Articles by Niamh Shackleton

Technology

Expert explains 'pompoir' sex workout that people claim will enhance your orgasms

There's a 3,000-year-old sex hack that's said to improve your orgasms. Orgasms alone are great, but who wouldn't say yes to wanting to make them even greater? Queue 'pompoir' — and no, this isn't a new breed of tiny dog. Pompoir, sometimes referred to as the 'Singapore grip' or 'vaginal gymnastics', is an ancient sexual technique where a woman uses her pelvic floor muscles during sex. Anyone who has had a baby will probably know all about their pelvic floor, but for those of you who aren't as clued up on this part of our anatomy, it's a group of muscles and ligaments that form a sling from the pubic bone to the tailbone. You've likely used them while holding in a wee when the wedding speeches go on for much longer than you anticipated (we've all been there). In regard to how to use your pelvic floor to boost your and your partner's orgasm, you simply squeeze the set of muscles around the penis as they ejaculate. I understand that this sounds like the guys reap all the benefits of this apparent 'workout', but sex educator Gigi Engle insists that it can feel great for women, too. Explaining what pompoir is, Engle shared with the Metro: "Pompoir is the sexual practice of training your kegel muscles to be so strong you can contract your muscles to such a degree that you’re able to pop things, like a ping pong ball, for example." Going on to explain how the ancient technique can benefit both people, Engle went on: "By having that strong of a pelvic floor, you can force them to c*m and essentially milk your partner, forcing them to submit to you. "You take over their bodily faculties and erection because your vaginal muscles are so strong, and because you’re so hot, sexy, and dominant, they can’t help but succumb to you." If this isn't to your liking, another trend that people are trying out at the moment is something known as 'edging'. Basically, this is the idea of delaying your orgasm, therefore prolonging pleasure. By repeatedly getting close to finishing but not actually doing so, it supposedly makes the orgasm stronger when you do eventually cross the finish line. This isn't one you necessarily need a sexual partner for, either, as it's something you can do solo.

Technology

Kristen Bell opens up about reality of relationships amid controversial Dax Shepard anniversary post

Kristen Bell has discussed the reality of her relationship with Dax Shepard and what's difficult about it. The Frozen star has been married to Shepard for over a decade and the celebrity pair share two daughters. They recently celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary, but Bell's tribute to her husband raised eyebrows. Posting a photo of them sharing a hug, she penned: "Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: 'I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.'" While said in jest, the post sparked backlash and was branded as 'tone deaf' by some. "What a wild thing to post during Domestic Violence Awareness month," one critic commented on the post. Someone else branded it as 'horrifically insensitive'. Not everyone took offense though and understood that it was just Bell and Shepard's kind of humor. UNILAD approached their reps for comment at the time. Bell also missed a scheduled TV appearance days later, though the reason for her absence is yet to be revealed. In the wake of the backlash, PEOPLE released an interview with The Good Place actress, who revealed that she and her husband are very different from one another. Noting her Nobody Wants This character Joanne's early relationship woes with her new beau Noah (played by Adam Brody), Bell said that this is something she can relate to personally. "Having someone I feel that is very opposite from me is certainly something that I feel. I feel like my real-life husband and I are 'opposites attract,'" she said, adding: "But that doesn't mean we couldn't make it work, or didn't want to make it work." Bell went on to say of her relationship with Shepard: "It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be, and a general understanding that we're probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything - and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions." She also addressed the idea of Shepard starring on Nobody Wants This like Brody's wife, Leighton Meester, does in season two (which landed on Netflix yesterday, October 23). Bell mused: "I would of course want him to come on the show. He would never do it - he's kind of retired from acting. "Maybe he'll go back one day, but he loves podcasting and he's not starved for opportunities." Shepard has a podcast called Armchair Expert and recently had Jennifer Aniston on as a guest.