New to this - What muscles to use??

Virginsoldier,

Yes, a sphincter contraction is an anal contraction, the same one that one uses to "clinch" or hold on to a bowel movement with. With respect to some of your other questions I would direct you to B's Best of Bee Line (see sticky at the top of this page) which has just been added to the forum this week. Read it thorougly, I think you'll find some answers to your questions there.

Yes, there are other types of contractions as well, but the main ones that we use as part of the Aneros sessions are the anal contractions, PC contractions and rectal contractions. Anal contractions again are the sphincter contractions. PC (Pubococcygeal) muscle contractions, are often taken as being one and the same as anal contractions. They are not. PC contractions are those that one employs to stop the flow of urine. The confusion comes about because very often people contract both muscle groups at the same time, particularly when they are contracting intensely. But the muscles can indeed be contracted independent of one another. Try it and you'll see! Be aware though that VERY often you will see these terms (PC and anal/sphincter contractions) used synonymously here in the forum.

BF Mayfield

Thank you for your reply and I have tried to work both muscles independantly but to no avail. Is there any technique to seperate these?
Also you suggested I read B's Best of Bee Line (see sticky at the top of this page).. I`m sorry I must be thick or stupid as I could not find the sticky at the top of this page. As you can tell I`m completely new even to this site

regards

B M -

Good post! I quite agree there is much confusion and for the benefits of the Aneros to be realised everyone should be clear about (and capable of physically separating the individual contractions) of the PC and anal sphincter muscles. I guess the PC is the one to get the exercise in with if you want to get the greatest control of what all this about.

calton

Carlton, thank you for your reply but how do you seperate which muscles to use?

I have tried it again tonight. Again breathing as specified and watching some porn which got me an erection. Gently clenching the muscles I got something different. A spasm which made the aneros vibrate. What i could feel was as if I penis was jerking backwards and forwards. Only slightly though. Is this what you mean by involuntary muscle spasm as described?

regards

(this post was edited 2005-10-27 14:31:07)

virginsoldier -

As B Mayfield has already noted above - the anal sphincter muscle controls (along with other muscle contractions that are not relevant to the use of the Aneros) the evacuation of the bowel (to put it politely!) The PC muscles control the release of urine (peeing).
Once you are thoroughly relaxed you can make yourself aware of them individually - and you should find that you can contract them separately. For some who are new to this, it may take a bit of practice but I'm sure you will get there. As BM states one often releases both groups of these muscles at the same time when peeing and having a s--t (such delicacy!) so it is difficult to divide the two. What the Aneros is trying to do is, once you hold a partial contraction (see the instructions or threads, particularly BM's, for guidance) is to react to the tension as the muscle 'teeters' on the brink of being partially held. The PC muscles are kind of getting 'exhausted', the result of by being held in this partial state of contraction. The 'dancing around' of the Aneros massages the prostate at it nearest point of access - within the anal cavity - and builds up waves of contractions on top of each other. Very often over-contraction of the anal muscles (and indeed the PC muscles) can kill the feelings as others, incl. B M have described.
Sorry about the length of this (I get carried away with the detail of it all as you may have noticed with previous posts!)
Give it a try - you need to really focus and think yourself into what each set of muscles does, then you will manage to feel the individual differences.
Good luck!

calton