Kama Sutra Positions: What the Text Says and How to Try Them

The Kama Sutra is an ancient Sanskrit text about love, pleasure and relationships. It is not a bedroom gymnastics manual and not a spiritual practice. People search for it all the time (often as "Karma Sutra"). Most of them want positions. That's fair, but positions are only one small chapter of a much bigger book. Below you'll find what the text actually is, five positions linked to it that real bodies can do, ways to make each one easier, and when to skip one.

What the Kama Sutra Actually Is

The Kama Sutra is credited to Vatsyayana Mallanaga. It is commonly dated to around the 3rd century CE, though estimates vary. "Kama" means desire or pleasure. In classical Indian thought it is one of the recognized aims of a good life, alongside duty (dharma) and prosperity (artha). The book treats pleasure as something worth learning about.

The text is divided into seven parts. They cover social life and the arts a cultured person should know, courtship, marriage, relationships between partners, and sexual union. The sexual union part describes embraces, kissing, touch and a range of positions. In the West, most people know the 1883 English translation published by Richard Burton and F. F. Arbuthnot. Modern translations read much more naturally.

What It Isn't

It isn't a meditation method or a path to spiritual enlightenment. That idea comes from mixing it up with other traditions, Tantra in particular. It also isn't a list of impossible acrobatics. Many "Kama Sutra positions" you see online are modern inventions with borrowed branding. Cowgirl, for example, doesn't come from the text. The original is mostly about attention, courtship and mutual pleasure, and that's the most useful part to borrow.

5 Positions Linked to the Kama Sutra

The names below follow the Burton translation, except for Lotus, which is a modern interpretation. To keep things inclusive, "receiving partner" and "penetrating partner" describe roles, not genders. Plenty of these also work without penetration: grinding, using hands, or using a toy.

1. The Clasping Position

This is the gentlest place to start. Both partners lie with their legs stretched out, either one on top of the other, face to face, or side by side. The body contact is the point here, not depth.

• How: Lie close together with your legs extended. The partner on top keeps most of their weight on their forearms.
• Make it easier: The side-by-side version takes weight off both of you. It's kind to tired arms, back pain and bigger or very different-sized bodies.

2. The Yawning Position

The receiving partner lies on their back, raises their thighs and opens them wide. The penetrating partner kneels or lies between them.

• How: Start with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed, then lift and open your thighs as far as feels good.
• Make it easier: Put a pillow under your hips. You can also hold your thighs with your hands, or rest your calves on your partner's arms.
• Skip it if: you have hip, groin or hamstring pain, or if holding your legs up makes you cramp.

3. The Position of Indrani

The receiving partner lies on their back and draws their knees up toward their chest or sides. The penetrating partner kneels in front of them. This allows deep penetration, so go slowly.

• How: Bend your knees and pull them toward your torso. Your partner kneels upright, with their hands on the bed or on your shins.
• Make it easier: Your feet can rest on your partner's chest instead of being held in tight. Your partner should keep their movements shallow at first.
• Skip it if: deep penetration hurts (pain at the cervix or deep in the pelvis is a stop signal, not something to push through), or if you're pregnant or have lower-back problems.

4. Lotus (Modern Seated Version)

One partner sits cross-legged or with their legs loosely extended. The other sits in their lap facing them and wraps their legs around their waist. It's slow, close and great for eye contact.

• How: Settle in, wrap your arms around each other and rock instead of thrusting.
• Make it easier: The bottom partner can lean their back against a headboard or wall. They can also sit on the edge of the bed with their feet on the floor. Both options are better for stiff hips or knees.
• Skip it if: the lap partner's weight strains the other person's knees or hips. Switching to side-by-side keeps the closeness.

5. Supported Congress (Standing)

Both partners stand and lean on each other or on a wall. This is the most demanding of the five.

• How: Face each other or face the same way. The receiving partner leans their back or hands against a wall, with their feet shoulder-width apart.
• Make it easier: If you're very different heights, a sturdy step can even things out. So can the receiving partner sitting on the edge of a stable table or desk at hip height. Check first that the furniture can hold your weight and won't slide.
• Skip it if: either of you has knee, back or balance issues, or feels tired. There's no prize for staying upright.

Choosing What Works for Your Bodies

Flexibility, strength, size difference, chronic pain and disability all change which positions feel good. That's normal and doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. Pillows, wedges, a headboard and the edge of the bed are your friends. Try one new position per session, not five, and go back to a favorite whenever you like.

Safety, Pregnancy and Protection

• Pain means stop. Pleasure shouldn't hurt unless you've both chosen that intensity on purpose. Sharp, deep or lingering pain is worth mentioning to a doctor.
• Pregnancy: Later in pregnancy, many clinicians advise against lying flat on your back for long. Deep positions like Indrani are often uncomfortable too. Side-lying and seated positions are usually easier. Follow your own care provider's advice.
• Protection: Condoms and other barriers protect against STIs whatever the position. Use plenty of lubricant, and check it's compatible with your condoms and toys.
• Furniture: Before you put your weight on a desk, chair or table, make sure it's stable.

Talk It Through: Consent and Communication

The Kama Sutra puts a lot of weight on paying attention to your partner. That still works. Before you try something new, talk about it outside the bedroom: what sounds exciting, what's a no, and what's a maybe. During sex, check in with simple questions like "Slower?" or "More of this?". Agree on a clear word or signal for stop. Anyone can change their mind at any point, including halfway through a position, and that's fine.

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