Body worship

IM conversation with The Photographer a few days ago, discussing types and styles of submission to try and get a better feel for the sorts of headspaces he gets into when I'm topping him. We got around to talking about body worship, which I was initially hesitant to bring up because it was new territory and I wasn't sure how he'd respond, but as it turns out it seems to work for both of us, in both directions. It struck me how certain acts, such as washing him in the bath or slowly removing his clothes, could be seen as either dominant or submissive.

I got to thinking about how acts of worshipping the body operated. It seems as if context is king: the passive submissive, inert and waiting, tied and turned by the dominant appears similar to the seated dominant, enjoying having every inch of flesh kissed and caressed. Physically they can look alike. In each case, the body is the site of specific interest, the focus is on that particular area of skin, the precise contact given and received. However the difference lies in the mind, in the specific outlook of both parties - the attention paid by the rigger to the roped submissive could not necessarily be called "worship", rather "objectification", perhaps.

In this case, the dominant fetishises the submissive's body: they are removed from their existence as a person and become a toy or doll, the body is separated from their identity and becomes a thing in and of itself. Conversely, body worship, for me, would be about the link between the body and the person - it's not about pure adoration of a physical form, but also about the body as the site of the dominant's pleasure, the worship is a way of expressing that D/s power relationship.

The headspaces are, of course, very different, but either way I can revel in it - the smell and texture of skin under my fingers, whether I am exposing to control, or to serve.