Aftercare
The physical and emotional care partners give each other once a rope scene ends, agreed in advance and different for every person, riggers included.
The American Counseling Association’s 2020 practice brief defines aftercare as the period after a scene in which the submissive partner receives physical, emotional and psychological care and both talk openly about what they experienced. Shibari Study’s glossary describes it as a calm, secure setting in which someone comes down from a scene and stresses that it is personal and should be agreed beforehand. Rope 365 points out that taking the rope off does not always end the session: some people want affection, others food, water or time alone, and the person who tied may need care as well, including for soreness. Anatomie Studio links aftercare to drop, the low that can follow an intense scene, and also stresses talking afterward about how everyone is doing.