169. Adding Ritual to our DD

I don’t know what this image is but it evoked the word “Ritual” in me.

This post is part of a series covering discussions Mike and I are having on updating our Domestic Discipline Contract.   On the  previous post I outlined the topics we are updating and covered the new Duties and Obligations.  This post is about the topic of Rituals.   

The idea is not foreign to us as Kayla has several Rituals that her and Mike follow.  I’ve posted about them in Post. 155.  Although our punishment protocol in our current contract is a form of ritual, we haven’t incorporated Rituals as a specific topic.

WHY RITUALS?
Mike refers to Rituals as “refocusing activities.”  For Mike, the most important reason for Ritual is for it serve to feed my submissive mindset and reinforce his Dominant mindset.
Mike said the way we accomplish this in Ritual is to have things that are meditative for me, or, allow both of us to focus our behavior to help us connect with our roles.

This can be especially helpful when we are apart, such as when he is away on business or anytime if say, Mike is not feeling particularly Dom-like or I am feeling off kilter in my submissive mindset.

We also talked about our belief that Rituals, once incorporated in my behavior, simply become part of me and not recognizable as Ritual — in other words, they simply become habit.  At that point, new Rituals are needed.  Once the Ritual become mindless habit,  it looses influence on the mindset, but we will deal with that when the time comes. 

MY THOUGHTS ON RITUALS
I immediately connected with this.  Ritual is something you do because you must, even if you aren’t ready or willing or feel up to it.  Like our current “Reward Ceremony,”  Ritual helps me prepare for the moment more humbly and gracefully while keeping me within the submissive mindset I love.  It can create an anticipation that is itself a powerful influence on my mindset.  Our punishment ritual allows both Mike and I to prepare for, resolve, and recover from, a punishment.    

Ritual can deepen the connection between us.  It can reaffirm the roles we’ve agreed to and open up the mind to the mindset that both of us want to be in.  It can further our bond by creating a special meaning for a shared event.  I’ve seen how powerful it can be with Mike and Kayla.  At best it can reconnect them perhaps after Mike had a hard day at work or following a mistake by Kayla.  At worst it simply serves to reaffirm the connection they are already feeling in the moment.  Great stuff either way!  

RITUALS
Again Mike left some room for me to finalize the details.  He wants five specific Rituals:

1.  ENTERING THE HOUSE RITUAL.   Even when Mike works at home, he gets dressed for work and changes clothes when he is done.  This serves as a visual reminder for him AND for us, that he is working or not working.  This is especially important when he works from home.  Mike wants an “Entering the House Ritual.
   Things like I greet him at the door, take anything in his hands, kiss him hello, and if able, greet him kneeling in the entry way.  These would be adjusted for when he works from home such that I will wait outside the bathroom door as he changes or something like that.  We will work out the details.  
2. MORNING MANTRA / NIGHT MANTRA
   He wants me to come up with a phrase to say each night before getting into bed and each morning before getting out of bed.  Almost like a prayer, but in reverence and praise of Mike and my role as a submissive.  He said it doesn’t have to be long, and he would like me to come up with at least three different phrases for both the nighttime and morning from which he will choose one for each.   
3. PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF SUBMISSION
   When we go out to eat, he will always order for me, choosing both my food and drink.  If I am asked to order by the waiter/waitress, I will look over to Mike and nod my head and say, “Sir?”  He will then place my order.   If I need to use the restroom, answer my cell phone, or otherwise get up from the table, I will always ask him if I may be excused.  This is regardless of who may be with us (and this applies at home as well).  
4. AWAY FROM HOME REMINDERS
   I will receive a “short but firm” spanking anytime we are about to go out together.  The purpose of which is to remind me to be submissive while away from our home environment.  In addition, if we stay the night somewhere, I am to receive a similar spanking when we arrive in a new hotel room (or wherever we are staying).  Again, this is to help keep my submissive mindset while in an unfamiliar settings.  
5. WHEN WE ARE APART
   When Mike is traveling, I will call him at night/in morning and recite the mantras.  We will face time or use other video conferencing at night.  I will be naked and ready to submit to his wishes.  He may ask me to put on nipple clamps, the tack bra, a plug, or other items, and he will have me administer a self-spanking until he is satisfied. 

MY REACTION
MANTRAS – It’s been a fun exercise in writing the mantras.  I don’t have all six written yet but should soon.  I am open to any suggestions.  I am curious if any of you do anything like that and if so, what do you say?

AWAY FROM HOME REMINDERS – I can see these having value.  It’s interesting that already, just the thought of knowing a spanking is in order does a lot for my submissive mindset.  

PUBLIC DISPLAYS – This is the most disconcerting.  My guess is my anxiety about this is unwarranted and in most cases people will be oblivious or won’t care.  

WHEN WE ARE APART – This sounds fun and we have done a little of this before, but it was not formalized.  Spanking myself is new, so that will be interesting.

Overall, just like his new Duties and Obligations, thinking about these Rituals gives part of me gets a tingle while part of me is a bit apprehensive.  Whatever my feelings, I am committed to doing what Mike asks.  None of these things are objectionable to me.

NEXT:  170. Modifying our Maintenance Sessions

 

 

155. Kayla Update: Acts of Service, Rituals, and more.

I added a post script to Post 153. Kayla the Master, that you may have missed.  I realized that Kayla was going through a Sub-frenzy.  Even before this frenzy, she was already more submissive to Mike than I am.  From the beginning she was into having more rituals and performing more acts of service compared to me.  The Immersion unleashed this frenzy that has taken those things to a greater extreme.  I’ll get back to that in a moment. 

She starts grad school August 22.  It will be an adjustment for all of us as we are all so accustomed to her being around the house almost all the time.  It will also be a big adjustment for her to be away so much during the day.  She is a bit worried that she can stay focused on school and on her submission.  She is an excellent student and has our complete support.  To help her with that balance, Mike has made it clear she would be punished if she was not focusing on school.  Not that she needs that motivation as she will likely get all A’s anyway, but, she liked the idea of making doing well in school yet another act of submission.

KAYLA NEEDING MORE
In response to Kayla’s desire for more structure, more discipline, and more submission, she needed and wanted to be subject to many more rituals and acts of service.  The three of us talked about this and did some web browsing to get ideas, many of which were implemented.     

Before I share with you the many rituals and acts of service that Kayla has to follow, it is important to share what these things mean to us and especially to Kayla.  Kayla was clear that these activities are about being Mike’s subject, not his object.  It’s easy to get those confused, but to us, a subject is the doer – the initiator, the giver.  An object is a thing being observed or used without regard.

ACTS OF SERVICE
For Kayla, these acts are important ways for her to go out of her way to show her love for Mike and that she is thinking of him.  There are subtle acts, such as physical touching whenever speaking to him, as well as a litany of overt services.  I probably am missing some, but this should give you a good idea:

• Maintaining his car.  She cleans it every day, makes sure the gas is above half a tank, she takes care of oil changes, inspection/registration etc.  
• She cleans his office every day
• She is always prepared when we go out.  She has all sorts of “just in case he needs them” things in her purse.  Hand lotion, glasses cleaner, moist towelettes, shoelaces, toothpicks, band aides, etc.  
• She runs errands such as getting gifts on his behalf for upcoming family birthdays such as siblings, nieces, nephews. 
• Offers back rubs, neck/shoulder massage
• Warms a towel in the dryer whenever he gets into the shower and has it ready for him when he gets out.  She also drys him.
• Meticulously folds his clothes and irons everything, lays out clothes for him to wear.
• Gives him a manicure and/or pedicure
• There’s a variety of sexual and kink related acts of service as well.  

I am subject to all of these, although we have developed a few different sex/kink related acts that are unique to me or unique to Kayla.   But Kayla is the Energizer Bunny when it comes to the acts and thus more often than not she performs most of them.  That’s fine by me!  Of course, I step in if there are things going on where Kayla is not available to do those things.  With school starting, I suspect I will be responsible for completing more acts of service.    

RITUALS
This is where Kayla and I differ greatly.  I don’t do much of this.  It just isn’t where I get fulfillment and more importantly, Mike hasn’t asked these things of me.  By the way, I would certainly do them if he required me to. 

Ritual wise, she does a nightly weigh-in and inspection with Mike.  During this she recites what she did for him that day and she always provides him words of affirmation regarding how she believes in him and loves him.  They have this whole mantra or dialogue they do.  Kayla wrote it out as a script and memorized it.

I won’t share the details but basically it is a series of questions that Mike asks her and she gives the scripted answer, verbatim, else she is spanked.  It starts with Mike asking, “Who loves you?” and Kayla responding, “You do, sir.”  It goes on with Mike asking why, how is that love shown, etc.   Kayla responds to each question, some of them quite lengthy scripted responses she must correctly recite.  It also includes her saying a lot of self affirmations as well.   It’s cute and touching, and I enjoy listening to it each night as it always puts a smile on my face.

Oh, I want to mention that the weigh-in thing is Kayla’s idea.  Mike does not get on her about her weight.  That is 100% Kayla self imposing this ritual.  There is no “fat shaming” that goes on.  For one, she isn’t fat, in fact, she is in great shape and even more amazing shape since coming to live with us.  Kayla chooses to be accountable to Mike regarding her figure.  Mike is always very complimentary of her and there is no punishments if the scale ticks up.  

CUES
Mike and Kayla have developed many gestures or cues, to communicate with each other.  For instance, if he snaps his fingers she is to immediately drop to her knees and take a submissive pose.  If he winks at her, she is to flirt with whomever is with us.  A short wave of his finger means she is to go to her room and await a spanking.  There are many other gestures as well.  I can’t keep up.   Kayla wrote them all down and even Mike forgets them sometimes.  

For Kayla, these things give her a heighten focus and attention, at least until they become second nature to her.   She then adds a few more, repeats the heighten focus and attention, and again, those too eventually become second nature.  Repeat.

It’s a very eloquent thing to watch.  The simple interaction, that pinpoint gesture where her servitude is displayed in an instant.  It fulfills her to learn these things and to adhere to these things.  I get a sense of submissive fulfillment just watching her.

POSES
There are a variety of submissive poses.  Just Google it and you’ll see many types of poses for submissives and slaves.   Mike and Kayla have combined the cues with various poses such that a “double snap” means a specific pose, different than the single snap of the fingers.  Or if he holds up his hand as if to motion “Halt,” then it is yet a different pose.  
There’s a couple of kneeling poses, an attention pose, an inspection pose, a presentation pose, a sex doll pose, and others.  I can’t keep up.  That’s Mike and Kayla’s thing.  But again, I enjoy watching her react when he gestures her to take a pose. 

So, that’s an update on Kayla’s submission.  As I stated in my last post, my submission is on a pretty even keel.  Nothing has really changed, except my contentment.  Things are in a great rhythm and I am enjoying serving Mike, enjoying Kayla being part of our “love circle,” and just overall enjoying life!  

NEXT:  156. A QUIET MIND