'I create safe spaces for people to fall apart.' From online BDSM courses, to Shibari retreats, this is the magical Rina Trevi, vulnerability coach & Shibari artist.
‘I knew I needed an entirely different kind of existence, so—just like in ‘The Matrix’—I became a “Matrix Jumper.”‘
Rina Trevi started out in post-Soviet Russia, and jumped through many matrices, from the American corporate world to the BDSM scene, before reaching where she is today as a vulnerability and intimacy coach with a special focus on Shibari.
My name is Rina Trevi, and I’m a vulnerability and intimacy coach. I create safe spaces for healing, self-discovery, and spiritual exploration. I’m a former professional Dominatrix, and now I focus on Shibari—the Japanese art of tying—as well as tantric bodywork, specifically the Sacred Feminine Touch Ceremony. I’m based in Austin, TX, but I travel extensively.
What are the specific services that you offer?
I love to offer both educational and ceremonial journeys:
Empowered Surrender Journeys (Shibari, Power Exchange, Sensation Play)
Meet Shibari artist & vulnerability coach: Rina Trevi.
I create safe spaces for people to fall apart. It’s in the falling apart, in the messiness, that we find our way to healing and wholeness.
I know this because I’ve lived it and witnessed this transformation in countless humans I’ve worked with.
But it wasn’t always this way for me. I grew up in post-Soviet Russia, where secrets and silence defined my childhood. I felt completely out of place, like a misfit. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t conform to my family’s culture, and my body let me know it. I felt sick, depressed, and utterly alone.
I wasn’t going to live that way, so I jumped. I knew I needed an entirely different kind of existence, so—just like in The Matrix—I became a ‘Matrix Jumper.’
My first ‘matrix’ after leaving Russia was the American Dream. I lived in DC, earned an MBA, and worked my way into a corporate finance job. But after a while, my body let me know it was time for another change, when I would fall asleep in the middle of the day and cry all night.
I knew there were options. I could numb myself into accepting that this was my life, like my alcoholic father and countless others, or I could jump again. So I jumped.
This time, I embraced the unknown. I traveled throughout the U.S., then to Thailand and India, learning about alternative ways of healing.
I connected with myself and found a kind of freedom I never knew existed. I wanted to share it with the world, and now I do.
Rina Trevi.
After many years as a professional dominatrix in NYC and learning the sacred art of Shibari, I am now focused on coaching others toward transformation and healing through various modalities of vulnerability.
Though my body loudly led the way for me, we can all find our path to healing, wellness, and bliss.
How would you describe your approach to Shibari?
Initially, I was a professional Dominatrix. After practicing for over a decade, my curiosity led me to a Shibari master, Bodhi Zappa. I wanted to experience surrender myself, and I was looking for the right professional. I’d heard amazing feedback from his clients and was curious to explore the rope journeys he offered.
Bodhi took me on a ceremonial Shibari healing journey that lasted about five hours, using ropes as well as sound healing. The experience was profound and transformational, and I decided to become his student to learn Shibari. He was my initial mentor, but I also studied with Tati Limati and Ren Yagami.
We all have certain ideas of what rope bondage and Shibari are about, and we may, consciously or unconsciously, have certain expectations. Rather than leaving you to guess or assume, I’ll clarify what a Shibari journey with me really is: my intention is to offer a sacred journey into vulnerability. My journeys are a dance between technical skill and intuitive flow, with intuitive flow leading the way, while technical skills ensure safe, practical application.
What are your favourite kinks to explore in sessions and why?
I love power exchange, rope bondage, sensation play, impact play, and role play.
How can Shibari strengthen a relationship?
Shibari is about removing our masks and exposing our authentic selves.
Rina Trevi.
Deeper intimacy is possible when we dive deeper into vulnerability, and rope bondage is a beautiful gateway into our real selves.
Rope bondage also offers a way to step out of our habitual social roles and try something entirely different. It’s an opportunity to bring playfulness into relationships.
Tell us about your Shibari retreats?
My retreats are Intimately Tied.
I offer deep dives into intimacy while embarking on a journey of profound self-discovery.
I harness the transformative power of Shibari as a coaching modality, focusing on vulnerability and connection. Shibari is ideal for healers, coaches, couples, singles, therapists, shamans, and artists. It provides a unique avenue for growth and understanding within a safe space.
We usually start the retreat as strangers (as participants come from all over the country) and leave feeling like soul family.
Intimacy is about deep connection and understanding, and yet we keep our underwear on throughout the weekend. I love to debunk the myth that Shibari has to be about sex. At my retreats, we expand our understanding of ropes and intimacy.
One of the unique features of my rope retreats is the Rope Opera—Shibari Theatrical Performance, which I offer at the opening of the weekend.
Tell us about self-suspension!
Rina Trevi.
Self-suspension requires me to split myself into two parts—the one leading and holding space, and the one riding the experience, surrendering.
It’s fascinating to be both at the same time. It’s an interesting practice to find balance between the two. At times, I feel like I might lose myself in the emotions, while other times I feel too wrapped up in the technical aspects. However, there are moments of balance, where I harmoniously embody both aspects of my expression, and it feels amazing!
What was one of your favourite Shibari tying experiences?
This is my favorite Shibari experience of the year—tying up a mermaid underwater!
Rina Trevi.
It was a very unique creative gig, requiring a team to ensure safety. We had an Australian freediving champion on our safety team, and I’m impressed by our model, who wanted to be fully restrained for a deep experience of surrender. Our photographer was amazing at capturing these incredible images!
Here is a list of people who contributed to this photoshoot:
Iso is a writer and filmmaker based in East London. She is passionate about all things erotic and leads a sexy, shame-free life in hope that she can inspire others to do the same. Originally from a Northern seaside town, she is naturally drawn to the best things in life: candyfloss, trashy karaoke bars and heart-shaped sunglasses.
Rina Trevi
Author
Rina Trevi, formerly known as Ms. Renee Trevi is not a Dominatrix, not a masseuse and not a psychotherapist. A Vulnerability Coach is the best way to describe her profession: her mission is to acquaint you with your own self - raw and unmasked. She creates safe spaces for healing, self-discovery and spiritual explorations.
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