9 Women Describe Their Most Indulgent Self-Pleasure Rituals

To celebrate the magic of masturbation, we asked nine real women to describe their most indulgent self-pleasure rituals for when they really want to make a night of it. Here's what they told us.

"I like to sleep in and have my DIY time in the morning after a nice hot bath. This way, I'm well-rested, stress-free, and completely in the moment so that orgasms come a dime a dozen. I've found that this is the best way to punctuate a week well done and start the following week on a note of rest and relaxation." —Samantha, 29

"I've realized that light for me is a big factor (if the light is really bright in the room, I can't connect to my sexuality as much). I'm also very visual. I can't start feeling anything with just my imagination; I have to see something to start stimulating erotic emotion, so [I use] porn or even read erotica. Typically, I will light a candle daily regardless of whether or not that's the plan for the night, so that's also going on in the background." —Jessica, 26

"I get off imagining my lover is watching me rub glorious oil all over my body, honoring my skin, my hair, my curves. A piece of dark chocolate slowly savored on the way to bed and perhaps one more slow, sensual dance by candlelight as I get into bed." —Allana, 49

"I'm definitely [someone] who really enjoys pornography. So I try to find a video that reminds me of my boyfriend (ha-ha). Also, I love to masturbate and sext or sexy snap my boyfriend too. Especially being kind of long-distance, it keeps the romance alive. Also I almost always light my Himalayan salt lamp so my room glows pink." —Sarah, 26

"I don't have a ritual for masturbation, per se, but it's definitely something I try to do regularly as a way to relieve stress when I'm really wound up. I never really thought about this way until recently, but I think masturbation, for me, is similar to meditation, in that it's something that helps me clear my head. I don't really think about anything when I do it, not even sexual fantasies most of the time. I just kind of lose myself in the feeling and the release I feel afterward." —Alexandra, 25

"I find that the total setting of switching off all outside energies and focusing on 'me' helps. And if you want a quick fix, I have this fantastic and fun vibrator that is shaped like mascara and great to carry with you or pull out when you need a little screaming 'O.'" —Courtney, 40

"I love burning sensual oud incense as a way to clear my space of any negative energy preventing me from being present for myself. I practice luxurious self-massage with nourishing oils and sensual essential oils like ylang-ylang and Palo Santo to promote a radiant connection within. I cherish Palo Santo because it is such a high-frequency essential oil, meaning it raises one's vibration toward love and divine peace. [...] For me, ylang-ylang frees my mind from its inhibitions and promotes sensations of pleasure and joy." —Amanda, 35

"It's no secret that I have sex every day with my husband. (I literally wrote a book about it.) But when I say sex, people usually don't instantly think masturbation. Self-pleasuring is popular on the menu at my house. My husband and I have actually started calling it 'the usual' because this is an easy method for a quick connection. Whether I let him watch or we service ourselves side-by-side, masturbation is an effective way to get exactly what I want—quick results." —Caitlin, 33

"I usually prefer to self-pleasure in the morning or midday since I have more energy at those times. For me, the initial act of pleasure is usually spontaneous, but the aftercare I try to keep consistent. After I have orgasmed, I first pee of course (to prevent UTIs) and then put on a skin care face mask for 10 minutes. Then I take a long, hot shower. The feelings after orgasm when by yourself can sometimes be confusing, so I find it's important to have a self-care ritual for after masturbation as well." —Annie, 31