Effects Of Masturbation

Surprisingly little research attention has been paid to the specific effects of masturbation. The history of masturbation is littered with moral condemnation and scientific inaccuracies regarding its negative effects but thankfully there finally seems to be medical agreement that masturbation is a healthy form of sexual expression, and one with more positive than negative effects. 

Still many of us believe the masturbation myths we are raised with, which makes it worthwhile to learn the truth about the effects of masturbation on the body and the mind.

Masturbation can increase self-knowledge:

Sex educators don’t call masturbation the cornerstone of sexual health for nothing. Masturbation is the first, safest, and best way to get to know how your sexual body works. You can learn what turns you on and what doesn’t. You can learn how to give yourself sexual pleasure in a hurry, or when you’ve got nothing but time. As an educational tool, masturbation is better than any textbook, video or website you’ll ever read (that includes this one!). 

Masturbation can lead to self-discovery:

Even if you know how to get the job done, masturbatorally speaking, your capacity to feel sexual pleasure is limitless and masturbation is a great way to find new functions for familiar parts. Often when we’re having sex with a partner we might be too self-conscious, shy, or otherwise distracted to pay close attention to what’s happening in our own body. Masturbation, when you’re doing it by yourself, allows you to focus on the subtlety of your own sexual response,  and possibly discover things you hadn’t previously realized were part of your sexuality.

Masturbation is nature’s sleep aid:

While thinking about sex might keep you up at night having it, including masturbation, is a great way to deal with insomnia. In a 2000 study of U.S. women, 32% said that in the past three months they masturbated as a way to fall asleep. Whether it’s because of the hormones and endorphins released following orgasm, , the benefits of clearing your head, or the mini cardio workout, masturbation that ends in orgasm is a great way to get to sleep without pills, television, or counting sheep.

Masturbation provides pain relief:

Whether you’re experiencing temporary or chronic pain from sore joints, headaches, menstrual cramps, or other causes, masturbation and orgasm can, in some cases, provide natural pain relief. While we don’t know exactly why, research has documented arousal and orgasm resulting in reduced pain thresholds. It’s worth pointing out that for some conditions (like migraine headaches) orgasm can either reduce the pain or increase it.

Masturbation is a great stress reliever:

Several studies have documented the relaxation effects of masturbation induced orgasm. Aside from the physical benefits, masturbation, when you’re doing it right, is all about “you time” and taking time to focus on yourself is a great way to break up the stress of a busy life. Particularly when used with sexual fantasy, masturbation can be a great escape, a way to let off some steam, and while masturbation alone might not be enough to deal with all the stress in your life, it’s a healthy, free, and non-pharmaceutical tool right at your fingertips (or other body part or sex toy, as the case may be).

Masturbation may offer cancer prevention:

Two recent studies found a link between the number of times a man ejaculates and the likelihood of getting prostate cancer. The prostate gland produces and stores seminal fluid and the fluid can build up in the prostate if a man goes a long time without ejaculating. This build up isn’t always a problem, but in the studies men who ejaculate more were less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Another researcher has proposed a theory that orgasm may offer some protective effect against breast cancer via oxytocin released at orgasm. 

Source : http://sexuality.about.com

Masturbation Sex Positions

Betty Dodson, considered by many to be the Grandmother of Masturbation, often writes about the way we hold our bodies when we masturbate. Many of us keep very stiff (no pun intended) and still when we masturbate, and only relax once we have climaxed. In her books and videos, Dodson highlights the importance of moving while you masturbate.

One aspect of this is the physical position we put our body in when we masturbate. Because masturbation is often considered purely for its functional benefits (rather than an expression of love or lust or creativity) most people don’t think about variations on sexual positions for masturbation. There are thousands of variations, but here are some basic ideas to spark your imagination.

Masturbation Sex Position - Stretch and Relax:

This position is the antidote for those who tense up and never move during masturbation. Before you begin, lie on your back, and stretch your arms and legs out as far as possible, making your body into an “X” shape. Try to hold the stretch for ten seconds. Do this a few times before you begin masturbating. As you masturbate try to keep your body stretched out as much as is comfortable, think about it as if you are trying to take up as much space on the bed as you can.

Masturbation Sex Position – Knees Bent/Hips Open:

This is a classic position for masturbation. Lie on your back with your feet on your floor and knees bent. Focus on how your hips feel, and the different kinds of hip movements that are comfortable and possible in this position. A variation of this position is to bring your knees close to your chest. This position is all about rocking your hips and opening them up to the energy that is created as you masturbate.

Masturbation Sex Position - On Your Knees:

This may seem like an odd position but that is partly the point. Find a comfortable position on your knees, with a pillow underneath them. Try it with your body upright, as if standing on your knees. Be on your knees but leaning back resting on your calves You can even try to masturbate while on your hands and knees (although you’ll probably have at least one hand occupied, so be careful with your balance). The point is to see how masturbation and orgasm feels, in these different positions.

Masturbation Sex Position - Heels over Head:

Not everyone will be flexible enough for this masturbation sex position, but you can experiment with variations that will work for you. Lie on your back and bring your legs up so that they are pointing to your head. You can keep your legs together or spread them apart, you can bend your knees or keep them straight. In this position you have access not just to your genitals but also your sides, your behind, and your legs. Put a pillow under your hips

Masturbation Sex Position – Half on/Half off:

This position is designed to get you playing with gravity. In this position you want to have part of your body on a flat surface (like a bed or the floor) and another part of your body at a different level. So you might lie on your back near a wall with your legs up on the wall. Or try lying on your stomach at the edge of the bed with your waist and legs off the bed. Or masturbate while sitting up completely straight, so that your upper torso is sitting up and your lower body is lying flat.

Masturbation Sex Position – Dancing on the Walls

Lie on your back either on bed or the floor, but right by a wall. Position your waist so that your bum is right by the wall, and raise your legs going straight up the wall (it’s like that “bicycle” exercise position). A variation of this is to keep your bum slightly away from the wall and put your feet flat against the wall with your knees bent (so that when you push with your feet you are moving your body away from the wall). This position is another good one for exploring hip movements, and you can experiment with pushing against the wall with your feet as you masturbate. 

Masturbation Sex Position - All Curled Up and Nowhere to Go

This position for masturbation is about drawing your body in on itself. You can curl up on your side, on your back, or on your hands and knees. In each position your genitals are still exposed and it’s easiest to use a sex toy for masturbating in these positions. You may not notice much while masturbating in this position, but once you’ve finished, stretch out, and pay close attention to how your body feels.

Source : http://sexuality.about.com

How To Tips For Mutual Masturbation

Masturbation may sound like an oxymoron. After all, masturbation is supposed to be something you do by yourself, and if someone else is in the room, isn’t that just called having sex? It’s true, but masturbation is also form of sex, and sharing masturbation with a partner, can be a wonderful way of sharing intimacy, and a great way to share sexual secrets. As with all sex, there’s no one way to do it, but here are some tips to get the mutual masturbation ball rolling.

Time Required: Mutual masturbation can be a five minute quickie or an entire evening of romance.

Here's How:

1. Why mutual masturbation is a good idea
   Because most of us still have some embarrassment about masturbation lets list some benefits of exploring mutual masturbation:
• Mutual masturbation is a great way to deal with differing sex drives; you don’t both have to be in the mood at the same time.
• Mutual masturbation helps you learn what your partner likes, and teach your partner what works for you.
• Masturbation is another side of you: sharing talk about masturbation and/or masturbating in your partner’s presence can be a powerful way of sharing a new level of intimacy
2. Get comfortable with your own masturbation.
   The first step to sharing masturbation with a partner is getting comfortable in your own masturbatory-skin (that’s kind of a gross image, but I think you know what I mean). This may mean educating yourself about masturbation myths, or exploring masturbation more on your own first. If you haven’t thought much about how you masturbate start to give it some thought, notice any patterns or familiar fantasy you use. Ultimately you should be able to show, if not talk with your partner about what feels good, so give your self time to figure it out first. 
3. Wait until the time is right.
   Don’t pressure yourself (or accept pressure from a partner) to explore mutual masturbation. While mutual masturbation can be a great was to enhance your sex life, its also very intimate and exposing, and you should only do it when the time is right. If you’re unsure about it, think about what smaller steps you can take to share masturbation with a partner.
4. Talk about masturbation with your partner.
   Before you dive right in, it’s a good idea to talk about masturbation with your partner. Even though most people continue to masturbate while in relationships, many couples hide their masturbation in relationships . The conversation doesn’t need to be serious or heavy, and it could even start as more of a curiosity, sharing stories about when you first masturbated, or how you learned to masturbate. The point is to get masturbation on the table as a topic as a way of gauging both your and your partners comfort with the subject.
5. Honor the privacy of masturbation.
   The first time you masturbate with someone else in the room it may feel weird. Most of us have a way we like to masturbate, and for most of us this includes feeling like we’re alone and have some level of privacy. One way to get over the hump that first time is to keep your eyes closed (or if you don’t want to focus on that, use a blindfold or scarf to cover your eyes). With your eyes closed, as you start to masturbate it can be easier to slip into your comfort zone. For most people this is the easiest way to masturbate in front of a partner the first time.
6. Take turns.
   One of the best things about masturbating in front of your partner is the lessons learned about what turns you on. Each of you should get an opportunity to simply watch the other masturbate without any distractions. The first time you share masturbation, if it feels awkward, you might agree in advance to take turns, one of you starting and masturbating until you’re done, and then the other goes. While simultaneous mutual masturbation can also be fun, letting yourself be the focus of attention can also be both arousing and educational.
7. Mutual masturbation sex positions.
   Once you’re comfortable with mutual masturbation in both theory and practice its time to mix it up and play with different positions and situations. Doing this can enhance the sexual response you get from masturbation, it can also spark different fantasy scenarios, and lead to more learning for your partner. Try mutual masturbation on different pieces of furniture (if you’re always in bed, try it in a chair, in the shower, on the floor) and experiment with different sex positions.
8. Masturbating together.
   Mutual masturbation can also mean masturbating together. From the perspective of spiritual sexuality, the sexual energy built up with masturbation can be shared even if you aren’t physically touching each other. Some people make a game of it, and try to masturbate in synch so they finish together. If you don’t have a lot of time you might compete to see who finishes first. One of the great things about doing this is sharing your feelings as you both lie there satisfied by your own hands, but sharing an intimate moment together.
9. Masturbating each other.
   While most of us might think that a hands-off-each-other approach is what defines masturbation, dictionary definitions of mutual masturbation usually include touching each other and there’s no reason not to blur that line. This might include you focusing on another part of your partner’s body while they masturbate, or you might be right in the center of the action. You might use parts of each others bodies in your own masturbation technique. Or maybe you come in right at the end, to help out with the big finish.
10. Adding sex toys.
    Sex toys can add a lot to both solo and mutual masturbation. For starters, toys remind us that sex is play, and lots of times it’s just meant to be silly fun. Sex toys also provide a kind of strong, consistent stimulation that we can’t create on our own. Introducing sex toys during mutual masturbation can also be a great way to bring sex toys into your partner sex, and it makes room for you showing your partner first how you like to play with sex toys before they take over. 
11. Playing with eye contact and talking.
    At the beginning, if you are uncomfortable with masturbating in front of your partner, making a lot of eye contact or talking might seem too intense. But if you find you both enjoy mutual masturbation and get more comfortable with it, adding eye contact and talking can take it to a different level. Gazing into each others eyes during any kind of sex play can be intensely intimate and hot. Sharing sexual fantasies or describing what you’d like to do to or with your partner while they masturbate can be another form of sexual fantasy role play. 

Source : http://sexuality.about.com