BDSM is, at its core, a dance between two of our most fundamental human drives: the pursuit of intimacy, and the need for surrender.
Far from being opposites, these desires intertwine in conscious power exchange and authority transfer, where surrender becomes an act of divine faith, and vulnerability becomes the doorway to authentic selfhood.
The archetypes we inhabit in our dynamics—Dominant and submissive, Top and bottom—are not merely roles, but sacred mirrors of our very own psyche.
Yet, none of this transformation is possible without three foundational competencies that most BDSM education never explicitly teaches—intimacy, vulnerability, and self-articulation.
Himalayan Tantra teaches that human beings require access to four distinct realms: Everyday waking consciousness; the mythical (archetypal) realm of dreams; the magical realm of pure sensation beyond time and space, deep sleep; and the integral realm where All may converge, transcendence. In what we might call an “unconsciously competent” maneuver, BDSM accesses all four simultaneously.
Drawing on the Mandukya Upanishad’s map of consciousness, and Akasha’s own explorations in her book, Dance of the Shadows, this presentation explores why BDSM works so powerfully at the spiritual level.
Akasha provides an introduction of kink through a spiritual, womanist, and afromystical lens—where she explores ritual, protocol, energy exchange, and shadow work as extensions of spiritual practice.
This class is taught from a feminine lens, but is open to anyone curious about the topic. We offer sliding-scale rates to expand access to those with financial barriers.
This is a hybrid class, offered both in-person in Brooklyn, and online via Zoom!
Who’s teaching?
Akasha Eden (she/they) is a Leatherwoman, griot, and Leather community servant whose work blends spirituality, womanist wisdom, mental health advocacy, and academic rigor.
As International Ms. Leather 2026, 2026 Scholar-in-Residence for the Carter Johnson Library and Collection and Women of Drummer, Vice President of ONYX Pearls NY/NE, Northeast slave 2024, 2023 MAsT International Presenter of the Year, and author of Diary of a Leather Rope Bunny and The Dance of the Shadows, Akasha works tirelessly to arm the community with the power of knowledge.
Rooted in Black femme resilience, she teaches & presents in hopes of helping her community discover joy, embodiment, and systems navigation in Leather, BDSM, and WIITWD.