Breathing is not a conscious activity for most humans. We expect to just know how to do it. Yet the key to greater health and vitality, experiences of expanded consciousness, and the full-body orgasm is mastery of the breath. Yogis place a great emphasis on learning to deepen and lengthen the breath. Becoming conscious of the breath and its patterns is the first step in the process of expanding orgasm.

We're a culture of chest breathers. Chest breathing causes adrenaline secretions that can lead to panic and fear. We're taught to suck our stomachs in and wear tight belts and clothing. This pushes our breath into our chests. We don't know how to belly breathe.

You can't relax your genitals when you're holding in your stomach. The body becomes rigid. It's very difficult to tighten and hold your genitals when your stomach is full of breath. Try it. A relaxed body leads to a more relaxed attitude, which will lead to a more relaxed life. The way in which you breathe can make a vast difference in the quality of your orgasms and your life.

Breathing Issues among Women

Women who don't orgasm easily often hold their breath as they get more turned on. As they approach a kind of transition stage on the way to peak arousal, say a seven or eight on a scale of ten, they will often hold their breath, and then nothing happens. The result is that the energy must be built up again, only to have the same thing happen repeatedly. It becomes difficult to transition smoothly to the next level of sensations.

As arousal gets going in women, they will often begin to breathe a little faster. If they become aware of their breath, they can then begin to “drive” the experience by purposely doing faster, focused breathing to increase blood flow and arousal. It helps, exactly as meditation does, to focus the energy and move from a sense of separateness to one of being merged with the energy.

Good Breathing for Men

Once they are practiced at awareness, men can, when they notice their breath getting faster, consciously breathe slower and more fully. This allows them to move the sexual excitement through their body instead of unconsciously going right past all those exquisite feelings and going over the top.