Looking for a way to feel closer to your partner? How about a nice slow sensual couples massage? Massage isn’t just about relaxing muscles; it's a powerful way to connect, stir desire, and bring you into an intimate and sensual space together. Couples massage is a great way to enhance your physical connection without having a goal-oriented sexual experience. This is especially true when you focus on 'slow touch' and 'lingering touch’ as a practice for how you touch each other. We’re going to dive into the themes of slow & lingering touch, explore the erogenous zones, and give you time-tested techniques for the ultimate sensual massage experience. Don’t forget to grab a bottle of your favorite massage oil (our is Foria’s Intimacy Massage Oil!)

Step 1: Set the Stage

First things first – create a cozy space. Being fully present for a massage means nothing in your space is distracting you, and everything is supporting your comfort and pleasure. So dim the lights, put on some soft music, maybe light a candle or incense, and make sure the temperature in the room is warm enough that you can be comfortable naked, or with very little clothing on. You don’t want to be lying on the table shivering! Plus, a warm body means more blood can flow to the erogenous zones. 

Step Two: Focus on Slow & Lingering Touch

Slow touch is all about taking your time, and lingering touch is about listening with your hands. Slow touch sets the pace of “we don’t have to get anywhere” which can be a big psychological relief for the receiver, this allows the mind & body to fully relax - relaxation sets the stage for increased desire and arousal. Lingering touch is the kind of touch where you listen to your partner’s body with your hands, paying attention to areas of pleasure, areas of tension, and areas that want more connection. This is especially important when it comes to erogenous zones.

Step 3: Know Your Erogenous Zones

There are at least 11 erogenous zones on the body that are highly sensitive to touch. For a sensual massage, these are great areas to explore once you have warmed your partner up. We will walk through the erogenous zones below, and then dive into the massage tips. 

The neck, breasts, inner thighs, low back, butt, face, scalp, feet, hands, and genitals are all erogenous zones that love touch. Each is sensitive in unique ways and loaded with pleasurable nerve endings. From firm rolling pressure like you are kneading bread or a light trace of fingertips along the skin, the most important thing is to pay attention to your partner's response – because it's all about finding what they enjoy.

In general, a good rule of thumb is to start with the extremities and work your way in. For example, you could start at the feet, head, neck, and hands, and work your way into the breasts, hips, inner thighs, and genitals.

Step-by-Step Techniques

Tip 1: The Warm-Up

With a generous amount of oil on your hands start with gliding strokes. Begin at the shoulders and slowly move down the back, you can bring the stroke all the way across the butt and down the back of the thighs to the feet. You want to use your whole hand and ask your partner how much pressure they want. You can do this multiple times, it's like a gentle warm-up for the body, getting the blood moving, and helping your partner relax, setting the stage for a very intimate experience.

Tip 2: Kneading – The Melter

Kneading is a massage technique you are probably familiar with, if you’re not you can imagine you're kneading dough but with much gentler pressure. Use your fingers and palms to gently work on tense areas like the shoulders and upper back, the glutes/butt cheeks tend to love firm kneading pressure as well as the feet. Kneading helps melt away tension and promotes deep relaxation.

Tip 3: Fingertip Gliding

This type of touch isn’t something that you will find in professional massages. It isn’t quite tickling, but you do use a very light touch with your fingertips almost as if you're painting with your hands. Some people love this kind of touch on specific areas; especially the outer breasts, inner thighs, and neck. Some people find the touch too light on certain areas - so ask your partner what feels best and use curiosity to explore where this kind of touch would feel good for them. The key is to follow their lead. This touch can turn up the heat and create a sense of anticipation. Within the light fingertip approach, you can vary your pressure so that it feels like a butterfly landing on the skin, all the way to a texture of scratching. The scalp is a great place to explore deeper scratching pressure. 

Tip 4: Full Body Massage Using Your Full Body

The warmth and variation of softness and firmness of your body can be a great addition to your hands. Using the sides of your arms for deep sweeping pressure-filled strokes on the butt and low back can feel amazing. If you are not wearing a shirt putting oil on your chest and belly and using your body to rub alongside your hands can bring warmth and closeness that feels very sensual and arousing. If your partner is comfortable with you using your weight you can place your hands over areas that like a lot of pressure, like the glutes and lean in with your whole body to provide a sense of containment.

Tip 5: Shaking and Squeezing

This type of touch is a really big turn-on for some people. Using your whole hand gather a part of the body that you can squeeze, this could be a butt cheek, the thighs, the breasts, or the hips. Ask your partner how the pressure feels and see if they would like more, if they say yes - increase the pressure in your hands like you would if you were compressing dough, firm and heavy. If they would like to explore shaking you can jiggle these parts a little bit and see how it feels. It might sound strange but so many couples enjoy this technique.

Communication

The most important part of a sensual massage is communication. Always check in with your partner about the pressure. If they want it softer or firmer, adjust accordingly - as well as the areas you are touching. Asking before the massage starts what areas they definitely don’t want to be touched is a great idea - that way you have the information about where to touch, and where not to touch. Throughout the massage ask them “Is there anything I can do to make this feel even better?” this simple question opens the doors for all types of sensual requests that both of you might not have ever had the idea to explore before. Another great question is “Would it feel good if I did xyz”... that way you can massage with curiosity and the intention to learn more about what brings your partner pleasure. 

As we wrap up, an important note about choosing the right massage oil. You want to get an oil that is great for sensitive skin, hydrating, and has long-lasting glide. Foria's Nourishing Intimacy Massage Oil is a fantastic choice. With a blend of botanicals like olive, avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, sunflower, grapeseed, and castor oil, it not only moisturizes but also ensures a smooth massage.

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