A yoke is the more or less “cash and carry” version of a pillory. In it’s original medieval form, that was exactly what is was meant to do. Women especially were locked into one and chased through the streets, the victim of public mockery.

Yokes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Usually they are designed so that the neck and the wrists can be locked into it. While in its medieval purpose the yoke was meant as an instrument of shame, in a BDSM setting yokes are predominantly used to create a firm sense of helplessness and exposure, which is why they are usually connected to forms of breast play especially.

Quite a few yoke designs make it difficult of entirely impossible to look down on the breasts, which is where part of their functionality is. Next to that, having to carry the instrument of punishment and restraint around by herself is quite an experience for the average slave, since it is both a demanding as well as a humiliating experience.

A yoke will allow the slave to perform a variety of tasks and duties, however not without a lot of difficulty, which is where a lot of the fun of yokes is. Performing tasks will soon become quite an humiliating experience, which, of course, is the whole idea. Do not introduce any playforms, that might lead to sudden, unexpected moves. These might lead to dislocation of the wrist joints or serious neck injury. Keep it mild. The humiliating aspects of the yoke is what this instrument is all about.

Neckboards

A neckboard, as the name suggests, is actually a mini-pillory that only locks around the neck. It is used as a holding device and certainly not without risk. When – in a standing or sitting position – the board is pulled up, it will stretch the neck and lock the jaws.

The main danger of a neckboard, regardless its design or the material used, is in the risk of damaging the throat severely.Unbalance, while kept in a neckboard, may quite easily lead to falling and severe damage to the throat (it might actually break). Other risks are in the neck of coarse, as well as the possibility of damaging, or even breaking, the jaw bones.

The neck is a vulnerable area of the body and open to a wide variety of potentially serious damage. These may even be lethal. So anything done to or around the neck should be done with extreme care and precautions. Please bear in mind that certain things are completely unpredictable, when it comes to active BDSM play.

People faint or become dizzy for no apparent or obvious reason for example, the combination of “neckboard” and “fall” is a potentially lethal one. Ending up in a wheelchair is another serious risk. Even the toughest, best-trained, most experienced subs may faint as a result of a variety of reasons, not all of which can be predicted. Unexpected emotions or just being in a standing position for a while are only two of such causes.

So the best advice, when using a neckboard, is to make sure that falling is impossible or at the very least will not lead to a situation where the subs’ weight will be on the neck.

Copyright © Hans Meyer & Wasteland.Com

Used with permission Wasteland.Com

The 10th anniversary Awards show, held at the historic Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica, honored the most outstanding achievements across every industry sector during the past year with more than 140 award categories.

“We are thrilled at winning the XBIZ Specialty/Alternative Site of the Year Award at this year’s show,” said Colin Rowntree, founder and CEO of Wasteland.

He added, “Having been operating Wasteland since 1994, we take great pride in our knack at thinking and shooting ‘outside the box’ and are delighted that our work resonates with our members, fans and followers.”

Rowntree noted that Wasteland.com has been featured by HBO, Wired and the BBC and has won dozens of industry awards.

Used with permission Wasteland.Com

BOSTON

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have been recognized by AVN,” said Colin Rowntree, President and Founder of Wasteland.  “After 800 years in this business, we finally feel as though we’re getting the hang of it, and we appreciate the fact that AVN feels the same. We also want to thank our loyal fans and look forward to seeing all of our friends in January.”

The AVN Awards will be announced live on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  For ticket information, please go here.

Wasteland.com has been featured by HBO, Wired and the BBC, and has won dozens of industry awards, including being inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame “Founders Division” and winner of the Free Speech Coalition “Leadership Award”. Wasteland’s sister site, Sssh.com, presents Erotica for women and couples from a woman’s point of view has been featured in Time Magazine, Newsweek and the recently published book, A Billion Wicked Thoughts.

BOSTON

The BDSM powerhouse got the nod for Fetish Studio of the Year, Progressive Web/Tech Company of the Year,  Adult Site of the Year – Membership (Multi-Genre) and Specialty/Alternative Site of the Year.

“Of course, we are delighted and honored to get four nominations this year,” said Colin Rowntree, Wasteland founder.

He added, “After our sweep in 2011 of some of the major awards from various news outlets, I had thought that we might give the younger lads a chance this year. But, here we are again. I suppose our hard work and thinking outside the box since 1995 helps a lot, and we are again humbled and honored to get this sort of recognition from the industry that we have worked so hard to foster and help develop over the years.”

The 2012 XBIZ Awards show is scheduled to take place Jan. 10.