The pleasure's all mine!
Masturbation is one of the most natural forms of sexual expression and pleasure, and the most simple to perform. It helps you discover your body, complementing, or even supplementing, other forms of sexual activity.
© Jupiter
Masturbation is primarily a relationship with oneself; and can be a distinct sexual activity, enhanced by erotic fantasies. In addition to helping you learn about sex, masturbation plays an important role in human life. Both men and woman turn to masturbation to help them release tension.
Masturbation and relaxation
Masturbation can help you relax. By surrendering yourself completely to your emotions and fantasies, you can learn to unwind and de-stress. It's comforting to discover, and enjoy, this private source of pleasure.
Masturbation also seems to fulfil the same function for animals and helps pacify them. Guenon monkeys use fingers or other objects; monkeys use their hands; elephants their trunk; deer use antlers; dogs and cats, tongues; bulls rub themselves against trees...
During adolescence, masturbation gives meaning to, and provides an outlet for, sexual pleasure. Masturbation can also be a replacement activity, when other forms of sex are temporarily or permanently impossible, whatever one's age, thereby allaying sexual frustration.
Masturbation and freedom to play
Pleasure is important for mental stability, and masturbation also has a more playful role, offering a safe form of escapism. By indulging your erotic fantasies you can escape into an imaginary universe, a secret, healing garden, far from the loneliness or harshness of everyday life.
Contrary to common belief, masturbation is not necessarily a replacement for an unsatisfactory relationship; a couple can have a good sexual relationship, but still feel that they need a little extra. They may want a different kind of sex; sex where you can let your imagination wander, where you don't have to think about anyone else and where you alone can set the pace and rhythm.
Masturbation and sexual wellbeing
In a couple, one of you - the man or the woman - might want more sex than your partner. Masturbation is a simple way of satisfying desire and relieving frustration, especially as you can always ask your partner to join in.
Thinking of sex just in terms of vaginal penetration means neglecting a rich variety of potentially satisfying sexual experiences. Masturbation offers opportunities to enjoy different sensations: when a woman reaches orgasm through masturbation, she experiences a different kind of pleasure; for a man, the orgasm achieved through masturbation can be more intense than through vaginal intercourse; and, of course, he doesn't need to worry about taking it slow.
Masturbation and guilt
People often feel guilty about masturbating, as they believe they're denying their partner or doing something wrong. If you enjoy masturbating so much that you don't want sex with your partner, then, of course there's a problem. But must all pleasures be shared? Do you have to do everything together: shopping, sports, music or reading?
If masturbation is not so much an escape but a way of restoring balance, then you should relax about it and enjoy a guilt-free sex life. Frustration at an inadequate sex life can cause resentment; it can make you dislike your partner and even put you off having sex with them, and if masturbation can ease a bit of that tension, then why not?
A personal choice
In short, there are a number of different ways to enjoy sex, and masturbation is one of them. Masturbation may be your only sexual activity or it may complement your sex life; you may masturbate occasionally or all the time; alone or with someone else. Masturbation may be important to you but unimportant to some one else. Masturbation is always available but is certainly not compulsory...
It's up to you whether you masturbate or not; it's simply a question of personal choice.
Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 30.06.2010
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