Some of the positions in the ancient Kama Sutra manual look more like complicated Twister game contortions than love-making positions. Ann Summers brings Kama Sutra into the modern age

Extract taken from Ann Summers Little Book of Kama Sutra

The Lotus

The Lotus is a classic sitting position from yoga. It lends itself beautifully to this intimate embrace. The lovers sit facing one another on a bed or mat, gazing at each other's faces and bodies to build up excitement.

He sits with his legs crossed at the ankle, displaying his penis and uses his hand to make himself hard. She then shifts towards her lover and sits astride him, wrapping her arms and legs around his back. Instead of thrusting up and down, the woman clenches and unclenches her vaginal muscles, keeping up just enough pelvic movement to keep his penis erect, but not so much that he feels he's approaching climax.

Milk and Water Embrace

This position begins with a loving embrace that builds up intimacy and warmth.

On a chair on which the man can sit comfortably, with cushions if necessary, the woman sits astride his lap, facing away from him. He wraps her in his arms and plays with her clitoris. She guides his fingers and shows him what she wants. His penis rests between her buttocks, and she clenches her cheeks to tease him, loving how it feels as he gets harder.

When she is wet with excitement, she lifts herself up ever so slightly and lowers herself onto him. Hold each other tightly: orgasm is achieved through rocking and thrusting. This can get quite tiring on her thighs, as she needs to raise and lower herself to control the depth and thrust of penetration.

The Twining

This is one of the first positions named in the Kama Sutra and perfect for beginners as it quickly builds up intimacy and arousal, and allows full body contact in a restful pose for both partners. Lie on your sides, facing one another. Look deep into each other's eyes and let your limbs entwine. Savour the sensuousness of your entangled bodies.

She parts her legs slightly, allowing him access to her vagina, and he penetrates her. Placing her upper thigh across her lover, the woman can increase intensity and depth. She can alter the clasp's tightness by raising or lowering her leg. If you want a bit more in-out, he can raise himself up on his knee while she remains on her side with one leg slung over his thigh.

The Pressing Position

He kneels on the bed and she lies back and brings her knees up to her chin, so that when he enters her, her feet are at either side of his head or resting on his chest. He holds onto her thighs or shins, and she grabs onto his hips. She lies back and raises both her feet on his chest and her knees to her shoulders. He should take care when penetrating her, as the vagina is shortened and the sensation is intense.

The woman needs to be bold and tell her partner just what she likes and how far he can thrust without causing pain. Using her feet, she can steady him and stop him banging too hard. She can move her hips from side to side while he holds her ankles or thighs to help increase her grip on him. In a break from thrusting, the man can pay attention to her feet. Holding a foot in each hand, he can massage them.

The Camel's Hump

She stands leaning against a wall or holding onto something like a windowsill or bed-end for support. He gets behind her and bends his legs until he?s low enough to penetrate her from the rear. Both bend your legs until you've found a position you're both comfortable with, and gently bounce your way to a climax.

This one takes some getting used to, so if she finds it hard to balance, she can bend over until she's confident enough to stand up. If there's a discrepancy in height, she could stand on a step or the edge of a bed.

Extract taken from Ann Summers Little Book of Kama Sutra, £7.99, published by Ebury Press.