Before you can learn exactly how to pleasure yourself, you need to feel comfortable with what you’re working with — which means getting familiar with your anatomy.

“I strongly recommend that women take the time to take a look at their genitals and get to know their own genital anatomy,” Dr. Laurie Mintz, LELO sexpert and author of Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters — And How To Get It, tells Bustle. “Knowing what you have ... will help you play with it more thoroughly and well! I suggest getting a good simple diagram of a vulva and using a mirror to identify your parts.”

Another excellent way to improve how you masturbate? Look for resources that can show you how other people do the deed — and follow their lead if you see something that appeals to you.

“I also strongly recommend that women look at some realistic — i.e., not porn — masturbation models,” Mintz says. “Seeing someone else pleasure themselves can be arousing, regardless of your sexual orientation, and you will also learn a thing or two. I recommend the videos at OMGYes or this Betty Dodson video.”

What you fantasize about is a huge part of the process of masturbation, so don’t be afraid to free your mind and indulge all of your fantasies, whatever they may be.

“The brain is the engine of orgasm, so kick yours into high gear by letting your mind wander totally unchecked,” O’Reilly says. “Whether you fantasize about a romantic evening on the beach beneath the stars or a group sex scene in the back of a van in a dark alleyway, give yourself permission to indulge in your most erotic thoughts, scenarios and scripts.”

It’s one thing to be quiet while masturbating because your walls are thin and your roommates are home; it’s quite another to masturbate in silence simply because you feel weird about making noise. O’Reilly says your sounds are an essential part of sexual response and can intensify your orgasm.

“Most of us muffle or alter our sexual sounds to reflect what we hear in porn, and this can impact orgasmic tension,” O’Reilly says. “As we soften our groans and grunts into moans and sighs, the rhythm of our breath becomes unnatural. This breath holding impacts blood flow and oxygenation of muscles, which can impede orgasmic response ... If you feel like grunting, go ahead. If you want to moan at a high pitch, let it out!”

Changing positions isn’t just something you can do during partnered sex — you can also experiment with different positions while you’re masturbating, too.

“Just as switching up positions when you’re with a partner helps you to discover new angles and pathways to pleasure, so too does changing positions during self-pleasure lead to more exciting self-love sessions,” O’Reilly says. She recommends rolling onto your stomach or using pillows to adjust the angle of your hips. “Novelty and experimentation are among the most simple of sexual aphrodisiacs, so be sure to change things up whether you’re on your own or with a partner.”

You also can try changing locations to get yourself in the mood. “Switch it up — move out of the bedroom to your home office, kitchen, private balcony, jacuzzi,” says Dr. Carolina Pataky, a sex therapist and founder of South Florida’s Love Discovery Institute. “The excitement around an atypical masturbation location can heighten the climax.”

If you’re someone who’s stuck to manual masturbation until now, give a sex toy a chance next time you want to pleasure yourself — there are so many ways sex toys can enhance your sex life.

“Whether you’re with a partner or on your own, sex toys make the experience more exciting, and many people report that their most intense orgasms are aided by vibrating sensations,” O’Reilly says. For dual G-spot, clitoral stimulation, she recommends the We-Vibe Nova. Pataky suggests non-vibrating sex toys such as nipple clamps, butt plugs, or anal beads, and a gag to “elevate the orgasm experience.”

Slipping into something more comfortable can be just the thing to make you feel sexy and in the moment. Pataky recommends wearing lingerie in front of a full-size mirror as foreplay. “Flirting with yourself can help you channel a playfulness that will increase your sex-esteem, leading to a more erotic experience,” she says.

Lube is an amazing tool you can use to have better sex, both with yourself and with a partner.

“Lube makes sex hotter by expanding the number of positions, toys, and techniques you can play with,” O’Reilly says. Before masturbating, O’Reilly recommends adding a few drops to the tip of your favorite toy or applying it to your fingertip.

Another way to help yourself have better orgasms? Exercise your pelvic floor muscles — and don’t worry, there’s no gym involved.

“If you have access to a pelvic floor physiotherapist, take advantage of this privilege,” recommends O’Reilly. “They can help you to identify where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and as you learn to tone your pelvic floor, sexual response, pleasure, and orgasm will reach new heights.” You can also practice Kegel exercises with the help of a product like We-Vibe Bloom.

Masturbation doesn’t have to be solely genitals-focused: With your free hand, try exploring your other erogenous zones and seeing what added sensations feel best for you.

“What’s your non-dominant hand doing [during masturbation]?” Lola Jean asks. “Try stimulating your perineum or nipples or other parts of your body with that hard.”

Believe it or not, the way you breathe can have a big impact on your orgasm, so try focusing on deepening your breaths the next time you masturbate.

“Deepen your breath taking long, shallow inhales and exhales,” Lola Jean says. “The vagus nerve extends from the bottom of the brainstem to the cervix. We can activate it by using deep breathing to stimulate the nerve, which can make for a more intense orgasmic experience.”

If you have time to spare, try “edging” — aka bringing yourself almost, but not quite, to orgasm, then cooling down before building up again.

“Getting close to the precipice of orgasm and not allowing yourself to get there can intensify the orgasm once you finally push yourself over that edge,” Lola Jean says. “You can tease yourself the whole day or within your solo session.”

No matter how you choose to love yourself, the most important thing to remember is that the goal of masturbation isn’t necessarily to orgasm, but rather to connect with yourself in a sexual way, and learn about your body and what you want and need in bed. If you focus on making yourself feel good, with a little experimentation, you’ll not only be on the fast track to better orgasms, but to more sexual pleasure all around.