Sex positions

Astride
 
With the man lying on his back on the bed, the
woman can sit astride him and control the pace
of their lovemaking. Facing him, she may squat
on her haunches for a more powerful bouncing
movement, or, as here, kneel, supporting herself
with her hands. This way, she is free to lean
forward and kiss his mouth. From this position it
is easy for her to increase the intimacy by lying
with her whole body along his. A variation is for
her to face away from him, increasing the depth
of penetration.
   
Crawl  
Deep penetration can be achieved with the
woman on all fours and her partner kneeling
behind her. This position gives both lovers the
opportunity to thrust against one another, and the
man may also caress his partner's breasts,
buttocks and clitoris. Rear entry positions like this
one are ideal when both partners are in the mood
for vigorous rather than tender lovemaking. A
variation is for both partners to stand with the
woman bending forward and supporting herself
against furniture.
   
Cross  
Here the woman lies on her back on the bed and
the man lies diagonally across her. She opens
her legs to allow him to enter and he rocks gently
from side to side. She can guide his movements
with the pressure of her hands. This position is
somewhat easier to maintain if the man lies
beneath on his back and the woman is in control.
   
Cunnilingus  
In cunnilingus, the man stimulates his partner's
vulva and clitoris with his lips and tongue. For
most women, cunnilingus gives the most
delicious sensual pleasure and is the best way of
climaxing. It is also extremely arousing for her
partner.
   
Fellatio  
In fellatio, the woman sucks, licks, kisses and
strokes her partner's penis. Exquisitely satisfying
for the man, fellatio can also give enormous
erotic pleasure to the woman as she senses his
responses and his total abandonment to her.
   
Fireside  
In this cozy position, which can follow
cunnilingus, the woman sits comfortably in an
armchair with her hands and legs around the
man, who enters kneeling in front of her. If she
leans back, he can support himself with his
hands on the back of the chair, which will allow
him more thrust.
   
Futon  
For this position you need to try out all your
furniture to find a piece of the correct height. The
woman lies on the edge of a table, futon or bed
covered with quilts and pillows, and spreads her
legs wide. The man can begin by kneeling to give
her cunnilingus, then he enters her, supporting
himself on his knees and holding her legs. This
affords him a great deal of control, and the angle
of penetration is steep.
   
Head to toe  
The man lies on his back with his legs spread and his
penis inside the woman, who also lies down on her
back, with her legs spread across his, her toes pointing
to his head, and her head away from him. The woman is
in control. The partners cannot see each other and
sensation is concentrated on the genitals. This position
can be adopted from one in which the lovers sit on the
bed facing one another, their legs interlaced.
   
Lap  
This is a position that may suggest itself while
cuddling on the sofa. The man sits with the
woman straddling his lap, facing him. She
controls the pace, they can kiss and he can
caress her breasts. She moves up and down on
him, supporting herself with her knees on the
sofa, and her arms around his neck. If they use a
dining chair, she can keep her feet on the floor
and hold on to the chair back for support if
necessary. If she faces away from him, they will
be able to achieve deeper penetration, and she
could support herself against furniture in front of
her.
   
Missionary  
The missionary position is the most popular
lovemaking position of all because it is
comfortable, affords a great deal of body contact
and good depth of penetration. The lovers can
kiss and hold each other at the same time. The
woman lies on her back with her legs spread and
her knees raised, and her partner lies on top
between her legs. From this position the woman
can move to clasp her legs behind her partner's
back or to close them tightly underneath him,
while he spreads his.
   
Side by side  
This position, with the lovers lying side by side
and facing one another, is easy to slip into after
mutual masturbation, and can be a prelude to
rolling over with either partner on top. Here, the
woman has her leg wrapped round her partner's
body to facilitate deeper penetration: she pulls
him towards her with her leg as he thrusts. The
partners can kiss and touch each other's genitals
while making love in this position.
   
Split level  
This is one of a number of 'split-level' positions
that gives the partners a different view of each
other and a different angle of penetration. Here,
the woman lies on her back, her legs round her
partner's waist, while he kneels. He is in total
control, and can also stimulate her clitoris with his
fingers. From this position he can let her legs
drop and lie on top of her in the missionary
position, or he can raise her legs, resting them
around his shoulders, then bend forward to kiss
her mouth at the same time gaining depth of
penetration.
   
Spoons  
The 'spoons' position is so named because of the
close fit of the two bodies. The partners lie on
their sides and the man enters from behind. This
position is cozy and relaxing, good for slow
drowsy lovemaking prior to failing asleep, or on
waking during the night. It is also a comfortable
position to adopt later in pregnancy when most
others put too much pressure on the woman's
belly.
   
Spread-eagle  
In this rear entry position, the woman lies face
down with the man on top of her. She spreads
her legs and he supports his weight on his arms.
If she raises her bottom off the bed slightly,
perhaps with the aid of a pillow under her hips,
then it will be possible to achieve deeper
penetration. The man can also lie with his full
weight on his partner, from which position it is
easy to roll into 'spoons'.
   
Standing  
Both parties stand, using the wall as support.
This position is often used when the desire to
make love strikes unexpectedly. Part of the
excitement lies in the fact that it is not easy to
move in this position.
   
Standing carry  
The man stands, holding his partner in his arms.
She wraps he legs round his waist and her arms
round his shoulders. She can move against him
by pulling herself up and down, and he can help
her with his arms. This position can be assumed
from sitting. It can, of course, be adopted in a
very confined space, but it is quite strenuous.
From this position you can return to sitting, or the
man can gently lower his partner on to a bed or
preferably a table, where thrusting can continue
without so much exertion.
   
Swimming  
The man lies on his back, spreading his legs, and his partner
lies on top of him, her legs along his, her feet on his. There
is a good opportunity for kissing and total body contact. She
controls the pace of lovemaking by dragging herself up and
down against him. Many women find this position very
exciting and are more likely to reach orgasm without direct
clitoral stimulation this way than any other.
She can vary the position by closing her legs tight while his
remain spread, or by getting him to close his, or both. She
can also move easily from this position to sit up facing him.
   
Urgent  
This position is ideal for when you are
unexpectedly overtaken by the urge to make
love. It does not require more than a loosening of
the clothes if you want. The woman leans over
the nearest available piece of furniture and the
man enters from behind. It is good for fast
exciting sex and gives both partners the
opportunity to thrust against one another.