SEX AND REJUVENATION

by Walter Last

There are many hints of rejuvenation and increased longevity due to sacred sexual practices. Some of it, such as increased longevity in harmonious relationships, and longer lives of care-giving parents could just be due to persistently raised oxytocin levels. However, there are also ancient practices, especially based on Tao, that deliberately use sexual energy to rejuvenate and increase longevity. Also according to information channelled by Edgar Cayce we can achieve complete regeneration (perfect operation of the endocrine system) if we cleanse and purify the reproductive center.

In the 1930’s Peter Kelder wrote the now famous Eye of Revelation with the 5 Rites of Rejuvenation, or the 5 Tibetans. Thousands and possibly Millions faithfully did these exercises every day without doing the one that really mattered to draw sexual energy up the spine. That was probably because Kelder’s instructions for the sixth rite were somewhat vague.

The rite is only practiced when sexually excited. One is to stand and bend over with the hands on the knees and push all the air out of the lungs. Then straighten up and with the hands on the hips push up the shoulders. Pull the stomach in and up and hold this position as long as possible. Then forcefully inhale through the nose and exhale immediately through the mouth. The arms may now hang to the sides while you take further deep breaths through the nose or the mouth. If one is still sexually excited, the same procedure may be repeated as often as necessary.

However, Kelder did not write how to cause the sexual excitement that generates the sexual energy to be drawn up and distributed through the body. A more detailed and substantial body of instructions is now available thanks to the work of Mantak Chia in collaboration with Michael Winn in their Series of Healing Tao Books.

Healing Tao Books

Mantak Chia was a Chinese who had studied with various Taoist (or Daoist) masters before coming to New York 30 years ago. He seems to be the first modern Tao master who openly teaches previously secret Taoist methods of using sexual energy for rejuvenation, longevity and spiritual development. This system uses sexual energy as the primary fuel to be refined by spiritual practice. Instead of releasing sexual energy in form of an orgasm, it is channeled up the spine and then down the front in what is called the ‘Microcosmic Orbit’. In this way it remains available to heal and rejuvenate the body, while any surplus is stored in the area behind the navel.

First you practice to learn the two basic skills of avoiding an orgasm and circulating energy in the Microcosmic Orbit. Initially it is advisable to practice alone with self-pleasuring. This is called ‘single cultivation’. You stop shortly before the orgasm, and with breath control and imagination draw the energy upwards. Chia calls this the Big Draw for men and the Orgasmic Upward Draw for women. When able to do this it is preferable to use ‘dual cultivation’ with a partner of the opposite sex as it involves exchanging male and female sexual energies.

When sufficiently advanced, pleasure can be derived from repeated ‘valley orgasms’ during long periods of love-making and with repeated Upward Draws of energy. It is possible to continue practicing alone or with a same-sex partner but then one may need to use additional methods of attracting the missing opposite-sex energies.

Some of the relevant books by Mantak Chia are Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy (1984), Healing Love: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy (1986), Awaken Healing Light of the Tao (1993), The Multi-Orgasmic Man (1996), and The Multi-Orgasmic Couple (2000) published by Healing Tao Books, Huntington, New York. In addition there is a global network of certified Tao teachers, see www.universal-tao.com.

Circulating the Energy

It appears the Microcosmic Orbit was developed 2000 years ago by Taoists as a sexual practice to rejuvenate the brain and later evolved to become a spiritual practice. In addition to using activated sexual energy, you may practice the Orbit by accumulating energy during meditation, imagining energy entering through the crown center at the top of the head or by condensing breath energy.

To learn circulating energy, you need to have a basic understanding of the chakra system. These are 7 major and numerous minor etheric vortices that distribute bio-energy within our body. When you have a good feeling sensation of the energy either from breathing into the abdomen or from activating sexual energy, you imagine this sensation flowing towards the perineum and the base of the spine.

Now imagine a valve opening at the tailbone and with each inhalation you lift the energy higher up the spine, while holding it during exhalations. Imagine that your spine is a straight hollow tube through which the energy flows and continue to lift it all the way to the top of the head. Reinforce it with energy entering the top of the head and then lead it down in steps to the center of the forehead, the throat, the middle of the breastbone, the stomach and finally you store it behind the navel as a ball of energy.

When leading the energy down it helps to touch the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue. When needed, this energy may be reactivated with your intention and used for healing yourself or others by directing it with your mind where you want it to go. It may also be used for tasks with high-energy requirement and is the same energy that masters of the martial arts aim to cultivate and use.

When you can readily feel the circulating energy and the various centers on its path, you may also use a short-form to quickly energize and center yourself. Imagine the energy entering the top of the head and rapidly jumping down from one center to the next to the base of the spine. Then with one inhalation lift the energy to the top of the head and with the next exhalation drop it again down to the base. In all this energy work imagine and feel the energy moving below the surface of the skin.

Instead of the Big Draw when close to orgasm, you may constantly draw up sexual energy in a ‘Slow Draw’, especially during prolonged love-making as in Karezza. You do this by keeping part of your mind focused on your third eye area between the eyebrows, best by turning your closed eyes up and inwards as if looking at this point. Then with each slow inhalation you imagine sexual energy moving up the spine to the top, while during the slow exhalation you let the energy fall down the front and back to the sexual organs, not forgetting to keep the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

If this sounds too formidable, just start out by keeping your focus on the third eye and feel love radiating from the heart. The slow draw is also suitable in a meditative state with or without gentle self-pleasuring or early morning erections or other states of gentle arousal.

For more details see: Bio-energies.

Strengthening Sexual Energy

The strength of our sexual energy is a function of our overall vitality or vital energy. Therefore, if our overall vitality is low, then we do not have much sexual energy available to circulate in the Microcosmic Orbit. Furthermore, by frequently drawing the energy up, it may initially deplete our available sexual energy. Apart from conserving energy through non-orgasmic intercourse, there are many techniques to strengthen these energies.

One such method is the Inner Smile. In its simplest form we may just smile at people we meet, at a tree, a flower, a cloud or the sky or landscape. As a more deliberate exercise we may close the eyes, focus on the third eye point between the eyebrows and smile in succession at every major organ and gland in our body.

Another important method is concentrating breath energy. This may be done with any organ in need of healing, but for this purpose we may breathe into the sex organs. Inhale deeply into the abdomen, and during a slow exhalation imagine the bio-energy in the inhaled air being compressed into the testicles or ovaries.

Due to decades of sexual tensions most of us have permanently tense and weak muscles between the top of the pelvis and the knees. This is like an old battery that cannot hold much charge. Use massage, vibrating, shaking, relaxation exercise and guided imagery to soften their contracted core.

Also do pelvic floor exercises. In addition to rhythmically contracting and relaxing the whole pelvic floor, selectively push forward to contract only the front part. In men this gives an impulse to the penis, woman may also rhythmically contract the vaginal opening. This forward pressure is used to prevent loss of energy when near orgasm, while selective contraction around the anus and tailbone helps to lead the energy up the spine.

Other common techniques are tai-chi and chi-gong. In these practices we imagine and feel energy being drawn into our body from our environment. Walking barefoot on grass or moist soil or swimming in the sea enhances and cleanses our aura. The north-pointing pole of a magnet, like the right palm, has an energy that is similar to the yang or male sexual energy, while the energy of the south-pointing pole or the left palm is similar to the yin or female sexual energy. In Tao philosophy the heavenly or spiritual energies entering through the top of the head are male or yang, while the earth energies are female or yin. Generally female energies are soothing and relaxing, and male energies stimulating and activating.

Food for Sex

We cannot have strong sexual energy if we are malnourished. Our life force from which we generate sexual energy is similar to the bio-energy in raw food. Therefore, raw food has a much stronger vitalising effect than cooked food.

High-quality proteins are part of the seminal fluid and a high protein diet is sexually stimulating. In our culture meat is preferred while in the Orient chickpeas are used to improve sexual performance. The highest reputation has free-range raw fertilised egg yolk. It supplies sulphur compounds that are also high in the semen. However, even more effective than egg yolk is raw minced meat.

The seminal fluid is also high in zinc and requires much vitamin B6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oils and linseed oil. Deficiency of these is widespread, especially with frequent loss of seminal fluid. Fish oils are also required for natural vaginal lubrication.

The body forms nitric oxide from the amino acid arginine as a signal for the blood vessels of the penis to relax. This is necessary so that the penis can fill with blood and have an erection. Also magnesium supplements help to relax. Stress, on the other hand, or being emotionally uptight, prevents this necessary relaxation and, with this, an erection.

Various herbs and alkaloids have traditionally been used to improve various sexual functions. Commonly used for improving and balancing the endocrine system in general and sexual hormones in particular is Maca (botanical name Lepidium meyenii). It appears to be more effective than Wild Yam and is especially helpful with age-related sexual problems. Also Tribulus terrestris is frequently used to improve sexual functions.