When I was a student I was taught to define sexuality in many different ways. Most of these were based on Western understandings that I never thought fully captured the essence and richness of what sexual balance brings…
I was reminded of this at yesterday’s lunch break when the topic ended up being injaculation, where a man can experience orgasms without ejaculating, but instead, preserving the semen while benefiting from the energy and vitality that preservation brings. This is an ancient Taoist method not known by many people in the West.
I reflected that the simplicity of ’Western love-making’ reflects our definition of what sexuality is. Something carnal, something driven by our libido, something to outlive and squirt in the bodies of our sex partners. This understanding is inspired by many years of Western history, religion, freedom, individualism and the sexual revolution. It is also an understanding, which is lacking in spiritual height and a knowledge of ancient practices.
In ancient Chinese Taoist religion and philosophy, sexuality was regarded as fundamental to human existence and well-being.
Sex was used openly in China as a medicinal form of healing and natural path to spiritual balance (Mantak Chia)
Man and woman believed in the healing power of sexual balance, striving to maintain polarization between masculine and feminine aspects of their inner lives. They did this by meditating and balancing their bodily and spiritual energies. Everyone was encouraged to cultivate his or her natural inner life-force, or chi.
The Taoist practice of chi cultivation focuses on integrating the divine or subtle energies into the human body, with the goal of achieving a dynamic balance of opposing energies, yin and yang (Mantak Chia)
By cultivating chi, man and woman would maintain balance and harmony within and between themselves and also with the universe. This balance allowed then to more fully tap the sexual power or essence, called ching, that lives deep within the corners of the human body and soul. For this reason, Taoists developed and practiced refined methods of increasing sexual vitality, with the ultimate goal of reaching prolonged and total body and soul orgasms, which have the power to nourish every channel of energy in the body.
Male sexual energy
It has been criticized that Western man’s love making is limited to the amount of energy he has to keep his erection. Taoists would say his yang essence is easily tired and for many reasons it doesn’t have to be. Cultivating male ching, by withholding ejaculation while still experiencing orgasm, could maintain his energy and actually increase it, giving him the energy to be able to make love for many untiring hours. If practiced in heterosexual relationships, this would complement the female orgasm as it unfolds itself through many stages (Taoists say her yin essence is inexhaustible).
Principles of cultivating male sexual energy (Mantak Chia)
Conservation. Sperm is considered the storehouse of male sexual energy, which is why ejaculation of the male seed is a wasteful loss (when not having children), weakening with time his physical health and emotional balance. The momentary pleasure of genital orgasm with ejaculation is superficial compared to love-sharing when the seed is maintained.
# Withhold ejaculation by tightening the kegel muscles or pressing firmly behind the testicles. The semen stays in the body energizing the vital organs and bodily balance.
Transformation. During sexual arousal, ching, which is stored in the testicles, energizes the higher centers of the body (heart, brain etc.). This movement of energy is interrupted by ejaculation preventing many men from experiencing their full sexual potential.
# Visualize the upward transformation of sex energy from the genitals up the spine to the head and back down the spine to the navel (vitalizing the vital organs).
Balancing the polarity of yin and yang. After conserving and transforming sexual energy, man can use meditation to balance the male and female poles (which exist insi
de every male and female body). This balances the energy between lovers.
The benefits of practicing injaculation can most certainly be realized without converting to all Taoist methods and philosophies. The health benefits of keeping the semen in the body are secured by being able to dynamically move the energy in the body through visualization and meditation.
This is meant as inspiration to understand your sexuality in a new (ancient) way, catching a glimpse of your sexual potential. My hope is to help broadening your sexual horizons from the narrow concept of genital orgasms to achieve more full-blown cosmic orgasmic experiences. I will return to the female Taoist practices later on…but for now try to keep your semen inside…