The most important thing is to be as relaxed as possible. It helps if you stand with your legs quite far apart or with one foot up on the toilet seat. The opening to the vagina is just behind your urinary opening and in front of your anus. The vagina is a blind tube, so you can't insert the tampon too deeply. If you hold the tampon applicator at the lower end of the outer covering, you can insert the tubing into your vagina. Then with your other hand, push the inner tubing into the outer tubing which ensures that the tampon in deeply inserted. You will then be left with the cotton thread hanging from the vagina. This allows you to remove the tampon. The tampon will not fall out because the muscles of the vagina will hold it in place. If inserted correctly you should not be able to feel it at all and it should definitely not be painful. After use, tampons are completely flushable.