Many of us suspend because we are part of groups that share a common interest in body modification. We have peers who have just as many piercings or tattoos as we do, we attend events where we can watch suspension happen, and maybe our significant others encouraged us to explore new body modification experiences. Our first time suspending probably happened after years of observing friends give it a try.
And then there are those like me, starting our journey on the outside of the mod community with our noses pressed against the glass, just watching. We privately research body suspension and try not to talk about it too much. No one around us has any idea that we’d be interested in such a thing.
I spent most of my 20s secretly desiring to suspend. Every now and then I would bring it up to another person, and the response would be some variation of “Ick.” The idea was rolling around in my brain as I waited until the time was right. There was just something about seeing pictures and videos of people hanging and having a great time that made me go, “You know, I could do that.” I have a penchant for the new and extreme, and I was gonna try that body suspension thing no matter what.
Last year, at age 28, I finally felt ready. I mustered up the courage to contact a suspension group.. The group was DisGraceLand WasteLanD in Illinois. We set a date, and before I knew it I was driving myself down there with my sister as a tag-a-long friend.
My sister was the only person who would have been willing to come with me. My husband, bless his heart, is much too squeamish to watch something like that, and he doesn’t understand why a person would want to do suspension anyway. I certainly couldn’t tell my parents at the time because they look down on this sort of thing. This was a private endeavor to try something new and intense. 
The suspension was a 4-point suicide facilitated by the talented Gregory Charles. It took only a few seconds to get off the ground, and I felt like a natural. My sister took pictures for me and cheered me on. It was just like I imagined it would be. I did a 10-point coma by myself not long after.
It can be isolating exploring body suspension by yourself. I know I can’t be the only one. My husband can’t look at pictures of my suspensions or hear anything about them because it squicks him out. My sister’s not really into that kind of thing, no extended family members are part of the mod community, and I’ve never really had friends that did this sort of stuff.
I’m a goofy, Christian (that's a whole other blog, right there), part-time-working housewife and artist with little dot-like scars that are my little secret. It’s rare that I’m able to talk about my body suspensions. I use Instagram to stay connected with suspension groups and other enthusiasts though. Currently I’m saving and planning for more suspensions, including figuring out a way to ride the human gyroscope rig. I’ll be darned if anyone’s going to stop me.
If you’re like me and have no prior connections to the community but would like to try body suspension, just go for it! You can do it! It’s thrilling. You don’t have to belong to a certain group or have other mods or even know someone else who does it. There are dozens of us in the same boat, I’m sure. I look forward to making new friends and connections in the community. The people are lovely, so get out there and make it happen for yourself.
Note from the editor:
Many thanks to Ovoideum for sending this piece in!
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