There’s absolutely no shame in admitting that you masturbate. Indeed, according to a recent survey that GLAMOUR carried out, 91% of our readers partake in the art of masturbation, while 36% of you do it 2-5 times a week; which is a fairly regular date with your favourite sex toy; which 67% of you say you use.
As these stats attest, masturbation is no longer sordid sexual secret, but rather a vital part of yourmental and physical wellbeing, which is why people are going wild for a new masturbation trend. Enter: edging.
‘Edging’ involves building yourself up to come, and then having a rest before starting again. In fact, the sex experts at Pulse and Cocktails believe the art of edging has a plethora of wellness benefits, including improved sleep, the release of feel-good hormones, increased productivity and a boosted libido.
Edging is part of a new ‘mindful masturbation’ trend. According to Billie Quinlan, co-founder of Ferly, mindful masturbation is a ‘sensual way to explore your pleasure, get grounded in your body and escape your mind for a few blissful minutes’.
As well all know, mindfulness is the practice of becoming conscious and aware, of being present in the moment rather than distracted, so basically this is taking mindfulness one step further. “When applied to the way we pleasure ourselves it can help us move beyond a quick session and into a much deeper connection with ourselves which ultimately leads to more pleasure, a greater understanding of our bodies and a lovely way to relax.” Basically, it’s the real self-care we all need to stay a little bit sane in this craziness.
So how can you practise edging at home? Here are 5 simple steps…
Drop the pressure to orgasm
Instead of fixating on having a ground-shaking orgasm, try to spend as much time as possible getting to know your body and what you really respond to. You could even try things like ‘edging’, which is where you build yourself up to come and then rest before starting again.
Be romantic for yourself
Taking the time to focus on yourself is important for your mind, body, and soul. Instead of having a quickie whenever you get the chance, block out a specific time in your diary for some alone time, and put some effort into your surroundings. De-clutter anything causing negative energy around you, and perhaps also light some candles or put some music on to get you in the mood.
Give porn a miss this time
When it comes to being mindful, you want to learn what you truly respond to you rather than just defaulting to porn. Your mind is a very powerful tool – use it to fantasize, think about how to get yourself going, and what truly turns you on.
Mix it up a little
If you have a usual routine when it comes to masturbation, it may be a good idea to mix things up. Variety is right in the centre of what keeps our interest and awareness, and it’s important to pay attention to that variety – try involving new things into your alone time (such as toys, positions, and even the temperature of the room), as well as using breath, sound, touch, and movement to switch it up from time to time.
Patience is a virtue
Like other mindfulness practices, it can be hard at first, but just be patient with yourself. You may be flooded with thoughts, distractions, and resistance. Just make sure you’re aware of that, reflect on your session and keep coming back to the practice and yourself.
A spokesperson from Pulse and Cocktails commented:
“Being mindful when having some alone time is a great way to be present in the moment, and to really get to know your body and get in touch with what really turns you on. There has been plenty of in-depth research to back up how fantastic masturbating is for an individual’s health and well-being. Self-care is extremely important, and self-pleasure is a fantastic way to blow off steam and forget about any stress or worries… Plus, it has some health benefits too, including improving sleep, releases feel-good hormones, increasing productivity, reducing period pain, and even increasing your libido, so there’s no arguing with that”.