way to easily and effectively deliver an endorphin
buzz. Also easy to control is the relief from adrenaline surges – if
the person getting pierced gets overwhelmed and starts feeling
flustered or faint, removing needles is a quick way to ratchet down
the intensity, even if the needles are just hanging out and doing
nothing more than simply being there. Needles are kind of cool that
way. Control is key – I, personally, am a bit of a control freak –
you can apply intense sensation to a specific location, leading
quickly to an endorphin buzz, and you can pretty easily lead the
resulting intensity in the direction of your choosing. And, really,
it’s easy to do – it is a staple in my lazy top toolbox.

But, you know, there’s more to it than that. There’s an almost
addictive exchange of energy that happens when I pierce someone else.
It’s tough to predict how that energy exchange will feel with a new
person, and circumstances will have a lot to do with what happens as
well – but beneath all that, in a way that is sometimes difficult to
see and sometimes impossible to miss, there is a deep intimacy.
Inviting another to guide a foreign object in and out of your body
again requires an astounding amount of trust – and it is an honor
every time someone gives me that trust. I can be clinical about it
very easily, but it still makes me smile knowing that trust is being
given to me, especially if I’m cherry popping as well. Guiding
someone thorough their first needle experience is a vicarious delight.

I have learned that the intimacy happens unavoidably, and the exchange
of energy is inevitable. It’s intent that directs that energy to
wherever the focus of the event is going – be it learning, processing
or feeling. There is a dance between the intentions of the giver and
receiver, with the result being a marriage of their goals. Reading
the others intent is key, and it comes with practice. Balancing their
intent with yours to get a result you want takes skills – ones I like
to think I have (and I do – except when I don’t…)

If I let myself, though, I can really revel in that deep intimacy,
feeling the exchange of energy flowing between my fingers and the skin
presented to the needle. I need to be cautious about who I let go
with – play piercing is intense, and the intimacy that can be
exchanged as a result is potent. If I’m not careful, I develop mad
crushes and sometimes crazy lust as a result of a particularly intense
play piercing experience with intimate friends. It is my cupid’s
arrow, and its dangerously addictive.