This article was rewritten
from a piece of writing I found online from a student of sex therapy. While I
found her advice to be sound overall, her method of delivery (very worldly and profane-erotica-based)
all but guaranteed the members of the Church would never find and get to use
her good advice.
Since I believe that all
truth and knowledge belongs to the Lord, I’ve taken the worldliness out of her
article, so now we as Saints also have the benefit of her wisdom.
Please
remember that this information is meant for married women only. If
you are single and reading this, you have your agency, but learning about sex
techniques is not something you can do by simply reading about it.
To fully
understand and know, you have to also physically practice, and in order to do
that, (per LDS doctrine) you need to be married. Also, focusing on sexual
technique before marriage can create a subconscious level of arousal that may
challenge your ability to keep the law of chastity. Before marriage, the best thing you can do to prepare for a good sex
life is to live the gospel of Jesus Christ the very best you can.
“When
we obey the law of chastity and keep ourselves morally clean, we will
experience the blessings of increased love and peace, greater trust and respect
for our marital partners, deeper commitment to each other, and, therefore, a
deep and significant sense of joy and happiness.”
~ Pres. Ezra Taft Benson ( 1987,51-54)[i]
That being said, here are
nine tips for improved physical intimacy with your spouse:
Recognize that something needs to
change if things feel routine
If you’re going to live
together as husband and wife for a long time (we’re thinking and hoping for
forever, of course), then sex may feel routine after a while. We mortals are
creatures of habit, and we like things to be familiar, comfortable, and
predictable, but familiar needs a change-up every now and then.
The world may tell you that
the romance is gone, and we will come to accept that married sex is just plain boring,
but that is not a foregone conclusion. Change the sex you’re having instead.
It’s not always comfortable, but it keeps things fun and interesting. You may
make some discoveries along the way that add excitement to old familiar practices.
Practice talking openly about s-e-x
with your spouse.
If you’re going to have good
sex, it has to start with where you are, which means talking to each other
about how you’re feeling, what you like, and what you don’t like. Speak clearly,
with words like vagina, vulva, frenulum, stroke, grip, clitoris, anus, orgasm
and vibrator, and so on.
Just because you don’t use these terms in everyday
conversation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them with your spouse either. Learn
and know the terms for all your sexual body parts. Admit to each other what you know, and what
you don’t know and would like to learn together.
“If you think your partner
demands a bravura performance every time, have a chat about it before you get
to the bedroom. Research suggests there's often a disconnect between perceived
and actual expectations.” ~ Huston, (2014,1)[ii]
Get comfortable with and appreciate
your body.
Your body is an amazing gift
from God in so many ways. If you’re not familiar with the workings of your more
intimate body parts, now is the time to learn. You couldn’t go out and get a
book about sex as a single person without moving towards breaking the law of
chastity, but now…relax, and take the time to learn all about your body’s
capabilities.
Another good thing to do is
to find a hand mirror, and take a look at your whole vulva, your labia, your
clitoris, and maybe try finding your G-Spot. Ever seen or felt them before? How
do they look to you? How do you feel about them? Have you ever touched them, or
explored them yourself? A little self-learning will help you find out how you
like to be touched down there, and then you can tell your husband.
Chances are he’ll be a very
enthusiastic learner. Husbands get a tremendous boost to their ego and feel
more bonded to you when you help them feel successful as a lover.
Explore your senses
Remember what I said before
about the body being this amazing gift from God? Another gift that came along
with your body is the senses, and how they make you feel when they’re
stimulated.
Those of you who may be
questioning this because of certain scriptures that combine the word ‘sensual’
with the word ‘devilish’ don’t need to worry. That is a completely different
context than the context of using your senses to appreciate physical love within
marriage. God has given us these gifts to be enjoyed, just as He gave us fire
to cook our food with and to relax by the fireplace, but not to burn our house
down.
What kinds of visual
stimulation do you like?
Do you like to watch
yourself have sex, or look at your husband in the nude?
What kinds of things do you
like to hear?
Do you like the noises of
sex, or do they bother you? Explore that.
Do you like the idea of
tasting things, maybe playing with different kinds of foods, or tasting each
other’s skin?
What kinds of touch do you
like? Do you like it when he touches you? How do you want to be touched? How
does he?
What kinds of textures make
you feel excited and wanting to feel close to your spouse? Fur, feathers,
lotions?
The possibilities are pretty
broad.
Don’t ignore all the senses
– including sound. If being talked to in a certain way is important to your
arousal, be sure to let your spouse know. As you explore each other’s bodies,
be sure to let your spouse know what you liked so that he can do it again
later.
Take your time to make these
explorations. By all means, enjoy yourself. Make notes if you wish. The things
you’re learning are special, sacred and just between the two of you. There’s no
hurry whatsoever. You have all eternity to perfect your lovemaking, so take
your time.
Remember the other parts of your body
that aren’t necessarily sexual.
Don’t you hate it when your
husband jumps for his favorite parts of your body without remembering that
you’re connected to them? Women, you can do the same thing, if you’re not
careful.
Don’t be in so much of a hurry to get sex ‘over with’ that you miss
out on the opportunity to do some exploring of your own, and maybe get some
pampering during the process.
Massage is a good way to
reconnect to all of your body.
Ever had one? Given one? How does it feel when
your shoulders or feet are rubbed or kissed? Maybe the back of your neck? The
back of your arms? Your hands? A woman’s entire body is a sexual antenna of
sensation. Use that to your advantage.
Relaxing doesn’t always come naturally
– practice, practice, and…you guessed it!
Getting ready to have sex
can be hard for women, especially if your head is full of kids, appointments,
looming projects, deadlines, and shopping lists. If you struggle with anxieties
about your body or your communication or anything else, that makes it even
harder.
What’s the best way for you
to quickly get into the mood? Some women find it helps to take a few minutes to
shift gears, set aside the time, and do something for you that lifts your mood.
A warm shower, a (little bit) of chocolate, or a few minutes to talk out your
issues helps some women. Figure out a strategy that works for the both of you.
Plan a time for sex that
works for both of you. Not just one of you. Or, let your spouse know how much notice you
need to prepare yourself mentally for sex.
The basic formula, according
to Christian marriage expert Mark Gungor, is this – one turned-on husband + one
turned-on wife = great sex. If only one of you is happy, you’re not having
great sex.
If you just don’t feel like
having sex sometimes, does that mean you shouldn’t have it? Nope. Schedule it
and make it a regular practice, regardless of how you feel. It’s common for one
spouse to have a higher sex drive than the other, and both spouse’s needs
should be met, not just the lower-drive spouse’s. Have a quickie when you need
to.
Let him know when something feels good
to you…or not.
Husbands are wonderful, but
they don’t read minds. Never have. You need to let them know when what they’re
doing with you is working. Telling them what you want is great.
Communicating
through moaning or wiggling works too. The more he knows he’s on the right
track, the more of the right stuff he’ll do.
Conversely, if something
he’s doing really isn’t working for you, or if he’s rubbing one thing and you’d
rather he was caressing something else, let him know, but do it kindly. Instead
of ‘Ow!’ or ‘that’s not working at all’, try ‘honey, it would feel so good if
you would do _______ right now’.
Keep it positive. No one likes to be told
they’re not doing well, especially in such a sacred place as the marriage bed.
You have more options than you think…
The world of sexual options
is not closed to you just because you’re a member of the Church. In fact, there’s
more out there for you to try than you’ll ever have time to get to.
If you have concerns about
specific sexual acts or positions, or just want more information on them,
you’re always welcome to follow my blog, where I’ll give you information
without the worldly perspective or the profane ads that often follow Googled
information.
Some articles you may want
to start with include:
You can also contact me
directly with any questions you may have.
Oral sex, in particular,
seems to hang up a lot of members, for either moral uncertainty, personal
revulsion, or because they may not feel skilled or confident enough to do it.
Again, you may only need a little education here. What feels good to you may
not feel good to your husband. If you’d like to try oral sex (either on you or
on him), talk to your husband about it to see how he feels. Then learn how to do it correctly and hygienically.
Make some time to practice
on a regular basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time. Sooner or
later, you’ll get better, and getting better means more personal confidence.
Never be afraid of trying
new things. As members of the Church, you have the Holy Ghost to guide you to
all truth, including sexual truth. The Lord wants you to learn about how to
have good sex in marriage – as married members, it’s a fundamental for eternal life
and salvation.
Recognize when you need outside help,
and where to go get it.
If you’re trying to
implement these suggestions, and coming across specific challenges that you
don’t feel you can get through, that’s the time to go find someone you trust to
get some new ideas to try.
Whether it’s a physical
problem like vaginismus (an involuntary tightening of the vagina that makes sex
difficult or even impossible), or low desire or anxiety, there are LDS professionals
who will keep your confidences sacred, and help you troubleshoot an appropriate
solution.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to an appropriate specialist…one who can
help you with whatever challenge you’re up against, be it physical, sexual, mental or spiritual.
Ignoring the problem, hoping
it will go away…or praying without listening for promptings and taking inspired
action, thinking that the Lord will do all the heavy lifting for you…will
likely not work. Faith doesn’t work that way.[iii]
And there you go – If the zing in your marriage bed is temporarily fizzled out, you can take action and make your own plan to give it life again.
[i]
Benson, Ezra Taft, 1987 BYU Devotional and Fireside Speeches, 51-54
