This month is dedicated to celebrating one of the most wonderful ways we can show ourselves some love and prioritise pleasure - that's right, May is International Masturbation Month and we’re providing some masturbation tips for women and men.
Now, perhaps masturbation has never really been something you talk openly about, and maybe you've never quite thought about its importance. But self pleasure is in fact a really healthy practice that can increase endorphins, improve sleep, reduce stress and enhance self-esteem and body image. If you're looking to prioritise your pleasure, connect more with yourself or simply explore your pleasure potential this month, you're in luck!
Masturbation May has cum, and we're going to shake things up a bit.
But before we get into some masturbation tips, it's helpful to really think about your own personal history with masturbation itself first, and how this may have impacted your current relationship with self pleasure.
Many of us started masturbating quite young and depending on our upbringing, we may have internalised shame or taboo around self-pleasure. Often masturbation is something that we've felt the need to hide or to do quickly so as not to get caught. And just like any habit, the more that we get used to doing something the same way every time, the harder it is to break.
So, I want you to consider - are you masturbating the same way you always have?
If so, you're essentially training yourself to reach orgasm in just one specific type of way and often in a short period of time. Which can have a great impact on the quality of your partnered sex life - how long it lasts, and how easily you can reach orgasm. Switching up your masturbation routine is a really great practice to get into in order to explore new sensations and to train yourself to last longer, too.
So to celebrate May international masturbation month , let's explore some ways to make your solo sex life even spicier.
1. Take your time
Masturbation doesn't have to be simply a quick fix just because you're by yourself. Train yourself to extend your pleasure and savour in some solo time by slowing down. When you rush to the end goal, you'll often experience a short sharp peak followed by a quick decline in pleasure. But when you take your time to slowly build up before reaching your climax, you'll experience longer, more intense and satisfying orgasms as a result. More pleasure and better O's? Yes, please!
2. Practice edging
Edging is a really great practice if you're struggling to slow down, and it's something you can do solo or take in to your partnered sex life too. When you feel yourself getting towards the point of no return, simply hold back a bit, slow down or move your focus elsewhere. Then start self-pleasuring again until you reach that point once more. Repeating this pattern multiple times will lead to far more powerful orgasms and help you last even longer.
3. Lube up
Say it with me, lube makes everything better! Make your self-pleasure sessions much more enjoyable by using plenty of natural lubricant, like Frenchie's Oh La La Love Lube. Using lube increases pleasure, mitigates the risk of abrasions due to friction on the delicate tissue of the genitals, and intensifies orgasms. Yum!
4. Breathe Deeply
Tuning in to your breath and taking long, slow, deep breaths during masturbation can help to channel your sexual energy upwards throughout the body, allowing for full body orgasms. When you breathe deeply, you oxygenate your blood and increase blood-flow, resulting in deeper pleasure. Rather than holding your breath at the point of orgasm, try visualising your breath moving up along your spine towards your head. With practice, this can lead to deeply pleasurable orgasms.
5. Explore different sensations
Explore the world of blended orgasms by adding in different sensations to your usual masturbation routine. Try touching different parts of your body at the same time as stimulating your genitals such as your nipples, neck, thighs, anus. Try different types of pressure, too. You might find some areas of your body respond to lighter touch, whereas others melt under a firmer touch. You might even like to try temperature play by experimenting with warm oil, dripping wax from a body-safe candle onto your skin (not the genitals), or using some ice around your genitals.
6. Switch up your position
If you tend to stay in the same position every time you masturbate, shake things up and rewire your pleasure pathways by trying a totally new position. Perhaps it's standing up, sitting down, on all fours, laying on your belly, your back, on your knees, with legs raised - you name it! The more pleasure you can give yourself in varying positions, the more you'll experience when it comes to a steamy partnered sex session. Try allowing your whole body to move and gyrate as you self pleasure, too. The hand (or vibe!) doesn't have to do all the work here. Try circling your hips, undulating or grinding in order to increase your full body pleasure potential.
7. Try different sex toys
Let yourself experience new types of stimulation by grabbing yourself a sex toy. Something like the Double Entendre is a versatile tool to feel a whole world of new sensations. You can try turning the vibration on and holding it to the tip of the penis or the clitoris, curving the flexible body of the vibe around the shaft or using inside the vagina to reach the g-spot, or exploring anal pleasure. Variety is the key to enhanced pleasure and heightened orgasms.
8. Make it mutual
Make masturbation the star of the show by inviting your lover to watch you, or perhaps engage in mutual masturbation together. Letting your partner watch is not only super sexy, but it also gives them an insight into the ways that you get off. Lovers, take note!
There are so many ways to make masturbation an even more fulfilling practice, and I encourage you to get creative this May month of masturbation and put your pleasure first.
Written By Eleanor Hadley
