What is the Coital Alignment Technique and how does it work?

Take your bedroom antics to the next level

Here's everything you need to know about the sex position said to guarantee an orgasm. 

It may sound more like something that a mechanic carries out, but the Coital Alignment Technique is an under-the-hood manoeuvre that could take your bedroom antics from woah to WOW. 

“Internal penetration alone is not enough for many people to be able to get to that next level of arousal,” Sydney-based somatic sexologist Alice Child tells Body+Soul. 

Instead what more than 85 per cent of women need is consistent pleasurable clitoral touch to be able to orgasm. 

“The clitoris is the most sensitive part of the human body with more nerve endings than nearly anywhere else,” explains Child. 

“But a lot of people don’t see the opportunity of actually using their bodies and the way their bodies grind together to have that clitorial stimulation.” 

Which is where the Coital Alignment Technique, or CAT, comes in. 

What is the Coital Alignment Technique?

Essentially, it’s an adaptation of the missionary position. 

“The person who has the penis is on top but instead of the focus being on moving up and down and in and out in a penetrative motion, it’s more about focusing on clitorial stimulation,” Child says. 

AKA “the gateway to female orgasm for most women”.  

So rather than focusing on vaginal internal penetration, she explains that it’s about combining rocking and grinding motions so that the clitoris is being stimulated as well. 

“I like to describe this as the difference between f**king and screwing,” says Child. 

“Screwing is that sort of slower, rotating, grindy, circular motion, as opposed to that in and out motion which isn't everyone's cup of tea.”

CAT also helps bridge the gap between sex and what people do when alone. Image: iStock

What are the benefits of the Coital Alignment Technique?

Firstly, the Coital Alignment Technique is “very connective” in bringing two people together by helping them to build up pleasure in a different way while breaking sexual scripts.   

“For a lot of people, the second they get to penis and vagina sex they start going through the motions and thrusting really quickly and replicating what they see in porn,” Child says, “which can feel amazing for the person with the penis but less often feels amazing for the person with a vagina.

“So it's really about mixing up those sexual scripts, trying new things and actually seeing what works for both people involved.” 

Among the benefits of the Coital Alignment Technique is that it also helps bridge the gap between sex and what people do when alone.

“When people masturbate or self-pleasure, often what they're doing on their own is what their body craves or needs a bit more of when they're having sex in order to reach those higher levels of arousal,” the sexologist explains. 

“So while a lot of women focus on external clitoral stimulation with grinding motions against a pillow or using a toy against their clitoris in circular motions, men tend to do really fast up and down motions during masturbation and then that’s what they need more of during sex.”

Which is why men in missionary often move really quickly up and down. 

The Coital Alignment Technique is about replicating the kind of grinding, circular external stimulation that women crave, and helping two people who might masturbate in very different ways to find a really pleasurable middle ground. 

Don’t forget, “slow is great”. Image: iStock

Coital Alignment Technique Steps

While it may sound more complicated than your average missionary role, the Coital Alignment Technique guide is easy to follow. 

“To get into position, one partner lies on their back, extending their legs out in front of them or slightly parted, and then the other partner just gets on top, between their partner's legs,” she explains.  

Placing a cushion underneath the bottom person’s but can also help to move their hips up, giving their partner a better angle as well as more access to their G spot for a more “blended pleasurable experience”. 

“Then the person who's lying on top grinds their pelvis into the pelvis and genitals of the person who's lying on their back in a rocking, circular motion,” Child explains, adding that “loads and loads” of lube is a must.

“So you're really thinking about rubbing that clitoris up and down and side to side with those bodily movements.”

And don’t forget, “slow is great”. 

“Really think about starting off so slowly and just holding still to start with, and then slowly adding that rock or that tilt or that circle, and just building up really slowly,” says Child. 

“Sex doesn’t always have to be this hard and fast thing, and slow sex can actually be more intense and create bigger, more full-bodies orgasms. 

“Because you’re revving the engine. You’re building that anticipation and you’re building that desire. And I think this position is a great way of trying that.”

Originally published as What is the Coital Alignment Technique and how does it work?