Sensation Play with Natural Textures

Photo by James Lee via Unsplash

What is sensation play?

Sensation play might sound like something unfamiliar to you, but odds are you’ve seen or heard about it before from media, in conversations with friends, or taken part in it yourself without knowing what it’s called.

Sensation play it the way we can utilize the changing of textures and temperatures on the body to generate feelings you or your partner(s) may not typically feel. This is a great way to potentially arouse the human body in a new or exciting way, and it’s something you can easily do anywhere if you’re open to being creative.

While a lot of movies and books might portray sensation play as something intense and prescribed (velvet blindfold, a thin leather whip… you likely know this scene from somewhere!), sensation play can look and feel like so many other things, too. And natural elements are often a great place to start exploring, as there are so many way to interpret sensations through what we see and experience outside.

Bringing nature into sensation play

Whether you’re getting sexy with yourself or others indoors or outside, here are a few ideas to get you started when it comes to incorporating natural elements into sensation play:

Water: Water is an extremely sensual force and can be utilized in a slow drip drip drip on various parts of the body, a thrilling skinny dip, or with a variety of pressures from a faucet or shower head if that’s available to you. Try it on different body parts and with different temperatures.

Ice: Ice on more sensitive areas like nipples or other erogenous zones can light up those nerve endings and create a heightened state of arousal in some folks. Take an ice cube (or a snowball, if you’re feeling wintery) and let it melt on yourself or your partner(s), and experiment with where its placement feels the most exciting.

Feathers: Ethically sourced feathers can be another way to bring natural elements into your sensation play. Note that it’s not completely safe to use feathers you found on the ground for intimate play, as some feathers have the capacity to spread harmful bacteria and (in rare cases) disease, and some sources highlight that it is not lawful to forage feathers at all, from many native birds.

Flowers or palms: There’s endless variety to be found in the world of plants, which also means a bounty of ways to explore what feels good on your body. For instance, the petals from flowers are just the softest, aren’t they? Rub them gently on yourself or partner(s) as individual petals, or keep them on the flower and use the entire stem to stroke different body parts. Alternately, palms have a softness to them while also maintaining strong, pointed edges— which could make for an entirely different sensory experience. If you don’t have access to flowers or plants on private lands, keep in mind that purchasing locally is generally best, as opposed to foraging from public spaces.

Fresh fruit: Who said sensation play had to only be about touch? Try incorporating some juicy fruits into your play. Touch them, taste them, let the juices drip.

Sand: There are many different grains to sand, so it’s a great tool to get into the sensations happening on your skin. You can step outside to try out some sensation play, or bring a small sand box into somewhere more private. Note: sand, depending on the texture, can be extremely challenging to clean from reproductive parts, such as labia folds, and could potentially lead to infection without full removal. We don’t recommend playing with sand in genital regions, but rather using it to explore other areas of the body.

Mud: Mud can be a way to spread out your sensations wide across the many surfaces of your body for an all-over experience. Note: same rules for mud apply as with sand: be contentious with play and post-play cleaning around genital areas. Having penetrative experiences after this play, without cleaning, may lead to infection.

Fire: It might sound scary, but hear us out! Fire can be used to (literally) create a lot of heat. So while using actual fire isn’t something that the vast majority of folks might be open to, there are ways you can utilize fire to do some fun sensation play, such as purchasing candles with human-safe wax designed to be safe to touch when melted.

Tips for making the most of your sensation play

Ask for consent. As with all sexual activities, it’s important to talk with anyone you might want to involve in sensation play and understand their interest or boundaries around specific things you want to try. Be open to easing in or negotiating so both/all parties feel comfortable. On this note, consider using or developing a safe word as well.

Turn off other distractions. If you’re looking to really get into the moment, turn off whatever could pull your focus— including things you might typically implement during other sexual activities, like music, incense, etc. You’ll be able to feel the full range of sensations and use more of your energy to tune into your body.

Consider a blindfold or dim the room. If you have sight, it might be worthwhile to consider a blindfold or turn down any lights to limit visibility even for a few minutes to see how your ability to feel the sensations intensifies.

What else would you add? What questions do you have? Drop them in the comments.