You probably tend to associate orgasms with sexual activity. And don’t get us wrong, you can get some pretty awesome orgasms from sex with a partner or masturbating with your hands or a sex toy (or three). But if you’re looking for a new kind of thrill that you can achieve solo, let us suggest the hands-free orgasm. No, we don’t mean the type of hands-free orgasm you get from humping a pillow (although that can be pretty great, too). But it’s possible to achieve a truly hands-free orgasm – no hands, arms, or external sources of friction involved. In fact, you may have even already experienced one while sleeping or working out.
Well, it turns out, there are several activities – including the ones listed here – that can at the very least mimic the physical sensations you have when you orgasm in a way that feels pretty good – and in some cases, can even truly bring you over the edge to an amazing climax without you ever touching yourself, using a sex toy, or playing with a partner.
If you’re accustomed to using intense stimulation (think: direct clitoral vibration) to achieve orgasm, a hands-free orgasm might seem elusive. And to be sure, it can require a little practice and determination, and since we’re all different, it may never happen for some people. But once you manage to relax and let your mind and body take over, you may find that it’s pretty fun and very pleasurable – and a great way to change up your solo routine a little. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Experts Featured in This Article
Lanae St. John, DHS, is a sexologist, sex coach, and relationship counselor in San Francisco.
Jennifer Landa, MD, is an OB-GYN and the chief medical officer of BodyLogicMD in Orlando, FL.
How to Have a Hands-Free Orgasm
Thinking
Some people are able to have an orgasm by connecting their thoughts to their body’s actions. “Interestingly enough, it’s possible to ‘think yourself off’ – achieve orgasm through strictly nontouch activity,” sexologist Lanae St. John tells PS. This can be accomplished through breathing exercises or fantasy. “One version of the ‘thinking off’ type is accomplished through long, slow, deep breaths, slowly moved down from chest to belly to pelvis/vulva/genitals. Some people incorporate Kegel exercises where they contract and release,” she says.
Again, everyone is going to be different, but it sure can be fun to try. Relax and have fun. Explore your mind-body connection. Consider listening to audio porn to get yourself into the right headspace. And the first few times you try this, it can be helpful to remove any expectation of orgasm and simply enjoy the ride. (Note: There is something called erotic hypnosis, which involves using hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions in sex, sometimes to help one achieve a hands-free orgasm; it’s sometimes used in BDSM play.)
ASMR
You’ve probably heard of ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. It refers to the sensation some people get from listening to gentle, repetitive sounds like whispering, nail tapping, and sometimes even eating; people often find it relaxing and calming. Well, there’s such a thing as ASMR sex, too. While there is erotic ASMR that you can masturbate to (ASMRotica, it’s sometimes called) or simply listen to as you try to “think yourself off,” some people find the sensations produced while listening to any old ASMR low-key erotic.
“Many people are listening to artists on YouTube who whisper and give virtual experiences like having your hair or makeup done. These really aren’t sexual experiences, but it can produce for some people a physical response that feels like a tingling up and down your spine,” ob-gyn Jennifer Landa tells PS. “It tends to feel relaxing and peaceful. People refer to it as a head-gasm or brain orgasm, but it doesn’t really feel sexual at all and most people don’t seem to experience it in their genitals,” she says. Not all people are as responsive to these whispering videos as others, and those who are tend to have a more intense response, she says.
Dreaming/Sleeping
This is one you can’t necessary control, but sex dreams are definitely a thing. They are related to sexual thoughts but don’t involve any actual sexual activity. “It’s quite common to have strong sex dreams that give one the feeling of having an orgasm; or, many men and women have actual orgasms while sleeping. Sometimes they just cause people to get turned on, which leads to increased blood flow and lubrication,” Landa says, adding, “It’s also totally normal, though, to never experience this type of orgasm.”
Exercise
The exercise-induced hands-free orgasm is sometimes known as a “coregasm.” Basically, when doing certain moves, such as ab work or intensity training, you can activate the same muscles associated with orgasms, leading to an orgasm during a workout.
In fact, a 2011 study published in the journal, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, showed that about 51 percent of women experienced a coregasm when doing certain ab exercises. But it can also happen from different exercises. Around 27 percent had an orgasm from resistance training, and some other women experienced orgasms from running, hiking, or biking.
Worth noting: this can happen without people planning for it, and not everyone likes it, especially if it happens unexpectedly in a public gym. But if you’ve noticed your body responds this way to particular moves, you can always save those exercises for your private at-home workouts.
Yoga
“In yoga, there is a concept called mula bandha. This translates to the ‘root lock.’ It is a way of clenching one’s muscles that is just like a Kegel,” Landa says. “If you don’t know how to do it, you just clench your pelvic muscles like you would when you have to pee really badly, and that is about it,” she says.
In yoga, mula bandha helps with stability and balance for certain poses, and all that clenching and releasing of muscles can cause a lot of sexual stimulation to the vaginal area, she says. “Ultimately, if repeated a significant number of times, it can trigger an orgasm for some.”
Isadora Baum is a freelance writer, certified health coach, and author of “5-Minute Energy”.
