Shining a Light on Purple Day: Shibari & Epilepsy Awareness
Creating Safe, Empowering Rope Experiences
March 26th, 2025, marked an important day for epilepsy awareness—Purple Day. We had the honour of hosting an event to raise awareness for this often misunderstood condition, and did so the Shibari Lounge way!
To show our solidarity, we had a fun-filled night full of purpose, safety, and learning, and flooded our venue for the Tuesday evening’s Tie-Along and Rope Jam with purple lights—symbolising support for those living with epilepsy. But there’s more to the cause than just the colour.
At Shibari Lounge, we’re passionate about breaking stigmas, educating our community, and creating inclusive, informed spaces. This includes empowering people with epilepsy to explore the intimate, artistic, and vulnerable practice of shibari—safely.
This blog shares key facts, personal insight, and precautions for tying safely with epilepsy, whether you're a rigger, bunny, or both.
Note: This post is based on my own experience living with epilepsy as a rope switch in the kink and shibari community. Everyone is unique—so always discuss individual risk profiles with your partners before tying.
Seizure Awareness: Types and What to Do
Despite being so common, epilepsy is often invisible or misunderstood. It’s a neurological disorder caused by sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain—and seizures can vary greatly in intensity, duration, and visibility.
Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide, yet many don’t realise that not all seizures involve convulsions.
⚡ Tonic-Clonic Seizures (formerly "Grand Mal"):
The most well-known seizure type. The person may:
Lose consciousness
Fall to the ground
Experience full-body convulsions
If you witness one:
✅ Stay calm and move objects out of the way
✅ Time the seizure (call for help if over 5 minutes)
✅ Never put anything in their mouth
✅ Protect their head with something soft
✅ Stay with them until they regain awareness
My experience: After a seizure, I’ll likely speak nonsense, forget what just happened, and need to be placed in the recovery position. It can take 20–30 minutes to “come round.”
Other Seizure Types:
Absence Seizures – brief episodes of staring or spacing out
Focal Seizures – may include confusion, twitching, or sensory changes
Myoclonic Seizures – sudden body or limb jerks
The Overlooked Aftereffects
After a seizure, the recovery phase can include:
Headaches or migraines
Muscle soreness
Disorientation or memory loss
Extreme fatigue
These aftereffects can last hours or days and deserve just as much attention as the seizure itself.
Seizure Triggers: What You Might Not Know
Only 3–5% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive. Many people wrongly assume flashing lights are the only trigger—when in reality, triggers vary widely.
Common Seizure Triggers (It’s Not Just Flashing Lights)
Only 3–5% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive. Many people wrongly assume flashing lights are the only trigger—when in reality, triggers vary widely.
Photosensitivity – strobe lights, flickering sunlight, fast-changing visuals
Alcohol – especially large amounts or withdrawal, can lower seizure threshold
Stress – emotional or physical, it’s one of the most common triggers
Lack of Sleep – sleep deprivation can increase seizure risk significantly
Hormonal Changes – menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause may affect seizure frequency
Rigger: @gordian_ties, Bunny: @bexbunny_
Rope Play & Epilepsy: How to Tie More Safely
So, what steps can we take to be more risk-aware when engaging in Japanese rope bondage with epilepsy in mind?
🗣️ 1. Open Communication
Have an honest conversation before tying. At Shibari Lounge, we always encourage pre-scene check-ins, especially for first-time partners.
Discuss seizure history, types, triggers, early warning signs (potential auras), and medication needs.
Set the pace, environment, and hydration levels accordingly.
👉 You can also refer to our previous blog on negotiation questions before tying for helpful prompts.
🧭 2. Have a Plan of Action
Some things you may want to consider before tying:
Be mindful of your mental and physical state—as a bunny or rigger.
Keep safety shears nearby and know how to release rope quickly.
Choose floor work or minimalist ties if seizures are active or high-risk.
If you’re a rigger with epilepsy, consider a spotter, and consider avoid locking off neck or hair ropes.
Perhaps think about using softer, more flexible rope to reduce injury risk if a seizure occurs (jute with a looser lay for example).
Here’s what I personally recommend as a plan of action and will actively communicate this with any rigger or bunny I tie with.
💡 In an ideal world, all rope would be removed immediately during a seizure so the person could move freely — but in reality, that’s not always possible, or even advisable.
Please resist the urge to panic or reach for your shears! Most tonic-clonic seizures only last 1–3 minutes, and untying someone mid-seizure — especially if they’re in a complex tie or attached to a structure like a Hashira — can actually cause more harm than good.
Your focus in those first few moments should always be calm, safety-first support:
Make sure airways are clear and they can breathe easily.
Remove any neck rope or anything restricting the chest or diaphragm.
Support the head or body gently, especially if they’re suspended.
If untying isn’t immediately possible, clear the surrounding area and soften the space as much as you can.
Once the seizure has passed and the person is stable, slow, intentional untying is essential — regardless of personal preference.
Why? Because during a seizure, the body may have been convulsing or tensed in a way that compresses nerves, joints, and blood vessels.
Untying too fast can cause reperfusion — a sudden return of blood flow into those compressed areas — which may release a surge of metabolic waste that overwhelms the system, causing nausea, dizziness, fainting, or even secondary complications.
Nerve compression can also worsen if released too quickly. That’s why we recommend:
Starting with high-risk areas (like chest, upper limbs, or areas showing discolouration, tingling, or numbness)
Loosening ties in stages, not all at once
Taking breaks, staying communicative, and being present and grounded
✨ Hydration is also crucial during this process.
Encourage the person who had the seizure to sip water, or an electrolyte drink. This helps the liver and kidneys process any toxins built up in the tissues, especially after prolonged rope exposure and physical stress.
The slower the rope comes off and the steadier the hydration, the gentler the recovery for the body and nervous system.
Remember; Every body is different — but when it comes to seizures, restraint, and recovery, going slow and staying hydrated is always the safest route. Aftercare here isn’t just a cuddle and a blanket (though those DEFINITELY help!) — it’s a thoughtful, informed transition out of intensity and into safety.
💞 3. Aftercare & Emotional Support
Aftercare is crucial—especially when health conditions are involved.
Make space to:
Check in physically and emotionally
Respond to any aftereffects
Offer reassurance and grounding
Aftercare is for riggers and bunnies alike, and is a key part of risk-aware, consent-based rope play.
💡 The Bottom Line: Why This Awareness Matters
Shibari and epilepsy can coexist—but only when approached with care, communication, and compassion.
Epilepsy affects 1 in 100 people in the UK. Yet it remains a largely misunderstood and invisible condition. Raising awareness means understanding more than just seizures—it means recognising how this condition touches all aspects of someone’s life, including their ability to engage in rope, kink, art, and connection.
Together, we can create a world where those with epilepsy feel seen, understood, and safe to explore their passions—including the ropey ones.
Shibari Lounge flooded with Purple Lights
Rope is for everyone
At Shibari Lounge, we deeply believe that rope is adaptable, inclusive, and for every body. Whether you're living with a chronic health condition like epilepsy, navigating mobility needs, exploring your identity, or simply existing in a body that’s been told “you’re too much” or “not enough” — know this:
You are welcome here.
Shibari is not just about aesthetics or performance — it's about connection, trust, creativity, and personal empowerment. The art of rope can be tailored to suit you — your boundaries, your comfort, your capacity, your joy.
Whether you move with mobility aids, are neurodivergent, fat, trans, non-binary, chronically ill, shy, curious, or all of the above — there is a place for you in this world of rope. And not just a place... a warm, cosy, respectful space where you’re seen, valued, and supported.
Rope is for exploration, expression, healing, play, intimacy, and growth. Rope is for you.
Thank you to everyone who supported Purple Day. 💜
🪢💜 Let’s tie smarter. Let’s tie safer. Let’s tie together.
Much Love,
Bex xx
