Here's a trivia question for you: How many sexual positions are there? A few dozen? A few hundred? A couple thousand? A twelfth- century Indian love manual, the "Ananga-Ranga", describes 32. The more famous "Kama Sutra" describes many more.
One Indian sexologist declared there are over 500-- but then again, he considered every minute variation, such as the angle of an arm or a leg, to be a different position.
India, of course, does not hold a monopoly on sexual score keeping. For thousands of years, sages and sex experts from cultures all across the globe have attempted to determine the number of possible positions for sexual intercourse. The only thing they all seem able to agree upon is that there's more than one way to get the job done.
It really doesn't matter how many possible positions there are. Counting sexual positions is about as useful an endeavor as counting threads in your carpet or spots on a leopard.
What's really important is that there are a breathtakingly wide variety of sexual positions with which to experiment. Unfortunately, relatively few people take advantage of these possibilities. Most of us tend to fall into sexual routines, taking the path of least resistance. We find one or two positions we like and hardly ever vary from these.
Talk about a perfect formula for sexual boredom!
MAN ON TOP, WOMAN ON BOTTOM, ORGASM (HERS) ON HOLD
In lovemaking, as in anything else, it's almost always a good idea to break out of your normal routine once in a while. Yet when it comes to sex positions, most couples in our culture seem to rely on a couple of old standbys, particularly the face-to-face , man-on-top "missionary position." It is worthy of note that the "missionaries" for which this position is named believed that sex was for procreation only and held the notion of female sexual pleasure in complete disdain.
No doubt, there are a few unimaginative or moralistic souls who still believe that the missionary position is the only proper position for intercourse. Never mind that it is almost never practiced in the rest of the animal kingdom, and that it hasn't always been the standard in our own species, as evidenced by the fact that it is rarely depicted in ancient erotic art..
Missionaries notwithstanding, there are some cultures in which the missionary position is considered an aberration. Granted, some of these cultures may be just as guilty as missionary-position apologists of claiming that their favored positions are the only right and true ones. Every culture practices its own form of closed-mindedness. But the point is that there truly are lots of "right" ways for humans to make love. And, "right" or not, the missionary position is the one most commonly practiced in our culture - though it has major drawbacks.
For one thing, it can be for many men one of the hardest positions, because it forces him to support his weight with his weakest and smallest muscles, his back and shoulders.
Therefore he tends to tire rather quickly. If the man is considerably heavier than the woman is, supporting his weight is particularly important, but no matter how hard he works at it, he's likely to squash her. Furthermore, the position makes it difficult for him to use his hands to stimulate her breasts or clitoris. This is unfortunate; because in this position his penis, making it difficult for most women to have an orgasm, at best only indirectly stimulates a woman's clitoris.
Way back in the 1970's, sex researcher Shere Hite, author of "The Hite Report", reported that only 30% of the women she surveyed said they regularly had orgasms during intercourse. No doubt the popularity of the missionary position had something to do with this.
FIT TO BE TRIED
Don't get me wrong; I am not knocking the missionary position. It does have its advantages and many couples truly enjoy it. My point is that there are many other possible positions, some of which are infinitely easier and more pleasurable than the missionary position, and every couple owes it to themselves to experiment a little.
Many of these make it easier for a man to give a woman direct clitoral stimulation, or for her to give it to herself, (which can in turn be intensely exciting for the man!)
Some of the most common variations. Of course, are woman on top, various side-by- side positions, rear entry (commonly known as "doggie -style", even though it's used by our closest primate relatives as well), and various sitting and standing positions.
In our most popular DVD and VHS, FOR HER EYES ONLY; HOW TO MAKE SEX MORE FUN FOR HIM, AND FOR HIS EYES ONLY: HOW TO MAKE SEX MORE FUN FOR HER, we show you a wide variety of positions, some of which you may not have even considered. We do not suggest that you try every one of them. A few, in fact, require a degree of fitness that may not make them feasible for you. Nevertheless, you should be able to find several that work very well indeed for you and your partner. Also 'THE COMPLETE MANUAL OF SEXUAL POSTIONS" A SENSUAL GUIDE TO LOVEMAKING with over a 170 Unique Sexual Positions is a great book to add to any collection you may already have.
We do recommend, however, that you do not try more than one or two "new" positions in any one session. It's easy to get distracted working out the logistics of unfamiliar positions, and that can take a lot of the pleasure and spontaneity out of lovemaking.
Only try a position if both of you are agreeable, and only kept it up as long as it's fun-- for both of you.
GET OUTTA BED ALREADY!
Even though in most developed cultures the bed is the lovemaking location of choice, you should never overlook the erotic possibilities of the other furniture in your house.
As a matter of fact, some positions are more difficult in bed and therefore are best practiced elsewhere. Chairs for example, can make some positions much easier ( we show you a couple of neat chair tricks in our new videos and DVDs. And the kitchen table can be used for dessert as well as dinner, if you know what we mean. Or if you have one of those great little islands in your kitchen... well, you get the idea. Just make sure your furnishing of choice is sturdy enough and big enough to support both of your weights and is comfortable.
Whether you make love in a bed, on a chair, or sprawled across the porch swing, you're sure to find many adventurous new ways to make love if you're only willing to experiment a little.
YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YO CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT...
Your "assignment" this weekend is very simple: make love in a new way.
Whichever position you use, make a pledge to try at least one new or different position at least a couple of times a month. And don't forget to practice the Venus Butterfly techniques on each other to keep your "love muscles" primed and ready!
Whether you experiment with 32 positions or 332, discovering new ways to make love with the love of your life can help keep your relationship fresh and exciting.
Dr. Leah Schwartz is a best-selling author of books and videos on the famous Venus Butterfly technique. Dr. Leah teaches how to discover and enjoy a fuller and more joyful relationship with your loved one -- in and out of the bedroom. Learn explicit methods of sensual touch, arousal, and ways to bring your partner to new peaks of pleasure -- with books, videos and articles at VenusButterfly.com.