The couple that masturbates together, stays together?

One of the biggest misconceptions people have in relationships is that your partner is going to know your body better than you know it yourself. But on the contrary, understanding your own body and how it functions sexually (including what feels good to you and how to achieve an orgasm) is what makes for better, more intimate sex with your partner.

That's one of the many reasons why masturbation — especially mutual masturbation — can help create better intimacy in a relationship, both sexually and emotionally.

For many women who are married or in long-term relationships, the frustration of not having an orgasm during sex or even foreplay can cause a lack of enjoyment and intimacy problems in the relationship. The best way to discover how to have an orgasm is to masturbate on your own and see what feels good. For some women, this can change the sexual intimacy in a relationship dramatically.

When a woman is able to have an orgasm with her partner, she releases oxytocin, a hormone responsible for feelings of love and bonding (coined as "the love hormone"). For men, solo masturbation can prove to help with problems concerning erectile dysfunction, stress release, and learning new techniques on how to prolong orgasm.

Once you have both spent time getting to know your own bodies, you can move on to mutual masturbation. There are many benefits of mutual masturbation. This is a fantastic way to help your partner understand and learn what turns you on and it can turn them on, as well. This can be very erotic, sexually stimulating, and a fun way to add some spice to the relationship.

The best way to start off masturbating mutually is to take turns achieving orgasm, really paying attention to your partners' techniques and turn-ons. You can also do it at the same time, which may evolve into oral sex or some other form of pleasuring each other.

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As relationships move forward, our bodies and minds change. What may have brought a person to orgasm in their 20s may change as a person approaches their 40s. The benefits of mutual masturbation are endless, as finding new ways to stimulate yourself and then showing that to your partner on a regular basis can keep the sex passionate, intimate, and sizzling hot.