Possibly the largest but least used sex aids in existence, mirrors can be found in every home – and when used creatively, can do more for your sex life than any number of aphrodisiacs.
Mirrors have always been surrounded by a certain mystique. There are countless myths and legends associated with them and their reflective powers.
Many millions of people spend many hundreds of hours dressing and preparing themselves in front of their mirrors, but how many think to use the mirror for undressing? The first ever glimpse of yourself making love often comes as something of a shock. Whether you see yourself and your partner in a hotel room mirror or in the spare room of a friend’s house, you might almost feel you have caught someone else in the act. However, those in the habit of seeing themselves performing sex together find that it can genuinely add a new dimension to their lovemaking.
First reflections
If you put up a mirror in your bedroom opposite the foot of the bed or on the wall alongside, or better still if you have mirror wardrobe doors, you can begin by simply watching yourselves make love. Just as dancers observe themselves in mirrors to ensure that their posture and steps are correct, so too you can observe your position and improve your physical technique.
If you’ve ever wondered why sex never quite feels the way it looks in films, it’s because the actors and actresses are playing to the camera. They know they are being watched and, what’s more, most of the moves are choreographed, carefully set up to look as sexy as possible. Real sex rarely looks so slick, but watching yourself can help you tidy the edges. You can pretend that you are the heroine or hero and give the sexual performance of your life. You can enjoy putting on an erotic visual display and your partner will hopefully be turned on by the extra energy and power of your lovemaking.
Many people find such self-voyeurism fascinating. It reveals a part of yourself that only your lover sees. But for other people, watching their partner’s body from new angles is the real pleasure. With many sex positions, getting a good view of your partner is not easy. So much of the body is involved in the sexual act and each bit undergoes its subtle changes during the build up to orgasm, such that it is impossible to see and appreciate it all. Added to this, watching your partner’s body move in time with yours can be extremely stimulating.
Using mirrors in the bedroom – or in any other room in which you choose to make love – can teach you so much more about one another and improve the harmony of your sexual technique.
If the sight of your naked reflection turns you off rather than on, then it might only take a small adjustment to change the way you feel about mirror sex. Just as in films, where it is all a question of clever camera angles and lighting, so it is in your own home, where high-powered and practical bedroom and bathroom lights show your skin in its full, blemished glory.
Dim the lights
No one looks good under a stark fluorescent light or a 100 watt bulb, so tone it down a bit. Replace your lights with 40 watt bulbs or those that are tinted gently to colour-wash a room. Better still, try candles, the soft golden glow of which can give your bodies the gleam of an Old Master painting.
In the light of a few carefully positioned candles, you can watch yourself writhe on honey-coloured sheets, while the flickering flames create highlights and shadows on your bodies. In such unfamiliar light, your room can take on a strangely timeless feeling and you can fantasize that you have been transported back into the past.