By Melissa Balmer
Copyright © 2006, Seduction Insider, www.seductioninsider.com.
We hear all the time how much men want a nice tight vagina gripping their penis during intercourse, but what we don’t hear discussed as often is that tight, strong, vaginal muscles lead to greater sexual pleasure for women as well.
To understand why this is the deal you need to understand that the pelvic floor muscles, which are shaped like a figure eight around the vagina, urethra, and anus, support the vagina. The largest of these muscles is the PC muscle (pubococcygeus), which controls the opening and closing of the urethra, seminal canal, vagina, and anus. Yep, it’s exactly the muscle that allows you to stop peeing mid stream, or keeps you from wetting your pants when you’re stuck in traffic.
Yes, this all sounds pretty dry and scientific, and unsexy, but stick with me and I promise there’s quite a payoff. Kegels, or Kegel exercises, are named for the Los Angeles Obstetrician and Gynecologist who pioneered the use of a biofeedback invention (called the Kegel Perineometer) back in the 1940’s to test the strength of a woman’s pelvic muscle contractions. Originally created to help women learn how to exercise the PC muscle so as to strengthen it, and in so doing aid in stopping urinary incontinence (usually after the birth of a baby when the PC muscle has been stretched out) the Kegel exercise was soon discovered to have sexual pleasure merits as well.
The reason for the success of Kegels is threefold:
The first third of the vagina, the area closest to the entrance, is filled with the most nerve endings and therefore the most sensitive to stimulation. When the PC muscle is stretched out, or lacks strength to grip or hold the penis, less of this area is in direct contact with the penis and therefore receives less stimulation (it’s not much fun for the man either).
The area known as the G-Spot is on the ceiling of the vaginal channel, in that “first third” section of the vagina. Rather than being an actual spot, it’s really an area, called the urethral sponge. This is the area of the vagina that feels ridged (or as one male friend aptly pointed out, like the ridges on the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth). In order to feel pleasure when this area is stimulated a woman usually needs to be highly aroused already (for example by having at least one orgasm, or more, in advance).
Not all women find stimulating this area pleasurable, but of those who do, many find they’re able to experience a different, deeper sort of orgasm than by simply stimulating the clitoris alone (though there’s evidence that this area is actually where the back end of the clitoris is anchored – so basically all orgasms are clitoral orgasms one way or another). By having a stronger, more toned PC muscles via Kegels, a woman will be able to “grip” or “hold” her lovers penis and bring her G-zone area greater stimulation. Of course in order to find out just what position works best for you, you’d need to practice to find out!
Keeping the PC muscle exercised and primed with Kegels means greater blood flow to this area, and the great the blood flow the greater the ability to become aroused and feel sexual pleasure. As the renowned Tantric writer and teacher Margot Anand writers in her fantastic book The Art of Sexual Ecstasy writes:
“In an athletic workout it is helpful to pump and stretch your muscles, causing them to expand and fill with blood so the body is warmed up, less stiff, and more flowing.”
Now The Kegel Exercise
Sounds pretty convincing, right? I mean what have you got to lose? The great thing about doing Kegel exercises is that no one knows you’re doing them at all (except you – and your lover, later on) so you can go at them standing in line at the grocery store, when you’re bored at work, and of course when you’re sitting in your car in traffic.
While you can do all sorts of variations on the theme, the basic Kegels are:
Becoming aware of where your PC muscle is (which you can do by stopping urination in mid stream).
Contracting your PC muscles.
Hold initially for a count of five; build up gradually to a count of twenty.
Repeat ten times.
Practice daily.
Now there are many of us who feel that if a little bit of something is good for you, than a lot of a good thing is even better – but take care not to tire your PC out. It’s a muscle just like any other and it can become fatigued. Like with all muscles you’re better off building it up slowly and regularly.
Variations On A Theme:
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on a try different exercises to help make your vagina muscles wonderfully supple and strong. A few ideas are:
Using a sex toy such as a dildo to squeeze and hold onto.
Doing a sort of “elevator” Kegel with your PC muscle, squeezing only at the entrance of your vagina initially and rolling the contraction up the length of your vagina and back down.
Fluttering your PC muscles, doing quick Kegels, contracting and releasing the muscle for ten seconds. Relax for a few moments and then do it again.
Holding or rolling “Ben Wa” balls or other spheres (or a series of them) in your vagina. Anand even recommends holding onto an egg shaped crystal.
In Conclusion
The main thing I’d like you to take away from this article is that by trying these Kegel exercises you can get in closer connection with your body and your sexuality so that you can better determine what sort of touch, stimulation and positions are best for you – which is always bound to bring about greater pleasure.
Here’s to exercise keeping all of you toned and fit!