Everyone knows that masturbation makes you feel good. 

But that feeling is so much more than pleasure. Some of the benefits of masturbation might surprise you — like pain relief, a healthier immune system, and a clearer complexion.

For many people, masturbation is still a dirty word. A quarter of women in the U.S. say they’ve never even tried solo masturbation, often because it clashes with their morals or they just aren’t interested.

There’s another unfortunate reason many women don’t practice this type of self-care: The female orgasm is often elusive — as many as 15% of women say they've never had one. They may choose not to masturbate because they don’t know what they’re missing, or they simply don’t know what turns them on.

There’s no more shame in choosing not to practice self-pleasure. But if you’re interested in adding a bit of fun to your wellness routine, guided masturbation is a great place to start.

What’s guided masturbation?

Guided masturbation might sound like a new concept, but jerk off instruction, or JOI, has been around for years as a popular category on traditional porn sites. 

If you couldn’t tell by the name, JOI is the product of a male-dominated industry with way fewer options for women. And many women don't respond to visual stimuli like men do, making even ethical porn videos a less desirable option for many. That’s where audio erotica comes in. 

Like traditional visual porn, audio erotica is sexually explicit. But instead of using images, it relies purely on sound to trigger arousal and feed the audience’s imagination in a way that many women find far more stimulating than videos.

Guided masturbation is one of many audio erotica subgenres, which also include things like dirty talk, ASMR, and spicy sex stories. But rather than incorporating the intriguing plotlines and characters you’ll find in a narrated story, guided masturbation acts as more of a coach, providing instructions or suggestions for self-pleasure. This type of erotic audio uses mindfulness and guided imagery to help people connect more deeply with their own sensations and understand their preferences.

Voice artists or sexual wellness experts record guided masturbation audio using a friendly, soothing tone of voice to guide you through things like nipple play, edging, and other avenues for enjoyment. It's important to note that the language in these sessions promotes relaxation, exploration, and erotic enjoyment in a positive, respectful manner.

What happens in a guided masturbation session?

A guided masturbation session follows you from beginning to end as you explore your body and discover what makes you feel good. Here’s what a typical session includes:

1. Introduction and relaxation: It usually starts with a general introduction, creating a safe and comfortable space. Your masturbation guide might walk you through deep breathing exercises or other relaxation techniques to help you clear your mind and focus on your body.

2. Sensual exploration: Once you're relaxed, the voice artist encourages you to begin exploring. This might include touching different erogenous zones, identifying where you feel most sensitive or aroused, and generally becoming more aware of your physical sensations.

3. Masturbation guidance: Next, the voice artist guides you step by step through self-pleasure, describing what to do and how to do it. They might suggest different techniques, pressures, or rhythms to try. The aim here is to build arousal slowly and steadily, promoting greater awareness and control of your sexual response.

4. Climax and cooldown: The session will ideally guide you toward orgasm, which can happen quickly or never at all — there’s no right or wrong way to experience it. Regardless, there's usually a cooldown phase where the voice artist helps you come back to reality and process the experience.

The benefits of guided masturbation

We’ve already touched on some of the ways masturbation can improve your health and wellness. But what are the benefits of masturbating with the help of a guide? Here are some of our favorite perks:

It fills in the sex education gaps

Many sex ed programs are severely lacking, if they exist at all. In the U.S., only eight states include all of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommended components for comprehensive sexuality education. But even the WHO doesn’t include masturbation in its list of recommendations, despite acknowledging that body exploration is a normal part of childhood development. 

Since masturbation is a personal and sometimes taboo topic, you may not feel comfortable asking parents, siblings, or friends for a masturbation tutorial. If that’s the case for you, guided masturbation can teach you how to masturbate using different techniques and help you explore your body in new ways without worrying about what other people think.

It can ease performance anxiety

Getting too “in your head” can make it hard to perform in bed, even when you’re by yourself. Anxiety can even make it difficult to feel desire or get aroused in the first place. For some people, focusing on another person’s soothing voice and following masturbation instructions can provide just the right amount of distraction from anxiety-inducing thoughts, alleviating the pressure and helping listeners lean into the experience.

It brings mindfulness to masturbation

As people learn more about the benefits of mindfulness and guided meditation, apps that coach people through these wellness techniques are exploding in popularity. Guided masturbation brings those practices to the world of self-pleasure, helping listeners stay focused on the present moment and their physical sensations. Practicing mindfulness while masturbating supports a healthy sex life, encouraging self-love and an appreciation for your body.

It adds variety to your sex life

“Variety is the spice of life” may be a cliché, but it’s true. Doing the same thing day in and day out tends to take the magic out of even your favorite activities. You may have no issues climaxing or getting aroused, but guided masturbation is a great way to bring a bit of excitement to your routine. 

For even more variety, try adding a vibrator or other sex toy to your guided session. You can even use the audio porn during mutual masturbation or as foreplay to spice up partnered sex.

It’s safe and ethical

In a guided masturbation session, you’re always in control. You engage voluntarily and can hit the pause button whenever you want. The experience falls within the lines of your own boundaries, encouraging you to explore at your own pace and only to the degree you’re comfortable.

Guided sessions also teach listeners to understand their feelings and learn how to find pleasure on their own — never at the expense of someone else’s enjoyment or safety.

How to get started with guided masturbation

Guided masturbation apps make finding content easy. On Quinn — the audio erotica app created by women, for the world — we have an entire section devoted to guided sessions. The options are endless, so don’t be afraid to try out different voice actors and scenarios until you find the type of session that works for you. 

For the best results, start a session when you have enough time to relax and fully enjoy your time alone. Choose a space that’s comfortable, safe, and private so you can focus on your body without worrying that someone will interrupt you. If you need to wear headphones for privacy, find a comfortable pair. The goal is to make your entire body feel good.

Start your self-love journey

Guided masturbation for women has been a game-changer, even helping some people orgasm for the very first time. These sessions are a great place to dip your toes into erotic audio for women, men, and people of every gender and sexuality. 

When you’re ready to explore beyond guided masturbation, you’ll find compilations for every kink, fetish, and listening style on Quinn. To access thousands of sounds and stories, download the Quinn app for iOS or Android.