When you get some one-on-one time with your clitoris, you might feel tempted to race to the end because it just feels so good. But your final orgasm can feel so much better if you draw out the process. Yes, friends, we’re talking about edging yourself.

What is edging? Edging is the process in which you engage in sexual stimulation to the point of climax, but you stop before you orgasm. Then after a short pause, you repeat the stimulation, building yourself up again. You can edge yourself however long you want, but in general, the longer, the better.

If you’ve never drawn out your orgasm before, read on to learn some useful tips on how to masturbate longer.

Benefits to edging

So what’s up with edging? Why do it? Well, you may be surprised to know that, apart from feeling sooo good, edging comes with several benefits.

1. It can help you achieve orgasm more easily! By taking time out of your day to focus on your body, you can find out a lot about what turns you on. Especially when you edge yourself, you have several opportunities to touch yourself in different ways. And the more opportunities you have, the more chance you have of orgasming.

2. It can help with body confidence: Spending a lot of time getting to know your body can help build your body and sexual confidence. Masturbation is a way of worshipping your body and appreciating it, so how can you not feel confident after that?

3. It makes you feel good: This one is obvious but, seriously, it’s an important reason to do it. Masturbation alone releases feel-good endorphins, which act as a natural relaxant and even a pain reliever! It also releases oxytocin which helps you sleep. If normal masturbation does this, think what edging can do! 

4. It’s a way of exploring BDSM: Although edging can be done outside of the BDSM world, if you’re into BDSM, edging is the one for you. If you are masturbating with a dominant partner, thus engaging in mutual masturbation, they can tell you what to do and when to stop masturbating. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can up the ante with a remote-control vibrator and some bondage. If masturbating solo, you can still channel your inner submissive; you can still put yourself in bondage even when playing alone. If you like a little pain, add in some nipple clamps …

5. It’s fun! If you don’t do edging for any other reason, do it because it’s fun! Masturbating is already one of life’s pleasures, so drawing it out is just extending the fun. The longer, the better. Simple as that.

How to masturbate longer

So you know the benefits of edging. Now, how do you go about it during your self-love time?

Set the environment.

Edging, and masturbating for longer, in general, is an activity you’re going to need at least an hour for, so you’re going to want to be comfortable. Turn the heating on, get your favorite blankets, and light your favorite candle. With notes of delightful amber, graceful sandalwood, and calming Appalachian Cedar, the Nature’s Green Hemp Candle is an excellent candle for creating a cozy atmosphere in the home. Sensuality is all about catering to the five senses, so don’t ignore your olfactory organs!

1. Get a glass of water: Edging is a marathon, not a sprint, so you’re going to want to stay hydrated. You’re also likely to feel hot and bothered at some point, so having that glass of water right there on your bedside table will be a welcome refreshment. Hydration also promotes ample self-lubrication, a win-win.
2. Turn yourself on: The first step to any masturbation is being turned on in the first place. Try watching some ethical porn or reading your favorite erotic novel – skip to the sex scenes, obv. You might also choose to utilize varying forms of guided masturbation. If being naked turns you on, have a bath or shower, and afterward, just relax on your bed and caress your body. The temperature change from the hot water to the room temperature will have your nipples perking up in no time.
3. Masturbate: This is the main event. Play with yourself until you find a rhythm that builds your pleasure, keep going until you’re about to orgasm, and then stop right before.
4. Take a break: Give yourself a thirty-second break and take some deep breaths. Have a sip of water if you’re thirsty. When you’re building up to orgasm, your body can tense naturally, so use this break to un-tense all of your muscles. Taking a break is what edging is all about, so there’s no skipping this!
5. Masturbate again: After your break, start masturbating again at a low tempo. If using a vibrator, go back to the lowest speed. Keep going until you’re about to climax, and then stop once more. YOu can think of it as essentially starting masturbation completely over. Every time you masturbate, try a different technique, i.e., the first time you could finger yourself vaginally, the second time you could focus on your clitoris, and the third time you could crack out your vibrator.
6. Orgasm: After a few attempts, you’ll find that you get close to orgasm a lot quicker. When your body is desperate to climax, let it all go and enjoy the orgasmic waves.
7. Relax and recuperate: After an edging session, you’ll likely feel a mix of refreshed and tired, so include some sexual aftercare in your masturbation session. Take a few minutes to just lie there and let your breathing go back to a normal rhythm. Have some water and just chill. Make a glass of warm tea, take a bath, or have a snack as you come down from your euphoric high.
8. Pee: You know that rule that you should urinate after penetrative sex? The same goes for masturbation. Suppose you have penetrated yourself with either your fingers or a vibrator. In that case, it’s key that you urinate after masturbating to flush away any bacteria you may have introduced to the area. Your urethra is located right above your vaginal opening, so if you don’t flush away any bacteria, you could be susceptible to a urinary tract infection. And you don’t want that. Even if you don’t penetrate yourself, you might find that you need to urinate after masturbating anyway. This is because of the fact that your bladder sits right in front of your uterus. And with all the blood flowing to the area and your uterus contracting, you’ll find that your bladder becomes a little sensitive too. 

Things to consider

Even though edging is generally a fun practice, there are some things to keep in mind.

• Know when to let yourself come. Sexual arousal doesn’t last forever, and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself a victim of the dreaded half-orgasm. You’ve worked your way up the pleasure scale, you’re really close to coming, and yet when it comes to the crucial moment, you can’t come because you’ve over-stimulated yourself. If this happens to you, don’t panic. Just take a longer breather and start again. And most importantly, don’t pressure yourself. Pressure doesn’t work well with our bodies; instead of “trying to reach climax”, think of the process as the main event.
• Consent: If you’re edging with a partner, remember that nobody should delay someone’s pleasure without their consent. Have a discussion beforehand about both of your expectations. This can be as simple as your partner sexily whispering in your ear, “I want to edge you and control your orgasm, is that okay with you?” and you nodding or saying yes.

Edging can take your masturbation to the next level. So set some time aside and enjoy, ladies. We’re taking the orgasm back into our own hands.