Satisfaction in the bedroom is essential, and sometimes that includes self-pleasuring. Whether you actively practice touching yourself or not, you may have already been finding arousal by stimulating the entrance of your vagina, unaware there’s a term for that type of light penetration called shallowing. Don’t get confused by the terminology; there’s no shortage of long-lasting pleasure with shallowing. By practicing this technique solo or with a partner, you can achieve sustainable excitement, anticipation, and ecstasy, with minimal effort.
The shallowing penetration technique includes entering the vagina with just the tip of the penis of a partner or incorporating intentional fingering, or leveraging the tongue or toy. When it comes to this technique, it’s important to keep it light. The benefit of this technique is solely based on the anatomy of the vaginal entrance, which has specific nerve endings causing mind-blowing sensations.
Another benefit to shallowing is testing the waters of pleasure to discover what feels right for you, depending on the depth at which you enjoy penetration and getting more familiar with your genitals. This technique is also specific to women, as we have 10,000 nerve fibers in our clitoris, which is located at the center of the vulva, causing us to receive the maximum pleasure. Additionally, this technique may provide you with longer and stronger orgasms due to intentional and thoughtful penetration targeting the most sensitive area of the vagina.
Although it may be tempting, you shouldn’t go deep when penetrating yourself or with your partner if you want to accomplish shallowing, as it defeats the purpose if you go more than one inch inside the vagina. When trying this technique, giving yourself time to explore the sensitive points throughout your vagina is vital without rushing, as it’s a slow-burn approach to sexual pleasure. Besides gaining pleasure physically, the technique can help you build anticipation mentally and emotionally with your partner, as the method encourages play. It’s also a great technique when deeper penetration isn’t comfortable, desired, or pleasurable.
Here’s how to try shallowing:
Move leisurely: Take your time and move slowly. Leverage BDSM, fingering, temperature play, massaging, or kissing techniques with your partner or yourself as a warm-up before penetration.
Get wet: Make sure your vaginal area is wet before you try the technique to ensure the shallowing is pleasurable. If you need help wettening your vagina, encourage your partner to engage in foreplay or do solo masturbation.
Explore with your hands: Take a hands-on approach to feel where your vulva is, and start exploring your pleasure points to gain optimal pleasure through gentle stimulation.
Use sex toys: If you’re not comfortable with trying the technique with your partner or on your own, with your hands, invest in some sex toys to make it easier on you. Try going for sex toys that focus specifically on pleasuring the clitoris.
Have fun: Don’t stress yourself trying to be “perfect” while practicing this technique. If you or your partner slip up and penetrate too deeply, that’s ok; remember that pleasure is the end goal.