The Missionary Sex Position Explained

Bulldog Sex PositionHang Loose Sex Position

Missionary ranks among the most popular and rewarding sex positions, offering close, intimate, and deeply satisfying sex with your man. This guide walks through how to perform Missionary for maximum pleasure (read: orgasms), plus a few excellent variations to help you get more out of it.

The illustration above shows the fundamental Missionary technique. You lie on your back with legs open while your man positions himself on top, legs between yours. He braces himself on his elbows placed on either side of you, and may rest some of his weight on you too — though he should stay mindful that it doesn't become uncomfortable for you. Speak up if it does.

One of the best things about Missionary is that it lets your man reach your anterior fornix, or A-Spot [1][2], assuming he's sufficiently well-endowed (see the A-Spot illustration below). This makes it a great fit if cervical orgasms are something you enjoy.

His Role In The Missionary Position

Missionary is refreshingly simple and doesn't demand much flexibility or agility, making it accessible to nearly everyone. Your man carries most of the workload during Missionary sex, thrusting in and out of your vagina.

While that alone feels good, adding a grinding motion makes it even better. He can move his pelvis up and down alongside the thrusting so his pubic bone presses onto and around your clitoris — a technique quite similar to the Coital Alignment Technique.

Her Role In The Missionary Position

Since your man is on top during Missionary, it might seem like he holds all the control. In reality, you have plenty of say over how deeply he penetrates you and how much stimulation your clitoris receives.

With your man on top, wrap your arms around his neck or head, or hook them beneath his arms and grip his back, pulling yourself down onto him for slightly deeper penetration.

For More Clitoral Stimulation – Simply grind your clit against his pubic bone with every thrust. It takes a bit of practice to find your rhythm, but once you do, it feels fantastic. You can also add manual stimulation with your hands using these masturbation techniques.

For Deeper Penetration – Getting deeper penetration during Missionary is easy — just lift your legs. Since holding them up gets tiring, try wrapping them around your partner's back instead, similar to the Drill position.

If wrapping your legs isn't your preference but deeper penetration still is, slide a pillow or cushion beneath the small of your back or hips (9 powerful sex pillow positions). This raises your vagina and lets him go deeper without you needing to lift your legs.

Ways To Boost Pleasure In The Missionary Position

Roleplay & Light BDSM – Your man holds a clearly dominant role on top in this pose. If you enjoy that submissive feeling and want to push it further, try some roleplay — for instance, having him pin your arms above your head while you playfully resist.

A more intense variation involves him placing one or both hands on your neck for light choking (naturally, having a safe word or an object to drop as a signal is essential here). Explore more roleplaying ideas here and an introduction to BDSM here.

Dirty Talk – If dirty talk turns you on, Missionary is ideal since your man's mouth naturally ends up right by your ear. Check out 73 great dirty talking phrases to say to your man here.

Communicate! – Making Missionary more enjoyable for both of you comes down to talking with your man and exchanging feedback about what's working and what isn't. This guide on sexual communication is a good starting point.

Missionary Variations & Comparable Positions

Sticking with plain Missionary will eventually feel stale, so try these variations too:

Deckchair

Your man lifts your knees upward in this pose. Click here to find out more about the Deckchair position.

Drill

Wrap your legs around him, cross your ankles, and draw him in for deeper penetration. Click here to find out more about the Drill position.

Hang Loose

Nearly identical to standard Missionary, aside from one key difference — your head hangs over the edge of the bed. Click here to find out more about the Hang Loose position.

Sandwich

The Sandwich takes a bit of flexibility and strength but rewards you with deep penetration. Click here to find out more about it.

Spread Legs

Solid flexibility is also required for the Spread Legs position, which many say resembles the Anvil position. Click here to find out more about the Spread Legs position.

Sean's Thoughts On The Missionary Position

If you're relatively new to sex, you'll find Missionary comfortable and easy to perform without much fuss. One underappreciated perk is the significant control you have over how deep you take your man. Also worth noting: during Missionary, your man can lean on his elbows rather than his hands. On a specific but important note — recent research indicates that for women who've had hip replacement surgery, Missionary is the safest position for sex [3][4] — one more reason to keep Missionary a regular part of your sex life.

February 29, 2012