How To Use Scratching, Spanking & Biting During Sex, According To Tantric Principles

Although they might seem like polar opposite to some of us, rough sex and tantra actually go hand-in-hand. In fact, rough sex dates back to what people consider the oldest authority on sex—the Kama Sutra—which was written around 400 B.C. The Kama Sutra has whole chapters on rough sex, actually. Scratching, spanking, and biting during sex can all be part of deeply connective tantric sex.

The Kama Sutra has a chapter titled "The Art of Scratching" that details the different kinds of marks lovers make with their nails, as well as how to scratch, when to scratch, and why to scratch.

One line reads, "The nails are used for scratching and scraping in order to increase excitation. [Scratching and biting] have the same effect[s] of increasing [excitement] and showing domination."

The Kama Sutra describes eight kinds of nail marks, including the Peacock's Claw, which is described as such: "When the nipple is seized by all five nails and pulled outwards, the nail marks around the breasts are known as the peacock's claw."

In tantra, we use our nails in a more gentle way—using feather-light touch. So, you'll more lightly touch your partner or yourself to awaken your senses. But you can up the intensity on this method and dig your nails in just a bit—just don't go so far that you draw blood.

To stay connected with your partner during this kind of rough play, try to sync your breathing and maintain eye contact while you run your sharp fingernails up and down their body starting with a light touch and slowly adjusting to create a more intense sensation.

"Biting with the teeth, like scratching with the nails, is a sign of possession" the Kama Sutra chapter on biting reads. The book describes 10 different types of biting, including the Necklace of Dots, which is comprised of "numerous pointed marks made in the same area."

The Kama Sutra also clarifies that biting can be done on almost any body part. My teachings on both the nipple-gasm and tantric breast massage include nipple-pinching as a technique for reaching orgasm. (Here's my full guide to orgasms from nipple play.) To roughen it up the Kama Sutra way, try nibbling or biting instead of pinching. Be very careful to go slowly here. Let your partner know when it's too much. There's a very fine line between pleasure and pain.

The "Blows and Sighs" chapter of the Kama Sutra describes multiple ways of spanking. When you spank someone's ass, you're actually spanking what we call the lower chakras—where the sexual energy resides. It sort of lights them on fire, allowing the sensation to move through their whole spine, which feels like lightning.

Firstly, check in with yourself to make sure that you want rough sex for the right reasons. A woman at one of my workshops recently told me that in the course of her marriage when things weren't going well, her husband would pursue rough sex as a way of taking his aggression out on her. If you feel like your interest in rough sex might be related to unresolved emotions, you'd be better off working out that aggression by talking to your partner about the issues you're facing. Beware of abusive behavior masked as rough sex.

Another client told me that she had a hard time feeling anything because she was so closed off to her own body. She couldn't feel pleasure without feeling shame because of past sexual trauma. Rough sex won't fix that. Instead, work with a mental health professional to process your trauma and a sexuality professional to help you reconnect with your sexuality. You need to get back in touch with your body before you explore different kinds of sex.