The act of rigging a human body to hang from implements which have been placed through temporary perforations in the skin. This can be with a selection of different tools, but the most common is a variety of modified hook or a hook that has been specifically designed for this use.

The reasons are as varied as the individuals who participate. Some people see it as a challenge they would like to overcome, some practice it for the thrill like an extreme sport, some do it for attention, some incorporate the practice in various forms of art and performance, some practice it as a spiritual path. There is no single, right, reason to practice suspension as long as everyone involved is aware of the potential risks.

These days body suspension is practiced all over the world in different settings from private homes, to large event spaces indoors, to outdoors settings where participants are exposed to the elements. There are times where an individual may seek out a certain type of environment that they are wanting to use for their suspension, which may require travel for the individual. It is not uncommon for people to travel overseas to engage in the act with a specific team/individual or to fulfil their want of utilising a certain type of setting.

Of course. Our experience has shown us that anyone who wants to get their feet off the ground in this wasy can do it. The photos that you see are not representative of the great variety of people who have done this successfully over the hundreds of years of recorded history that we are privy to. People of all genders, all sizes, all races, and social classes have been lifted by their skin. As long as you are a healthy person who is capable of making sane and consensual decisions, you can do this

If carried out with due care, the process of body suspension can be categorised as low risk. The low risk is due to the elective infliction of damage to the skin. Often suspension is compared to extreme sports due to participants knowingly accepting the potential risks involved. There are instances where the risks are heightened but these are not inherent in the basic form of suspension only when certain parameters are changed.

The short answer is “yes”. However that typically doesn’t satisfy the inquirer. A more satisfying answer might require some knowledge about the inquirer’s relationship with pain. Universally different levels of pain are accepted as beneficial. For example the pain of running marathons or other feats of endurance. Culturally some levels of pain are seen as honourable such as the pain of the birthing process. As suspension practitioners, our relationship with pain is not one of avoidance but rather acceptance as a matter of fact and part of the experience.

The short answer is “yes”. However that typically doesn’t satisfy the inquirer. A more satisfying answer might require some knowledge about the inquirer’s relationship with pain. Universally different levels of pain are accepted as beneficial. For example the pain of running marathons or other feats of endurance. Culturally some levels of pain are seen as honourable such as the pain of the birthing process. As suspension practitioners, our relationship with pain is not one of avoidance but rather acceptance as a matter of fact and part of the experience.