The art of shallowing

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.

“Shallowing.” involves keeping penetrative touch to just inside the entrance of the vagina rather than going in too deep. The opening of the vagina is richly innervated. It contains 90% of the vagina’s nerve endings, which is why its stimulation can feel very pleasurable – be it with a partner or solo.

With penetrative sex, women often find 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,

But the feeling is usually fleeting. “Stimulation of the lower vagina is often overlooked, with the deeper end of the vagina, or the clitoris taking the focus. But you can explore lower vagina pleasure through the technique of shallow stimulation. The idea is to go in only by a few centimetres.

Before trying anything in the bedroom, communicate what you want and your partner’s comfort. By doing this, you’re making the sexual experience not only pleasurable but also safe.”

Start by placing your partner’s fingers, penis if he /they have one or the toy at the entrance of the vagina and pressing gently, barely going in. “You can close your eyes and entirely focus on the sensation. To explore further, they can create small movements. Trace some small circles or wriggle around.

Once it’s a go, feel free to explore the many positions for shallow penetration. Missionary is a great one since it can feel like a big tease when your partner uses a toy or their body to only be inside you at a shallow depth. It will leave you and your play partner begging for more.

Doggy style can also work well for this and even oral sex. However you choose to try shallowing with your significant other, it can add plenty of fun and pleasure to your sex life.

Shallowing is a technique that Colin of Intimacy Matters has used for the past ten years in his sensual massage. He says, ‘ I discovered shallowing almost by accident when giving a sensual massage to a female client who requested not to have any vaginal penetration or G spot massage. To still give her some sense of pleasure, I gently inserted a finger no more than two centimetres and noticed her immediate pleasurable reaction. I tried this again on future treatments and soon realised that it was a sensation that women enjoyed but was not easily given to themselves in masturbation. The pleasure can be enhanced by stretching the vagina wider and lightly stroking the soft tissue surrounding the entrance to the vagina.