This technique is also known as orgasm control. People who practice edging bring themselves to the brink, or edge, of climax, then back off for several seconds or minutes. You can choose to climax at this point, or you may back off yet again. The number of times you stop an ejaculation is up to you.

Semen retention refers to the practice of avoiding ejaculation. Proponents suggest that it has many potential benefits, ranging from physical to emotional and spiritual. This article will discuss the benefits and risks of semen retention, why some people may do it, and what happens when they do. Semen retention refers to when a person intentionally avoids ejaculating. A person can do this by abstaining from any sexual activity, stopping before the point of ejaculation, or teaching themselves to orgasm without ejaculating. Although this practice may seem new, this is likely only due to recent internet popularity. In fact, semen retention is an ancient practice, believed to boost male physical and spiritual energy.

Somewhere around day 37, I had such a powerful nocturnal emission that it woke me up, and I suddenly remembered how magical ejaculating felt. The next day, it was all over: I masturbated three times and then was back to shooting my load daily. I had tried semen retention—the practice of not ejaculating for days, if not weeks at a time—after stumbling upon a Reddit thread that claimed it was a panacea. There were multiple reports of men stating it helped alleviate their anxiety, depression, poor memory, general fatigue, and other ailments.

You can totally have one without the other. Intentionally abstaining from ejaculating — or semen retention — is basically what it sounds like. People who practice Taoism and tantric sex have been doing it for centuries.