Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation, especially of one's own genitals and often to the point of orgasm, which is performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (except for sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods.

Sigmund Freud pointed out that every normal child usually experiments with many types of autoerotic sexual stimulation. Social repressions of sexuality reached their peak in the Victorian era when popular authors wrote books threatening young children with mental deficiency or insanity if they indulged in any form of masturbation. Of course this not true at all.

Masturbation is a healthy sexual behavior. However, when over-practiced and addicted, it can lead to both psychological and physiological imbalances

. Increases self-knowledge: It is the first, safest, and best way to get to know how your sexual body works. You can learn what turns you on and what doesn't. You can learn how to give yourself sexual pleasure in a hurry, or when you've got nothing but time.

. Leads to self-discovery: when you're doing it by yourself, it allows you to focus on the subtlety of your own sexual response, and possibly discover things you hadn't previously realized were part of your sexuality.

. It is a nature's sleep aid: It is a great way to deal with insomnia. Whether it's because of the hormones and endorphins released following orgasm, the benefits of clearing your head with masturbation that ends in orgasm is a great way to get to sleep without pills, television, or counting sheep.

. Creates heightened arousal while epinephrine moves through the body, producing the flushed face, shallow breath and post-climactic euphoria.

. Relieves depression, stress and lead to a higher sense of self-worth.

. Help prevent the development of prostate cancer in the absence of sex activity in men.

. Risk-free of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, syphilis, etc.

. Lowers blood pressure.

. Useful in relationships where one partner wants more sex than the other - in which case masturbation provides a balancing effect and thus a more harmonious relationship (this depends on how couples look at masturbation).

. Reveals the "map to pleasure centers" during mutual masturbation in couples. This is the act by which two or more partners stimulate themselves in the presence of each other. Witnessing a partner masturbate is an educational activity to find out the method a partner pleases him- or herself, allowing each partner to learn exactly how the other enjoys being touched.

Like many habits, too much of a good thing can be bad. This applies also to masturbation. In fact, an over-masturbation is definitely not advised because it can cause:

In both genders:
• Fatigue / laziness.
• Less concentration.
• Lower back pain.
• Thinning hair / hair loss.
• Addiction: this when you will never feel sexual satisfaction unless you masturbate.
• Enhances "sexual selfishness" and "sexual centrism" during intercourse.

In men:
Soft / weak erection.
Premature ejaculation.
Semen leakage: this is a sign that the parasympathetic nerve, which keeps the ejaculation valve shut and holds the erection, is weakening as a result of an over-masturbation Eye floaters or fuzzy vision.
Groin / testicular pain.
Pain or cramp in the abdominal cavity or / and tail bone.

There is not specific amount of times for masturbation. People simply do it when they feel the need to. The frequency of masturbation also depends on many factors such as stress, the presence or the absence of a sex partner, age, weight, mood, etc.. This is why my answer is: It depends.

However, it is suggested that masturbating in men and women, 3 to 4 times a week, is not bad at all.

. Eat more soybeans products.
. Eliminate excessive caffeine from your diet.
. Focus on nutty foods like sunflower seeds and peanuts.
. Eat more sea food, seaweed, and vegetables.
. Minimize red meat and dairy products intake.
. Instead of soda, drink fruit juices and plenty of water.
. Make a lot of sports and try to make your body feel tired: this will help you not to think in masturbation.
. Stay away from the sources of sexual stimulation such as porn movies.
. If you are married and have addiction to masturbation, try to discuss with your partner your sex needs, the ways you like to be touched, your fantasies, the things you like to do in sex and definitely what you dislike. This will definitely be helpful in turning you on during sex.

During their first years in life, infants frequently develop a special kind of movement with their pelvis by tightening the muscles. This movement appears to give them pleasure and is followed by a period of relaxation. It can occur several times a day and is perhaps most noticeable with healthy and confident children who are probably the ones most interested in masturbation anyway. No need to panic, this is normal at such ages. The infant is exploring itself, identifying his/her genitals and discovering his/her body.

Many boys begin to touch and caress their sexual organs regularly when they are six or seven years old and by the time they reach puberty more than half of all boys have tried to masturbate - either on their own or through play with their friends.

Girls tend to begin to masturbate later in life, even though many little girls are quite curious about their genitals. Around the time that girls reach puberty, they may begin to masturbate but often this does not occur till much later in their teens - or even 20s.

While 80 per cent of all boys have masturbated frequently by the time they are 16, only half that percentage of 16-year-old girls have masturbated. But some studies show that by the time they reach the age of 20, 80 per cent of girls masturbate.

It is believed that 25 per cent of people in their 70s may masturbate though there are few reliable surveys of older people.

• Get yourself in the mood for masturbation.
  Relax as much as you can. Take a warm bath or have a glass of wine. Ensure your privacy: turn off the phone, lock the door, and send the kids to a neighbor's. Find a comfy position. Most women start out lying on their backs, legs bent and spread apart, with feet on the ground. Remove most or all of your clothing.
  


• Fantasize for masturbation.
  Recall an exciting past sexual encounter or elaborate on a favorite sexual fantasy. If you need a boost, look at a sexy magazine, read an erotic story, or watch an adult video. Allow your mind to explore any images--anything goes as long as it heightens your excitement
  .


• Explore all parts of your body.
  Run your hands along parts of your body, lingering along areas that are more responsive to touch than others. Look at your genitals in a mirror (especially if you're unfamiliar with them) and caress the different parts to see what feels especially good. Find and touch your inner and outer labia, your clitoris, your vagina and your perineum.
  


• Touch yourself.
  Using one or two fingers, rhythmically stroke the different parts of your vulva, paying particular attention to your clitoris and labia. Experiment with different types of pressure, speed and motion. Try placing a finger on either side of the clitoris and stroking up and down, or placing two fingers on the clitoral hood and rubbing in a circular motion.
  


• Experiment.
  Try different types of touch: stroke, tickle, knead, pinch, or lightly pull your genitals. Try using one or several fingers, the palm of your hand, even your knuckles.
  


• Build up excitement.
  Learn to hold onto sexual excitement by building up and then reducing or temporarily stopping the stimulation. Pay attention to how your body is responding. It will tell you the particular stroke that feels best and when to pick up or slow down the tempo.
  


• Breathe and rock.
  Breathe deeply rather than hold your breath. This helps release the sexual energy, rather than fight it. Rock your pelvis as you would during intercourse. Rhythmically clench and release your PC muscle (using a dildo for vaginal penetration can help).
  


• Getting over the top.
  If your hand gets tired, give yourself a rest, switch hands, or try a vibrator. If you're on the brink of orgasm, but can't quite get over the hump, try altering you're breathing, or focusing on a really hot fantasy. Give yourself extra stimulation: caress your nipples, or try also thrusting your other fingers or a dildo in and out of your vagina.
  


• Ride the Wave.
  As you begin to orgasm, continue the stimulation through the orgasm. Lighten up on the stimulation during the first extremely sensitive moments but keep it going to enjoy those little pleasurable aftershocks. Your first orgasm may feel like a blip or a blast, but the more you practice, the more variety you will experience.
  


• Practice makes for perfect masturbation.
  Don't worry if you don't come on your first try, keep practicing, or try some of the following tips:
  

  • Vibrators take some of the manual labor out of masturbation by providing direct, intense physical stimulation to the clitoris.
  • Water helps many women learn to masturbate. Lie back with legs spread in a bath with a shower hose and direct the stream of water at your clitoris. Vary the pressure, the pulsation, and the temperature. Alternate methods: slide your butt over the drain so your legs are up in the air and your genitals are up under the tub faucet (rather awkward but do-able), or use Jacuzzi jets.
  • Rub against something--a pillow, the corner of some furniture, a dildo.
  • Dildos can be a pleasurable accompaniment to clitoral masturbation, as they offer the fullness of penetration and can also stimulate the G-Spot.

• Make time for more than a quickie.
  Most guys first learn to masturbate in secret and furtive ways. They do it quickly and need to figure out what to do with the evidence afterward. This can create a powerful pattern of masturbating quickly, without paying attention to where your sexual arousal can take you. To start exploring something different, make sure you have some extended time and privacy for yourself, where you aren't trying to finish quick before someone interrupts.


• Turn off the porn (just for a while) and tune into your body. Not everyone likes porn, but a lot of guys do, and while porn can be an incentive, it also takes you out of your body a bit with the fantasy. This can distract you from what's actually happening in your body. You don't need to throw the porn away, but for a few times, masturbate without porn, and objectify yourself for a change!


• Do a.dry.run through.
  Bad pun aside, it's a good idea to try the above suggestions, and then just masturbate as you normally would. As you do this pay attention:
  • Changes in your breathing: Does it become shallow and quick, slower and deeper?
  • Changes in your body: is there tension in some places, and relaxation in others? Is this the same every time you masturbate?
  • How does it feel just before you have an orgasm?
  • How does it feel as you orgasm, and immediately post-orgasm?


• Time to switch it up.
  Men learn early in their lives the most effective way to get themselves off. And most never waver from the utilitarian approach to self love. But sex is less like a well oiled machine, and more like a chaotic food fair, where there is an endless selection of ways to satisfy your appetites. So it's time to throw a wrench in the works and shake up your routine.


• Does your left hand know what your right hand is doing?
  Do you always use the same one hand to masturbate? Most guys do. If you're among them, start with the simple tip of switching hands. It can feel strange at first, the rhythm might be off, and it's almost like sex with someone new for the first time. Enjoy the newness, and see if a new hand can teach an old hand some tricks.


• Experiment with positions.
  If you aren't an experimental type, it's time to start. If you're used to masturbating lying down on your back, try sitting up. If you normally sit in a chair, try standing, or kneeling. As with all these changes, this might feel ridiculous at first, and you'll probably go back to old faithful, but see what masturbation feels like in different positions, and notice if it brings with it any new sensations.


• Get your hips moving.
  The way your body moves when you masturbate is probably very different from the way it moves when you're having sex with someone else. Many men don't move at all when they masturbate. Try to move your hips when you masturbate, simulating the thrusting of intercourse. Notice how moving your hips in different ways can bring you closer to, and at times take you farther away from, the point of orgasm.


• Use different hand strokes.
  Most men learn early on that a vigorous stroke does the trick. This intense up and down stimulation usually ends in a good orgasm. There are dozens of other strokes that each bring with them different sensations, and different orgasms. Roll your penis in between your hands, moving your hands up and down your shaft. Try using long twisting strokes instead of just up and down. Experiment with different movements, pressures, and speeds.


• Explore your shaft.
  While most of the nerve endings on the penis are at the head, and specifically the frenulum, many men will have spots on their shaft that are unusually sensitive. Try putting one hand at the base of your penis and press it towards your body while experimenting with different hand strokes along the shaft of your penis. Treat this like a treasure hunt, and try to feel the difference between one side and the other, between stimulation near the base and up near the tip.


• Reach around, yourself.
  For many men the balls (testicles) are a very sensitive area that responds well to feelings of touch and pressure. Take your forefinger and thumb and make them in a circle at the top of your scrotum. Gently tug on your scrotum as your masturbating. This is both a way to prevent you from ejaculating and a way to extend sexual feelings in your body. Experiment with other kinds of touch including tickling, scratching, and rubbing.


• Check out the neighborhood.
  While the penis and scrotum tend to be the epicenter of masturbatory attention, if you're looking to open things up a bit, be sure to take a tour of some other nearby areas. The perineum, the area between the scrotum and anus, is very sensitive to pressure and massage, and rubbing it provides external prostate stimulation. Some also like to explore their anus.


• Bring it all together.
  Not everything you try is going to do it for you, but the idea behind the above tips is to try lots of different things, and then incorporate whatever you like into the ways you regularly masturbate. Maybe it's a different stroke, or position, or breathing technique. Obviously there is no one, correct way to masturbate, and even if you've got something that works for you, consider the fact that there could be more out there if you experiment with it.


• Tips:
  • Another myth about male masturbation is that you shouldn't use anything other than you hand. While your hand might be doing the trick, adding some accessories can make the stimulation even more intense, and inspire more creativity with yourself, and with partners. You can use something that's oil based without worrying.
  • Add a sex toy into the mix. It might be a cock ring (some men also lie a vibrator or a dildo) that can accentuate your orgasm.