PSA, human sexuality is incredibly multi-faceted. There's a lot to it, including sexual behaviors, intimacy, pleasure, relationships, and more. In an effort to help people access and learn more about themselves, intimacy and relationship experts create frameworks. Take your love language, for example. While a relatively heteronormative concept theorized by Dr. Gary Chapman, this framework allows people to think about how they best like to give and receive love from others. Whether it’s words of affirmations or acts of service, having a point of reference helps a lot of us understand what really helps us feel validated.

Similar to love languages, erotic blueprints, a framework formulated by Jaiya Ma, can serve as a guide to help people dig a little deeper into understanding their intimacy and pleasure. When we begin experimenting sexually, we start to build an “imprint” that serves as a foundation for how we approach all our sexual relationships, even with ourselves. Sex and relationships coach Catherine Drysdale adds that “understanding your erotic blueprint is akin to discovering your love languages in relationships. It’s not just about knowing what turns you on; it’s about understanding how you experience and communicate your desires. By knowing your blueprint, you can explore your own sexuality more confidently and communicate your needs effectively with your partner.”

Our erotic blueprints can also help us find the areas of our sex lives where we struggle to find balance—whether it’s difficulty communicating, or an inability to settle into our desires and show up for our partners in an authentic way. They can serve as a north star that helps us uncover where we might need a little more TLC, and where we can prioritize our efforts.

We asked experts about what, exactly, erotic blueprints are, and how you can go about applying them to improve your sex life.

What Are Erotic Blueprints?

“Erotic blueprints” is a term coined by Jaiya Ma based on 25 years of experience as a somatic sexologist. On her website, Ma describes the erotic blueprint as a “map of arousal that reveals your specific erotic language of orgasmic delight.” There are five different blueprint types that people fall into: Energetic, sensual, sexual, kinky and shapeshifter. This methodology isn’t based on gender stereotypes, but rather, simply serves as a starting point for people to dig deeper into what really makes them experience true desire.

“An erotic blueprint is more like the architectural plan—it's the specific framework through which you experience pleasure and intimacy,” says Drysdale. “Think of it as the unique language of your arousal—the patterns, textures, and nuances that define your sexual landscape.”

Anyone can find their erotic blueprint based on a simple erotic blueprint quiz online. You can also pay for a 28-page-long personalized pleasure report that provides further clarity on practices and techniques, tips, tricks and ways to get more in touch with your particular archetype. In addition to this, Ma also shares information on how to understand the “shadow side” of each blueprint—an area of life that “may be the very source of your disconnection and dissatisfaction,” according to Ma’s website. Each blueprint has 3-6 shadows that can throw a person off and prevent them from being more connected to their mind and body.

If taking a quiz isn’t your style, you can simply introspect to learn more about your imprint. Sexologist Laura Miano, co-founder of Posmo, encourages people to analyze a past context where they felt aroused. “It doesn’t need to be a real-life sexual experience,” says Miano. “It could be an interaction you had, a fantasy you had, a porn video you watched… Most of the answers lie in your past experiences.”

The Five Erotic Blueprints

Here’s what to know about each one, how to tap into yours, and how to use it to make sex feel 10/10.

Energetic

People with an energetic erotic blueprint enjoy the anticipation and teasing that comes with sexual activity. They are highly sensitive to energy and touch and are open to experiencing non-physical orgasms. To achieve this, one can think about engaging in eye contact and deep breathing, incorporating slow touches, and using distance to build up sexual tension.

“The energetic feeds off the distance between them and their sexual partner—physically, emotionally or intellectually,” says Miano. “The process leading up to sex is an important one for an energetic lover.”

Shadows in this blueprint involve hypersensitivity, feelings of overwhelm, and a sudden disconnection from your body when being intimate. It’s all about energy and finding the best way to release it. Slowing down and pausing can help channel some of that excess.

Sensual

Like the energetic blueprint, people with the sensual blueprint are able to have orgasms from non-sexual activities, but what sets them apart is their strong connection to the body. As highly somatic beings, people can use their senses to heighten their pleasure and orgasms.

Drysdale recommends indulging in the feel of fabric, like silk against the skin, asking your partner to wear cologne, or having them whisper into your ear. For people with this blueprint, any ordinary moment can turn deeply erotic!

On the flip side, the shadow of the sensual blueprint can involve easy distraction that can happen due to bad music, a weird small or an uncomfortable touch. Sensual blueprints are sensitive, after all. Try not to fixate too much on your external environment, and instead, prioritize mindfulness.

Sexual

For the sexual blueprint, arousal is usually tied to an outcome, like erections, wetness, or an orgasm. People who fall into this category tend to emphasize penetrative sex, sometimes skipping foreplay, and usually need to climax to feel satisfied with their experiences. The erotic blueprint website adds that people with a sexual erotic blueprint can usually find pain relief and muscle relaxation through sex.

Miano says the sexual blueprint is based on the more “stereotypical” version of sex. It’s genital-focused and somewhat simple—orgasms, nudity, and penetration are what turns this person on.

People with a sexual erotic blueprint may feel some shame around having a higher sex drive—a potential shadow to this particular style. Further, Miano says it’s possible that past slut-shaming has led to an internal struggle to accept this side of themselves. Sex-positive spaces can be incredibly healing for people dealing with this type of shadow.

Kinky

A pretty self-explanatory style, someone with a kinky erotic blueprint loves kink. BDSM, ropes, chains, bondage and power dynamics are all part of the puzzle. Kinky erotic blueprints incorporate their kinks and fetishes to have a good time sexually. For example, partnering with someone who is understanding of your kinks, or into similar kinks. People can also bring in psychological play to train or be trained on timing their orgasm. Whether it’s light bondage, role-playing, or exploring fantasies that push boundaries, kinky play adds an exciting and taboo element to intimacy, adds Drysdale.

Kinky folks often face judgment from themselves or previous partners for their preferences, and a continued feeling of guilt can lead to blockages or struggles to accept oneself. Overcoming this shadow side enables people with a kinky erotic blueprint to reach their highest sexual potential.

Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter blueprint is a culmination of all the others. People with this blueprint are versatile, and every experience can bring out a different blueprint. They have incredible range and can be equally aroused by a sensual kiss or an intense, kinky night in the bedroom. Jaiya refers to these people as the “ultimate lovers,” with a huge capacity for stamina.

Much like any shapeshifter, the shadow side to this blueprint might push the person to take on their partner’s expectations and desires instead of prioritizing their own. This can eventually lead to resentment and disconnect. Finding balance and communicating during sex can help the shapeshifter ebb and flow as they please.