You’ve seen them in the new Fifty Shades movie. Your friends have discussed them and may have even giggled. They have been referred to as Kegel Balls, Jade Eggs, Vagina Balls, Love Balls and historically Ben Wa Balls. They are manufactured out of a variety of materials and are different sizes and weight.
They are generally two weighted balls joined to each other by a string of some sort. They can also be two separate weights with no adjoining string. These balls are inserted into the vagina like a tampon and yes you insert both and no they are not too big!
Their use as a turn-on is undisputed but they have a far more important function. Strengthening your kegel or pubococcygeus (PC) muscle.
The PC is the sling of muscle that supports your genitals. Both women and men have a PC muscle, and can benefit sexually from exercising it.
Exercising does increase blood flow to the genitals, and improved muscle tone will enhance your sensitivity to all genital stimulation. Many people report easier and stronger orgasms when their PC muscle toned.
As we get older, muscles soften and sag and the kegel are no different. As they start to sag and soften, bladder control becomes an issue especially if you sneeze, skip or laugh and that’s just not sexy! That's enough of a reason to exercise!
To find your PC muscle, practise stopping a stream of urine mid-flow. The muscle you tighten to do this is the PC muscle. Kegel exercises (named after the gynaecologist who first popularised PC exercises) involve rhythmically contracting and relaxing this muscle. Using Ben Wa balls is far sexier and easier in our opinion.
Many women find it easier to locate and exercise their PC muscle when they have a resistive device in their vagina. This can be a finger, carrot or a dildo. However, I recommend Ben Wa balls.
They can be made of silicone, jelly, glass or hard plastic. They can also be gold-plated or solid metal balls, slightly larger than a child's marbles. They are intended for vaginal insertion, and not for anal use.
In some circles, rumour has it that their movement inside the vagina can cause a high degree of sexual arousal.
The question is, do Ben Was work? Here are two opinions:
No, Ben Wa Balls are bunk
Ben Wa balls are not like Mexican-jumping beans. Women's vaginas envelop the balls quite securely, and you would have to jump up and down to get them to move around at all.
On the other hand, whenever a Ben Wa wearer sneezes, or has a good laugh, the balls can pop out of her vagina.
So first the unsuspecting customer thinks she's a sexual failure because she can't feel a thing, and then she blows her nose at a dinner party and the balls come roiling down her leg! (This opinion was contributed by a person who does not know what they are talking about - probably a man.)
Some say that I wore them but nothing changed. If you are one of those, read on. Yes, Zen and the art of Ben Was: It is true that Ben Wa balls have enjoyed a mystique that may result in disappointment for women who expect shock waves of ecstasy when trying them for the first time.
It should be pointed out that the culture of their origin prizes the subtle and understated, not neon-flashing blazes of quick excitement. Ben Wa balls can be traced back in ancient Chinese scripts to about 500BC.
Their use can raise an awareness to subtle sensations in the vagina and present an opportunity to experience vaginas in a very different way.
When you start using your kegel balls you should remember that it is just like any other exercise. Start with 30 minutes a day working your way up. Patience is necessary.
It is just like going to the gym. One run does not make you fit or thin. There are several sets on the market - take a look at Je Joue Ami. There are a set of three different weighted and sized balls.
You work your way up to the heaviest.
A word to the wise, always wear them with panties because if they slip out in the supermarket it takes a brave woman to bend over and pick them up!
They are like every other toy. Ensure that they are cleaned thoroughly after use giving special attention to the cords if they are not silicone-coated.
They can and should also be used for sexy play. I know someone who wore them out to dinner and then passed them to her date over the table as an indication of the play to happen later. He called for the bill soon after. Because they are weighted they move freely, which if you are into spanking can add an extra-dimension to the sensation.
Let’s not forget that you now have a perfectly legitimate medical reason to buy them and if that doesn’t convince you, then nothing will. Happy playing.
* Gordon is owner of Lola Montez - Naughty Things for Nice Girls and Boys and You.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
@SASexpert