My take on the pelvic floor and A-Less.

@helghast, what you wrote makes a lot of sense.   The most pertinent point for me is that, being a porn addict, I'm now able to curb the bad habit.  I replaced it with my active imagination’s series of erotic fantasies.  By doing so, I've neglected to pay attention to my floor muscles while they are engaged during a session.

Having practiced Kegels for several years now, I do have control of the muscles but it's useless unless I pay attention to them during sessions.

Back to the drawing board for me.

Thanks for sharing!

@helghast

I think there's a lot of value in showing different approaches, this should encourage people to try different things and get creative, rigitidy can be good for the cock but it's not good for the mind. Maybe your method will work exactly as is for someone, but even if it doesn't, it makes a clear point that a little "heresy" can go a long way.

I'm with you, more people should set up an account, collaborative effort is needed to make this practice more mainstream, and the more active users, the more new ideas will be generated. 

@helghast

Haha, I know the feeling, I log in and see 24 users  and think there's some action going on, but then it's me, an Admin and 22 guests. But I can't fault anyone, there's some forum I've been visiting for years and I never posted once, and it took me a lot of time to actually be comfortable enough to post here. At least guys are informing themselves and looking around and learning the lingo. Give it some time, maybe one day this will really get super popular and we'll miss how calm things were "back in the old days" hehe.

@helghast I have to commend you on the incredible thinking and work you put into this method and thanks for sharing it. There must have been so much trial and error to figure this out. There's a lot for me to try and to work on. This approach makes so much sense to me, especially with how my mind is organized. Great achievement!

@helghast   Really enjoyed reading this post! Nice one.

I too had my 'big breakthrough' during the process of learning individual control over the pelvic floor muscles. Even started practising with a very similar clean "simple logic" in mind. Without the guidance received on this forum and hours of (guided?) kegels, I may well have given up on Aneros eventually.

That being said, I think that honestly, I/we are in the minority, with many making progress without kegeling and taking more noticeable leaps forward when they identify an obstacle to progress (Or at least as I've observed talking with friends, reading here and on reddit etc for years.) You do well in making it clear that this was your personal journey 🙂

Having something supplementary to full aneros/a-less sessions, like kegels, can be a huge help in continued motivation for those feeling like they are not making progress. One can measure results, it's satisfying, and takes little to no prep.

Posted by: @helghast

A routine that also includes  reverse kegels is a must also,in my opinion,not reverse kegeling can wind your pc up like a coiled spring,leading to possible issues with early ejaculation and lack of control/relaxation of your pelvic floor.

^ I'm glad you brought this up as well! Doing Kegels with the mindset of pure strength or... let's say a 'bodybuilder who only wants large biceps'. Can lead to premature ejaculation problems down the line. You literally end up with a stronger ejaculatory response (It's ironically exactly what is advised by some kegel routines online which aim to increase male sexual stamina).

You've already brought up the main potential issue, control/relaxation of those muscles. Reverse-kegals/belly-breathing are useful in many many ways (Not least of which is lasting longer in bed). However, if we are already learning more advanced control down there, then so long as an equal focus is given to learning how to relax those same specific muscles and what doing so feels like, no issues should arise.

 

Posted by: @helghast

A good goal is to be able to flex at 100% for a full minute before coming close to muscular failure.

^ There is one line that niggles though :S

(Each journey is unique, so... y'know... pinch of salt here.)
Personally, there are three broadly defined goals/benefits from more advanced kegels and fine muscle control when it comes to orgasmic potential.

In order, they are: FEELING > STEERING > HEALTH

Feeling. By disentangling the different pelvic floor muscles within your mind's eye, learning what it feels like to clench and relax each, one automatically learns to feel more pleasure down there (Almost like 'rewiring' your entire pelvic floor).

Steering. Individual muscle control during kegeling leads to intuitive, pleasurable, control during a session. You can 'steer' an Aneros within you.
This is simpler than it sounds. (in case any fresh blood is reading)
In the moment, it's not a chess-like calculated "Move knight to F6" movement. More like "Oh shit when I do... whatever that just was, it feels fucking great!!" (It'll be personal. Just like some of the great techniques @Helghast pointed out like "The suck".)
Strangely, the same logic works for a-less.

Health. Fitness down there increases bloodflow and can help with other issues like avoiding haemorrhoids. When it comes to orgasms, it's a nice free extra.

So... while being able flex at 100% is a good indicator of HEALTH, it's sort of a bonus?
(Again, personally) A good goal is learning to individually flex different muscles at an arbitrarily chosen, but specific, strength for a short amount of time e.g. 23% for five seconds. This leads to STEERING.

A great goal is aiming to be able to feel a specific new disentangled muscle movement (whatever it may be) and associate it with pleasure. Even the comparative pleasure of something simple like stretching and relaxing your arm after a days work. That's all it takes. That new awareness of pleasure, a platform to build on. FEELING.

@helghast  Totally 🙂

Was trying to put it in the least contradictory way possible. Niggle was the best I could think of, hahaa.
Thought I'd at least try to explain why and share an alternate take too if I could.

So many things you wrote here are akin to my experiences, others different but still fantastic. "The Arc" visualisation for example. Easy to understand yet the anticipation it builds is amazing! Really enjoyed trying it 😉

Something that might be interesting to you (rather than the inane rambling it'll seem to most).
The PC is the most powerful muscle of the levator-ani group. The whole group is this sort of bowl or sling that cradles. Unlike its leva-brethren which pull upwards (from the sides as you noted) the PC pulls downwards and almost directly forwards towards the prostate.

To use your example of an orchestra and conductor, the PC is a massive bloody gong! Loud and proud and hard to ignore. A lot of the other weaker muscles can only really sing and be heard(felt) when the PC is relaxed and isn't clenching over and over going "GONGG GOOOONGGG... I'm the PC, you can only feel ME!" hahaa. This is more true with an Aneros inserted than with Aless, but still.

So @helghast, if you are up for it, try doing this (as a mid-session aside to "The Suck", call it The Blow if you like, lol), let the air naturally ease out of your lungs after a deep breath then continue to breathe as is comfortable. Relax the PC and keep it relaxed, relax everything for a second but especially the PC.
 Next, clench your remaining lower levator muscles and your deep traversus, lightly.
When the two are balanced it should lift everything directly upwards, the levator moving up and a little forwards (internally from around and behind your hole), the traversus moving up and a little backwards (internally further inside from the root of your cock/balls).

Orchestra and conductor time again! This isn't a loud piece of music, not a 'Gong', it's a duet that begins quietly. Two instruments/muscles moving in apparent harmony in the same direction. Yet there is a subtle building tension between them. That balance between them shifts back and forth, forwards and backwards. Each wanting to shine now they have the spotlight, you as conductor can try to keep them balanced or let the movement sway further back and forth getting louder and louder.