The Kama Sutra has developed a reputation as the ultimate guidebook to every sex position ever… which is a bit of a misnomer, since the ancient Sanskrit book is so much more than a reference book for intricate genital gymnastics. That said, the original text—which was written by Indian philosopher Vatsyayana in the 4th century—was groundbreaking as one of the first erotic works of its kind.
“Kama means desire, and Kama Deva is the god of love and desire. [The book] is the first erotic treatise in the world,” says Ruth Vanita, PhD, a professor of South and Southeast Asian studies at the University of Montana. Divided into multiple chapters, “it gives advice to people on how to enjoy the pleasures of life, including sex.” But the text also encourages people to engage in 64 different forms of art—like cooking, music, and even flower arrangement—to experience pleasure beyond the bedroom, too.
“The Kama Sutra has been quite distorted in how it has circulated in translation in the U.S. and other parts of the western world,” says Durba Mitra, PhD, an assistant professor of women, gender, and sexuality at Harvard University, and author of Indian Sex Life: Sexuality and the Colonial Origins of Modern Social Thought. “Kama Sutra is a book of philosophy on ethics and aesthetics, never just an ancient text on sexual positions and sexual pleasure.”
The “distortion” of the book happened “in part because the first edition of Kama Sutra in English was done by colonial enthusiast—and Orientalist—Richard Burton in the late nineteenth century,” Mitra explains. Burton “wanted to create a fantasy for his English-speaking audience by portraying people of the East as hyper-sexual and unchanging… [and] unfortunately, people still use these reductive, racist ideas to think about Indian sexuality in the past and present.”
That said, the parts of the Kama Sutra that *were* devoted to sex and sensuality might surprise you.
The ancient book offers some progressive perspectives on sexuality and love, including the belief that men should prioritize a woman’s pleasure over their own, by focusing on making sure she climaxes before even thinking about their own orgasm.
The Kama Sutra's section on sexuality “was designed to teach a man how to make sure that the woman was fully pleasured,” says sex expert Seema Anand, author of The Arts of Seduction. “They believed that if the woman was fully pleasured, sex would go on for longer in a marriage. It even says that if a man can pleasure a woman properly, his business will do better because she won’t spend your money needlessly, and that a man would even be a better warrior.”
Believe it or not, the text also addresses queer intimacy, even devoting a full chapter to same-sex desire, says Vanita. Over time, however, the inclusivity of the Kama Sutra also became victim to the “distortion” Mitra mentioned.
“Later Indian texts based on the Kama Sutra… omitted the section on same-sex desire, and in the early 20th century, under British Puritan influence, some Indians interpreted the Kama Sutra as a text warning against many types of sex, such as homosexuality,” says Vanita. Luckily, however, researchers like her have brought the original intention of these elements to light, so that everyone can benefit from its sex-positive wisdom.
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Kama Sutra is big on giving pleasure, and what better way than with a little oral loving? "The entire Kama Sutra talks about pleasure and the build-up to pleasure," Anand says. Get your foreplay off on the right foot by pleasuring your partner and vice versa.
How to do it: One partner lies down, flat on their back. Then, the other partner climbs on top, so they’re facing away from the bottom person's upper body. Your genitals should be lined up with your partner's mouth, and their genitals should be lined up with yours. (You can also mix up who gets on top to try out even more angles.)
Make it hotter: The bottom partner can also add cushions under their butt to help the top partner reach different angles. Mixing up the angles "changes how you feel and can increase the pleasure," Anand says.
Face Off
The receiving partner is in the driver’s seat here, which means they can control everything from the pace to the angle to the depth of this position. "Kama Sutra says that, when you’re on top, only move your hips and don’t move the upper part of your body," Anand says. Moving more than just your hips could hurt your back. So, to keep the focus on pleasure, the top partner should try to isolate their movements.
How to do it: The giving partner sits on a chair or the edge of a bed, while the receiving partner faces them, sitting on their lap. From here, the giving partner can penetrate the receiver, or you can just grind.
Champagne Room
Being seated is great because, again, the receiver is in control here. Kama Sutra was big on having women wear jewelry that could help guide them during sex, Anand says. So, "for seated positions, you wore a seven or nine-string necklace of pearls," she says. "You want the pearls to move from side to side very gently… the movement of the body will just flow."
How to do it: The giving partner sits on the bed (or chair, or couch) while the receiving partner sits on top of them, facing away.
Make it hotter: Once you're in position, Anand recommends that the receiving partner lean back and lift up slightly so they're resting their weight on their partner’s knees.
Spork
The Spork position allows for plenty of eye contact while you bump and grind, and it also allows you to try a sexy Kama Sutra hack: Perfume different areas of your body. With Kama Sutra, "each part of the body had to be fragranced with a different perfume," Anand says. "You almost become a banquet of smells, textures, and tastes so that it encourages your partner to travel your body."
How to do it: The receiving partner lies on your back and raises their right leg, so that the top partner can position their body between their legs at a 90-degree angle and enter. If you're the bottom partner, your left leg can lie straight out on the bed, or you can also bend it to manipulate the depth of penetration.
Make it hotter: For a rear-entry option, the receiver can lie on their stomach, bend one leg, and have their partner position themselves in between their legs.
Pretzel Dip
This fun position gives you the perks of doggy style while allowing you to gaze into each other’s eyes. "Make it a sensory experience and caress your partner’s backside, reach around and stimulate the nipples and breasts, and amplify the pleasure in this position through direct clitoral stimulation," says Shannon Chavez, PsyD, an AASECT-certified sex therapist.
How to do it: One partner lies on their right side. The other kneels, straddling their right leg and curling their left one around their left own side.
Make it hotter: You can crank things up even more by experimenting with different angles to find the one that’s just right for you, Chavez adds.
Doggy Style
Sure, ~technically~ you’re not face to face when you do it doggy style, but there's a workaround: Find a mirror. "Looking in a mirror... can aid in the presence of the sexual experience, as well as the eroticism and pleasure," says Debra Laino, a sex therapist and the author of The Missing Link: A Fusion of Sexuality, Psychology, Lifespan Development and You. "There is also a very real trust emotion that comes from doing this as the person in the 'doggy' position is in a passive, vulnerable position."
Whether you and your S.O. engage in a more aggressive or gentle tempo, both "fall in line with Kama Sutra as they are allowing for different types of pleasure-giving and receiving to and for each other," Laino says.
How to do it: The receiving partner gets on all fours. Then, the giving partner kneels behind them, with their upper body straight up or slightly draped over.
Make it hotter: This is another position that can allow for clitoral stimulation, too. If you're the receiving partner, have the person on top touch you or use a vibrator.
Cowgirl's Helper
The face-to-face element is great here, Laino says. She recommends talking and sharing fantasies—yup, even while you’re having sex—"for the ultimate intimacy experience."
How to do it: This is similar to a cowgirl sex position, but slightly different. The receiving partner kneels on top, pushing off their partner's chest and sliding up and down their thighs. The giving partner helps by supporting some of their weight and grabbing their hips or thighs while trising to meet each thrust.
Make it hotter: You can also rub your partner’s nipples, lock eyes, and kiss to ramp up the intimacy, Chavez says.
Lotus
Also called Padmasana in the original Kama Sutra text, this passionate position is one that is best done by grinding against your partner for clitoral stimulation, rather than bouncing up and down, says Gigi Engle, a certified sex therapist and author of All The F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life.
How to do it: The giving partner sits cross-legged (yoga-/pretzel-style); the receiving partner sits in their lap facing them. Wrap your legs around them and hug each other for support.
Make it hotter: If you're on top of your partner, you can lower yourself onto their penis or a dildo. But if penetration's not your thing, you can also rub up against them for outercourse.
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G-Whiz
This is a good choice if you and your partner aren't especially flexible, since the move only requires that you can bend at the waist.
How to do it: With the giving partner sitting on their knees, the receiving partner lies back with their legs resting on each of their partner's shoulders.
Make it hotter: Height difference? No problem. "You can put a couple of pillows underneath the other person, or you can utilize a sex pillow," says Engle.
Magic Mountain
While this scissoring-style move lends itself to penetration, it's also a great one for sex between two people with vulvas, where partners can manually stimulate each other with either a toy or their hands, says Engle.
How to do it: Your partner sits, legs bent, leaning back on their hands and forearms. You do the same, and then inch toward them until you make contact.
Make it hotter: If you can't get the angle quite right (or just want some added stimulation), why not toss in a toy? The Le Wand Petite is a perfect addition to this position: it's small enough to fit between your bodies, but the flexible head is big enough to stimulate both parties at once. Win, win.
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The Chairman
This is another sex position where you might think bouncing is the right move, but grinding is definitely the way to go, says Engle. The Chairman is a great starter move for deep penetration, having your partner kiss your shoulders and your neck, and for nipple play, too.
How to do it: The giving partner sits on the edge of the bed and the receiving partner sits on them, facing away while leaning back.
Make it hotter: Wanna take things up a notch? Bring in a sex toy. (Just one idea: The giving partner can use a small vibrator on the receiver's clitoris.)
Missionary
"Missionary is one of the most underrated positions," says Engle. Sure, it's one you already have in your rolodex, but that doesn't mean it won't make you feel closer to your partner—after all, that's why it's in Kama Sutra. "There are so many different variations," and it's very intimate thanks to all that close eye contact, she adds.
How to do it: The receiving partner lies on their back while the giving partner lies facedown on top.
Make it hotter: Try stacking pillows underneath the receiver's pelvis so that the partner on top can thrust in an upward diagonal direction, grinding against the clitoris. The coital alignment technique is also a favorite for a reason.
The Pinball Wizard
This is a primo Kama Sutra move for deep penetration, says Engle. However, if the bottom person can't hold a bridge position, or the top person can't support their partner's lower body with their arms, maybe move on to something else (because over-exertion is not sexy).
How to do it: The receiving person gets into a partial bridge position (like a pinball machine), with their weight resting on their shoulders. Their partner enters from a kneeling position.
Make it hotter: If you're the receiver, throw a leg over your partner's shoulder for even deeper penetration.
Reverse Cowgirl
This one's a little more of a challenge since the natural curve of most penises or strap-ons don't really accommodate this position, says Engle. But it is doable, if the top person doesn't mind doing a little work to find the best angle.
How to do it: The giving partner lies on their back; the receiver straddles them, facing their feet.
Make it hotter: To up your range of movement when you're on top, Engle suggests putting a pillow under each knee.
Stand and Deliver
If you're feeling especially adventurous, try the Stand and Deliver. It's a Kama Sutra–approved move that's good for shallow penetration as is. If you're the person on the receiving end and you're worried about falling when things get sweaty, Engle suggests leaning on a table or a chair for support.
How to do it: With both of you standing, the receiving partner bends over at the waist; the giving partner enters from behind.
Make it hotter: If you're looking for deeper penetration, you can both kneel instead—an adaptation which, Engle says, is a great way to compensate for a height difference.
Ballet Dancer
If balance starts to get tough while you and your partner are going at it in this sex position, don't get frustrated, says Engle. Instead, pivot. "Drop to your knees, and you can give that person a blow job or cunnilingus, or vice versa." The important thing is that you gave it a go.
How to do it: Standing on one foot, face your partner and wrap your other leg around their waist while they help support you.
Make it hotter: Try raising your leg even higher for deeper penetration or clitoral contact.
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The Good Ex
This intimate position is easier than it looks, says Engle. It's also a great opportunity to bring in a longer wand vibrator.
How to do it: Sit on the bed facing each other with legs forward. The receiving partner lifts the giving partner's right leg over their left, and lifts their own right leg over their partner's left. Then, you come together, forming an X.
Make it hotter: Whoever is in the seated position, rocking back and forth, might also consider using a butt plug for added stimulation.
