You’ve probably heard of the Kama Sutra before. (Perhaps circa 1999 while watchingAmerican Pie?) But this ancient Indian bible of sex positions offers way more than just a list of freaky moves to try. 

Here’s what you need to know about the mother of all sexual manuals.

“Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian textbook used to practice tantra, which means sacred sexuality in Sanskrit,” says Kama Sutra expert Markie Twist, Ph.D., associate professor in the human development, family studies, and marriage and family therapy at the University of Wisconsin, Stout.

Tantra follows two paths of training: Vama Marga (or the left-hand path), which is all about those acrobatic sex positions that would make your mom blush, and Dakshina-Marga (the right-hand path), which is about your energy, emotions, and the non-physical side of sex. So while the Kama Sutra book certainly has some explicit sex descriptions in there, …

You’ve probably heard of the Kama Sutra, the ancient Hindu text that’s basically an A to Z of sex positions. But you probably assumed that it’s full of awkward and ridiculously acrobatic positions that only the most limber among us would ever try.

Well, that assumption is incorrect, my friend. There’s a reason why the Kama Sutra has been a go-to sex position guide for thousands of years: it’s full of practical, actionable tips for couples who want to try something beyond missionary. Yes, some of them are a tad tougher than others, but it’s all about the attitude you bring to it.

“If you really want to try a certain position, you’re going to need a positive and excited energy that will make it fun and pleasurable for your partner, no matter what the angle,” says Laura Berman, Ph.D., a sex educator and sex therapist.

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Kama Sutra positions all sound a bit gymnastic and exhausting, don’t they? Like Glastonbury, bongs and the captain of the rugby team, they’re the sort of thing you do in your uni days purely to say you have. But there are actually some real gems in there, and they don’t require you to have Olympic flexibility or aligned chakras to enjoy.

Clasping position

If you want to impress your partner with knowledge of the ancient sexual art but can only muster enthusiasm for the missionary, this one’s for you. More of a lovemaking move than a pie-eyed f*** position, this allows you to have full-body contact, and affords lots of kissing and eye contact. Read more: Sex positions for lazy men (that she’ll actually enjoy)

Lie your partner down, open her legs and simply enter. Apply some gentle rocking movement, and ease her legs slightly wider. It’s a good one …