Looking to spice things up in the bedroom? Want to try something new in your next masturbation session? Then let us walk you through a sex technique you might not have heard of before: shallowing. 

What is shallowing?

Shallowing is a masturbation technique that involves penetrating just 2-3 cm inside the vagina with a finger, sex toy, penis or tongue. 

‍The vaginal entrance contains 90% of the vagina’s nerve endings, so no wonder it feels so good! 

When shallowing, you can orgasm by stimulating the entrance of the vagina with soft and gentle motions. For some women, this technique is actually more intense than deeper penetration because it can stimulate the G-zone. In fact, according to a study, around 84% of women find vaginal penetration more pleasurable with shallowing. 

How to do shallowing?

If you’ve never tried shallowing before, let us guide you through it. 

As with any technique, we suggest you try it alone first. Do this when you’re under no time pressure, somewhere you won’t be disturbed. Trying out new sex techniques in a chilled masturbation session like this means you’ll be able to fully relax and won’t feel under any pressure to achieve a certain outcome (source: Lilpleaser.com).

Oh, and remember to use lube! It always feels better. And using a sex toy you can insert into yourself isn’t a bad idea either. Having said that, this technique works perfectly with just your fingers too and that’s what we’ll show you how to do now. 

1. Relax

Start by spending a few minutes taking some deep breaths in and out to empty your mind and relax your body. Then you can start to touch different parts of your body to see what feels good. Take the time to explore and try to be mindful of what kind of touch feels good and where. 

You can also fantasize if you like, or just focus on the here and now. It’s up to you. 

2. Warm up slowly

When you’re ready, open your legs and place your (lubed-up) fingers on your outer labia. It's really important to use lube to have the most comfortable and pleasurable experience! Move your fingers up and down a couple of times, pressing a little and noticing how the lips open almost naturally.

Now, place your fingers at the entrance of the vagina and gently push a little inside, at a straight angle.

Slowly move in and out. Experiment and find what turns you on. You can also stimulate your clit by teasing it with small movements before going back down to the vaginal entrance. Move your fingers around the vagina entrance, stimulating just the first 2-3 cm. 

3. Keep experimenting

Now take your fingers out, and place them just above the opening. Curl your fingers downwards, so that the tip moves along the bottom of your vagina, and twist them back up to touch the roof of the vagina. 

Repeat that movement, changing the pressure and rhythm. Notice which areas are most sensitive. You might feel like going deeper, but don’t do it just yet. Keep exploring in this area and let your pleasure grow. 

Explore your vaginal entrance from top to bottom, and left to right, noticing which area is most sensitive. The point is to stimulate the full rim of this area. We suggest using female arousal gel for this.

By now, you’ve probably got a good idea of which areas are most sensitive and give you the most pleasure. Repeat any motions that feel good for you as many times as you like, taking as long as you want. 

You may find that you orgasm by shallowing, but if not, don’t sweat it. The important thing is to just explore and have fun with the sensations you experience with this new technique. At the very least you’ll have learned something new about your body! 

And remember: shallowing is super versatile. You can use the same technique with a penis, tongue or sex toy, so there’s always something new to explore. 

Learn more sex techniques

If you enjoyed this article, you can discover even more techniques in our blog articles How to Touch Yourself: 10 Sex Techniques for Female Orgasm and 10 Hot Ideas for Breast Play and Nipplegasms. 

And if you’d like more in-depth guided masturbation sessions, don’t miss Emjoy’s Masturbation Techniques audio collection and our Discover Your Body series which will guide you through techniques like edging, squirting and shallowing.