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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at ASU chapter.

Disclaimer: The topics in this article are only for partners who consent in these kinds of sexual activities. If your partner is uncomfortable with any of the things listed, do not continue to do them. Consent is the most important aspect when trying any new sexual activities.

For some people, vanilla sex can be boring. Spicing things up in the bedroom is something that all couples should have the opportunity to experience. When the movie, Fifty Shades of Grey came out, the world of BDSM became an international curiosity for couples. If you are not into the world of BDSM but still want to spice things up with your partner, here are some of the benefits of taking away your senses in the bedroom.

Touch

When you lose your sense of touch with your partner, especially if you are aroused or turned on by touching your partner and feeling their body, you are forced to use your other senses. One way to take away your partner’s sense of touch is by tying them up with a necktie, a ribbon, or the classic handcuffs. If this is your preferred sense to take away, your partner would have to rely on their sense of smell, hearing, and sight. If your partner is into wearing sexy lingerie or some kind of scented perfume or cologne, that would be a supplement to not being able to use their hands to touch you. Perhaps some foreplay would be beneficial in this scenario. Play some sex music in the background. You take control of the bedroom. However, if touch is important to you, maybe you can try something else. 

Sight

When you take away your sense of touch, sight kicks in, but what happens when you can’t see your partner? Well, your sense of hearing, taste, and touch kick in. (Unless your partner still doesn’t have their sense of touch.) This is one of the most common senses that are taken away during sex to create a sense of mystery. Something that I recommend you do is play some music, if you are not already, and have some food on hand. For example, whipped cream, ice cream, tangy fruits, or chocolate covered strawberries are a favorite among many. Having something sweet and citrus back-to-back heightens a sense of taste. If you like to wear any kind of flavored lip gloss, now would be the perfect time to use it. Eating  different types of foods also helps heighten your sense of smell. These things just might arouse your partner. 

Taste and Smell 

Another sense that couples take away is taste. By not allowing yourself to kiss your partner or pleasure them orally, you exercise restraint. While this may be frustrating at first, you will realize the pleasurable benefits of waiting when you finally allow yourself the sense of taste.

 

By limiting  your sense of taste, you also inhibit your sense of smell. Those two senses go hand in hand because when you kiss your partner you take in their scent. When you take away these senses  you are forced to rely on your sense of touch, sight, and hearing. For this reason, this would be the perfect time to whip out some of that dirty talk that you have suppressed until now.

These are some of the most common ways that partners spice things up in the bedroom. The important thing is that you and your partner consent to what you are doing and to have a safe word or use the classic “stop” when things get uncomfortable. One of the greatest benefits of sex in general is that it allows you to connect with your partner on a deeper level and to get something out of it for yourself. If vanilla sex is not cutting it for you anymore, maybe these BDSM techniques are something that would spice things up in the bedroom for you and your partner.

She is a student at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Digital Audiences. So, you can find her researching the latest trends, following a good hot topics story or jamming out to the latest pop song on Spotify so she knows what's hot and what's not. Her style could be considered androgynous but classy at the same time. Some of her hobbies include graphic design and behind the scenes video production. In her free time, you can find her reading a good book while cuddling with her cat or taking pictures with her camera while walking around the city.