When in Rope
A one-person practice in Austin. Chris (Dom Hanks) offers private, non-sexual rope sessions with a somatic, trauma-aware approach. The options include a beginner lesson for individuals or partners.
When in Rope is the private practice of Chris, who also goes by Dom Hanks, a shibari practitioner based in Austin. The site describes its sessions as non-sexual, risk-aware and somatic rope experiences built around each client, in a setting it calls platonic, trauma-aware and educational. It does not give a date when the practice began or list a public venue.
Each booking starts with a consultation, and every session follows the same structure: about 30 minutes of negotiation, one to two hours of tying and about 30 minutes of aftercare. The site says consent and safety come first and that clients are vetted carefully. Clients may photograph the finished tie on their own phone.
The services page lists three formats. A beginner lesson introduces rope bondage at a slow pace, alone or with a partner, and tying oneself is optional. A beginner-level shibari session may tie the arms, legs and torso, and is presented as a way to practice letting go of control in a safe container. A ceremonial session is a custom rope ritual to let go of something or to mark a milestone or life transition. In November 2026 the first two were listed at 90 to 120 minutes for $150 to $250 on a sliding scale, with new clients booking the full two hours; the ceremonial format ran from one to four hours at $300 to $1,000, depending on how complex the tie and setting are.
The home page names the themes clients come for: surrender and submission, mindfulness and body awareness, somatic release, energy work framed as masculine and feminine or yin and yang, collaborative art, unusual sensations and platonic closeness. It addresses people who are curious about rope and want to find out in a supportive setting whether it suits them, and it mentions creative clients and survivors of trauma among those it works with.