Masturbation is about sexual stimulation of one’s own genitals for sexual pleasure, for instance as foreplay, as a means of self-love and self-knowledge or for sexual arousal, or carried out with the goal of having an orgasm.


It may be done with the hands, fingers, everyday objects, or special toys or tools such as vibrators, dildos, or mechanical massagers.
On a pure physical level, the contractions that take place during masturbation can help strengthen the bladder and the pelvic floor muscles, which, for instance, can support alleviating urinary incontinence and Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or prevent Premature Ejaculation (PE).
Masturbation can be done alone or with a partner or partners, which may include sexual intercourse, manual stimulation of the partner’s genitals, and/or only stimulation of one’s own genitals.
Self-Massage of the genitals or other parts of the body that influence the genitals or sexual performance is rather of a therapeutic nature addressing a variety of pathologies, such as low libido, ED, and PE, to name some issues. Genital Self-Massage can be part of exercises given by a therapist to do at home, or exercises and practices of which one thinks that they’re beneficial for one’s own sexual functioning.
Masturbation and Genital Self-Massage are controversial topics. Although it’s a widely accepted practice in the West, considered healthy and normal, various cultures and religions still see it as a spiritually and morally damaging practice. For an individual person, the latter can give rise to sexual and emotional trauma due to suppressed sexuality and a negative self-image, with all problems attached to that.


Apart from massaging one’s own penis, vagina, cervix, or clitoris, common other sexual self-stimulations, either done for pleasure or healing, are Prostate Massage, G-Spot or Sacred Spot Massage, Perineum Massage, Testicles Massage, and Rosebud and Anal Massage.
Within Tantric Sex practices, masturbation is typically seen as a means to give self-love, to practice conscious and mindfulness touch, to get to know your body and your desires well, which may have as its goal experiencing sexual self-pleasure, but also being able to have greater sexual fulfillment and intimacy with a partner.