Shallowing is the masturbation technique that's been catching people's attention recently. It makes sense. Masturbation has undeniably found its way into women’s wellness routines.
At least that’s the case for 91% of the GLAMOUR readers who responded to our masturbation survey with a “YES”. 36% of you do it regularly (that’s 2-5 times a week). And given 67% of you use a vibrator, it’s safe to say there’s a whole lot of sexual empowerment happening, which we’re happy to hear.
But alongside being more open to exploring with sex toys and new positions, women want more info when it comes to OMG techniques too (which may be why so many of you clicked on our article on edging masturbation). It’s a trend sex toy brand, SmileMakers has seen as well. Some of the brand’s most-saved Instagram posts this past year have been around creative techniques to try. The fact that people are sharing them and saving them suggests they’re spotting them while out and about and saving them to revisit later.
So, back to “shallowing.” In a nutshell, it involves keeping penetrative touch to just inside the entrance of the vagina, rather than going in too deep.
“The entrance of the vagina is richly innervated. It actually contains 90% of the vagina's nerve endings which is why its stimulation can feel very pleasurable – be it with a partner or solo. So it's worth paying some attention to it,” explains Cecile Gasnault, brand director Smile Makers and creator of Vulva Talks.
“If you practice penetrative sex, you might have already found it pleasurable when the head of the penis creates pressure at the vaginal entrance before or at the very beginning of penetration. Same with a toy or fingers,” she adds.
But the feeling is usually fleeting. “Stimulation of the lower vagina is often overlooked, with the deeper end of the vagina, or the clitoris stealing the thunder. But you can explore lower vagina pleasure through the technique of shallow stimulation. The idea is to go in only by a few centimetres,” explains Cecile.
“You can start by placing the fingers, the penis or the toy at the entrance of the vagina and pressing gently, barely going in. Take your time and breathe slowly,” says Cecile. “You can close your eyes and fully focus on the sensation. To explore further, you can create small movements. Trace some small circles or wriggle around. Notice if one side feels more sensitive. If so, you can try to focus the stimulation there, by making 'come hither' movements.”
It's a new move to add some extra variety to your repertoire and, it might just be exactly the shift you need.
This article was originally published on Glamour UK.
