There are many different types of orgasms, especially for women!

The first, and most widely known, is the single orgasm. Singular orgasms follow this sexual response pattern: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Men experience all their orgasms in accordance with these stages, although time spent on each stage can vary widely. For instance, a man who practices tantric sex might spend hours moving through the excitement and plateau stages, climbing up and down the pleasure scale, before he allows himself to attain orgasm. On the other hand, a man having a “quickie” can zip through all four stages in as little as ten minutes!

Women can also experience single orgasms, and just like men, women can spend a varied amount of time on the excitement and plateau stages, delaying orgasm for hours or as long as they like. Some say that the longer you delay orgasm, the more pleasurable and intense the sensations are, which explains why many people enjoying pushing the limits of single orgasms and seeing how long they can go before they have to give in.

Although not every woman can achieve multiple orgasms, women are lucky creatures because single orgasms are just the beginning. Unlike men, women don’t require a refractory period in between sexual experiences. Instead, women can jump right back into the plateau or excitement stage and build their way up to another orgasm in just minutes! Of course, just because women have the ability to be multi-orgasmic, it doesn’t mean that they always are. It can take a lot of work to be able to tap into this ability, and it won’t always be possible (sometimes even reaching a single orgasm can seem impossible!).

If you want to explore multiple orgasms, masturbation is a great place to start. Here’s what to do: Once you have reached orgasm, stay present in your body. Continue to stroke your erogenous zones, including your clitoris and labia, but much more softly and indirectly. (The clitoris is typically hypersensitive immediately following orgasm, so it can be uncomfortable to stimulate it right away.) Keep the erotic thoughts going.

After about 30 seconds, slowly start to directly stimulate the clitoris or G-spot again. You’ll notice that each progressive orgasm feels more intense and that multiple orgasms get easier and easier with practice. You will learn your own pace and how to bring yourself up and down the pleasure scale in order to master your multi-orgasmic abilities. Even if you can’t reach yet another orgasm, you can “practice” until you are able to. Soon, you might even be able to have three, four, five, or more orgasms in one self-stimulation session!

Ultimately, though, it’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself when it comes to reaching multiple orgasms: Whether you have one, two, or three, or whether you have them alone or with your partner, simply lie back and enjoy the ride!