Want to deepen your relationship with your sexual self and have mind-blowing orgasms?
Use your breath.
Your breath can ground you, and bring you into the present moment. Many sex therapists and somatic sex educators guide their clients on how to use the breath as a sexual tool. This is called somatic or orgasmic breathing.
Orgasmic breathing, also known as tantric breathing, can be used to deepen orgasms and may even cause a full-body hands-free orgasm.
Yup, you read that right.
Tantric practices, like orgasmic breathing, have their roots in the ancient wisdom of Hinduism and Buddhism. This practice is revered as a fulfilling spiritual and sexual experience.
If you want to learn how to harness the orgasmic breath -- keep reading.
The breath and arousal
It’s common to hold your breath when having sex or when you’re close to climax. But at times, holding your breath or shallow breathing can put a damper on your orgasm and your arousal potential.
If you know how to use it, your breath has the ability to supercharge both your arousal and orgasm. Those who have difficulty achieving orgasm or arousal can benefit the most from a conscious breathing practice.
The science is simple. When you breathe, you are boosting blood flow throughout your body -- including to your nether regions. This blow flow can enhance your arousal and pleasure sensations.
As yogic traditions teach us, our breath grounds us into the body. The breath is the doorway to now.
Perhaps this is why orgasmic breathing may help your orgasms last longer, relax your busy mind and relieve stress.
Long story short, your breath is an orgasmic tool!
Use it.
So, what is orgasmic breathing exactly?
Breathwork is a conscious breathing practice that focuses the mind on the breath and the physical body. An orgasmic breathwork practice is sexual, spiritual, and meditative in nature.
An orgasmic breathwork practice, (detailed below,) is an in-depth practice devoted to intentionally unleashing sexual energy. It’s like a self-exploration meditation but a thousand times spicier.
Orgasmic breathwork practices range from 5 to 25 minutes. Even a quickie can be useful for grounding and presence.
A very pleasant by-product of this type of conscious breathing is intense orgasms, expanded self-awareness, and enhanced connection to your sexual self.
(Embrace the woo-woo, we promise it’s worth it.)
Many sex experts have taught their clients to breathe slowly and deeply during sex or masturbation in order to deepen their orgasms, boost arousal or enhance stamina -- that is orgasmic breathing.
Who should avoid orgasmic breathing?
Orgasmic breathing isn’t for everyone.
- If you have a history of seizures or epilepsy don’t try this breathwork technique.
- If you have other serious health conditions such as cardiovascular conditions or high blood pressure, speak with your doctor first.
- Breathwork is not recommended for pregnant women without supervision.
- It’s not a good idea to mix breathwork with any mind-altering substances like alcohol or marijuana.
Will you climax during an orgasmic breathing breathwork practice?
Yeah, maybe.
Some say it triggers a full body orgasm -- just by breathing.
You may feel an energetic release without ever touching yourself when trying orgasmic breathing. According to anecdotal reports, this hands-free orgasm can be pretty damn surprising and intense.
You may have a release during the practice or you may just feel really turned on.
You may feel inclined to touch yourself during and after the breathwork -- do whatever you feel called to do.
When self-pleasuring make sure to stimulate very slowly and breathe deeply.
After you’ve practiced this with yourself a few times, try bringing this grounding breathing technique into partnered intimacy.
Tips before beginning solo orgasmic breathing:
- Breathe deeply into your belly -- in through the mouth, out through the mouth. Put your hands on your belly and make sure your hand raises while inhaling to ensure belly breathing.
- Eventually, connect your inhale with your exhale with no pause in between -- just one continuous breath.
- Try audibly sighing on the exhale. Make any sounds that feel natural to you. Allow for any movement that feels natural.
- This practice may offer a deep release which might involve an orgasmic release or an emotional release through laughing or crying.
How to practice solo orgasmic breathwork
The first step to incorporating the orgasmic breath into your sex life is to do this with yourself first. Get accustomed to the sensations with your full attention on your own experience. This is a spiritual, energetic, and meditative practice so take the time to explore everything solo.
If you want to touch yourself during this practice go ahead and do so, but do it slowwwwwly and intentionally.
- Lay down with your back straight, feet planted, knees bent and eyes closed.
- Begin by opening and releasing the jaw and start breathing from this relaxed state.
- Inhale deep into your belly and chest.
- While inhaling imagine you’re breathing directly into your vulva, penis, or pelvic muscles. Feel this orgasmic breath filling up the pelvic area.
- Allow each inhale to open and expand within your body.
- Allow each exhalation to feel like you’re letting go of something.
- Breathe at your own pace in the present moment.
- Become aware of the sensations of your vulva, or penis. Discover any sensation you may feel and practice surrendering to those sensations. Let it move through you.
- You can also try pulsing or tilting your pelvic region on exhalations. You may find this occurs naturally during the practice.
- If you can feel a building of sexual energy, imagine pulling this energy from the base of your spine up to the crown of the head with your breath.
- Audibly sigh with your exhales.
- Continue to breathe exactly like this and become aware of every sensation. If you feel you want to move your body or make sounds -- honor this intuitive movement.
- Your body may want to tighten or bear down during any release but try to come back to expansive breathing and allow the sensations to move through your entire body.
Try orgasmic breathing with vibrators
Bring in the sex toys!
You can totally incorporate vibrators in your breathwork practice -- we’d recommend trying indirect stimulation at first. This means stimulating around your "hot buttons." So it’s stimulating but not going to push you over the edge. With this type of practice, it’s best to just take the scenic route and enjoy the journey.
Slow and deep belly breathing during any arousing stimulation can seriously deepen your pleasure. Try using deep orgasmic breathing when using clitoral or prostate vibrators.
Top tip: Try teasing yourself with a vibrator while using the orgasmic breath. You can thank us later.
How to practice orgasmic breathing during partnered sex
Try taking what you’ve learned about orgasmic breathing during your solo sessions into intimate moments with your partner.
Try involving your partner in a 5-minute orgasmic breathwork practice (detailed above) prior to foreplay and sex. This can get both parties aroused, and breathing in a rhythmic orgasmic way. Continue deep breathing into your pelvis once you’ve begun your play.
Top tip: Imagine sending your out-breath to your partner’s body and imagine the breath traveling back into you during inhalation.
If you don’t want to do a breathwork practice before sex, try to be conscious of your breathing from foreplay to climax. This may help you deepen your orgasms and deepen your connection to the present moment. Stay connected to your own sexual energy while also connecting to your partner.
Make orgasmic breathing your own
What we’ve outlined here is just a framework for orgasmic breathing -- feel free to do whatever feels good. Don’t feel like you need to follow any rigid set of rules. Rules aren’t sexy and can easily take you out of the moment.
Once you’ve experienced orgasmic breathing you’ll begin to intuitively lean into the practice in ways that may surprise you.
