13 erotic breathwork techniques (w/ our lingerie) for better sex, love, lust + passion

rock it out 

One of the hottest erotic breathwork techniques is also an orgasm technique, so bonus. Called Fire-Breath, this Tantric-based beauty was developed by Barbara Carellas (Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the 21st Century, 2007). Start lying on your back, knees up. Inhale breath into your belly, exhale fully so your back hits the floor. Keep your breath moving in a circular fashion without pausing to create a rocking motion that builds up sexual energy. Once you get a rhythm, begin squeezing your kegals to create even more fire. Now take all this built-up sexual energy and move it up your body, chakra by chakra, feeling each one expand as you breath, rock and move energy up your body. You may laugh or cry at your heart, vocalize at your throat, get dreamy at your third eye. Keep moving the energy and seeing what comes up and/or out for you. If nothing else, the heat, energy and fire you create feel orgasmic.

connect your hearts 

This one really gets to the heart of intimacy. Sit face-to-face with your partner, place your hands on each other's hearts, and breathe together, deeply and slowly. After a few breaths, begin to focus on your shared heartbeats. Feel an energetic love bomb passing back and forth as you breathe and gaze into one another’s eyes. If this technique tugs at the heart strings, simply notice any emotions that arise and acknowledge them sans judgment. Pair heart-to-heart breathwork with a chest-opening, cleavage-accentuating bit of lace love aka our Inquisitor demi lace bra to help focus attention.

build an infinite connection

Another heart-based breathing technique to amp up your erotic energy is to imagine your heart filling with golden light on a count of 5 and as you exhale on a 5-count, imagine the light forming a figure-eight (aka infinity symbol) connection with your lover's heart. If you're playing solo, imagine you're connecting with the divine masculine or feminine for other-worldly juiciness. Naturally, we're pairing breathwork with a bra that's as divine as your energetic connection.

increase your intimacy

Medium Jamie Butler suggests starting sitting back to back with your lover so energy systems and breath naturally sync up before you start to play. “When we're sitting back-to-back the chakra system, the energy system in our body lines up and when we sync our breath, which is life force and energy, we link communication to our energy chakras, which are part of our energy system,” Butler says. “And that can heighten the sensation of that sexual intimacy.” Shut off your mind, the clock, the to-do list and simply be until organically you're breathing together and creating more intimacy. For a little more eroticism, sit skin to skin or skin to silk with a sexy, silky robe (or other piece of lingerie) that moves with your breath, teasing both of your backs at the same time.

breathe in rhythm 

An easy entry point that almost anyone can try, simply breathing in tandem with your partner can help create a sense of shared rhythm and deepened connection. Sit facing one another and together take a couple of slow, deep breaths. Hold eye contact as you begin to match the length of your inhalations and exhalations and notice the sensations that arise in your bodies. Enhance the intimacy by adding a light touch — it can be as light as the touch of your fingers. We like using the detachable silk ties on this multi-way bodysuit to tease, tickle and play in lieu of fingers. 

harness that full-body orgasm 

This Kundalini-style exercise helps prolong climax, according breath-and-energy expert Jamie Butler. Normally when you're closet to climax, the body heats, blood rushes, temps rise and breath becomes shallow. Instead, she says, breathe in slowly through your mouth with open lips to create a cooling effect that tells your body to calm down, hold on. At the same time, your body is being stimulated (fingers, cock, dildo…). As your energy revs, soften your body and hold your breath, staying extremely relaxed and fluid and in the moment as you build energy until you reach the climax. 

“You're holding your breath, your body at climax. And soon as you hit climax, tighten up,” she explains. “Pull the tummy in and up so that energy at the base of your spine, which is your root chakra that has now been stimulated, cooled, heated, now it has pressure on it and it's about to climax. And as it climaxes, let go of the tension in the body and let the breath out, but let it out with this immense great sigh.” Butler says the loud sigh at climax is stunningly sexy and can inspire your lover to climax as well. Pro tip: give them a heads up about the noise.

drop into your energetic body

Inspired by the yogic practice of nadi shodhana pranayama and possibly the least sexy erotic breathwork technique, “alternating nostrils” involves closing one nostril at a time while breathing in and out through the other, this supercharged sexual practice helps balance the flow of energy and calm the nervous system (and the mind) — which drops you into your erotic body. Practice with a partner by sitting or lying together. Take turns closing one nostril while your partner breathes in and out through the open one, and then switch sides. Notice what happens when you're both feeling chill and sink deep into your those yummy energy bodies. Make it sexier by adorning your neck, waist or breasts with a cincher that gives your lover something luscious to look at (not that your nostrils aren't peak heat, but…).

ignite your fire

If you’ve taken a kundalini yoga class, you’ve likely tried this breathwork aka breath of fire – who knew it built up sexual fire, too? You probably know this method as those quick, shallow breaths with your abs engaged to clear your mind and up your energy. If that doesn’t sound hot, try it with a partner, taking turns while you sit facing each other, hands on the other's knees, starting with 30 seconds at a time. You’ll connect with each other, move into the present moment and energize yourself for whatever sensual activity you’ve got on tap. A high-waisted panty that harnesses all that tummy power is an amazing way to help channel that energy. Share the removable ties with a partner who can wrap them around their own waist for focus, pleasure and/or arousal. 

create orgasmic feelings

Sex coach, educator and feminist writer Suzannah Weiss uses this technique to move “sexual sensation” throughout her body starting from the genitals, pelvis, root chakra or cock/pussy (choose the lingo that works for you). The idea is to focus your attention in that area until you “feel” the arousal then as you inhale, drink in the pleasure, moving it up your body (or spine) to your chest and feeling the tingling yumminess as it ripples through you. While it’s not exactly a full-body orgasm, Weiss says, for many people it’s using your breath to create an emotional high.

We love using the removable ties in our Ohm High-Leg Thong to tickle our skin as we move energy. Simply tie the hip ties to a bra, bandeau or cincher and feel the silk as you breathe.

channel that pussy energy

Pussy energy, god energy, source energy, whatever your name for that glorious power source between your legs, that's your focus. Another kundalini-style breathwork technique, Weiss suggests imagining that when you inhale, your literally expanding the energy in your pussy (think balloon) then as the sensual sensation grows, visualize moving that energy through your entire body. “Vocalizing on the outbreath can also intensify the sensation and get you into the moment,” she says. If you're partnered up, she suggests, “gazing into each other’s eyes and having one person breathe in as the other breathes out. Imagine that each time you breathe out and moan, you are transferring the sensation to your partner — and then they are feeding it back to you so that it grows and grows.”