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| Sense & Sensuality: Taoism, Sex and Health Note: The information on this website is presented for
educational purposes and This document was provided by ANDY SAICH co-facilitates the Sensual Touch Workshop in London with Gary Hampson. Here he outlines the principles and practices that inform their work
According to Taoist belief energy and momentum are the sources of all life. In the universal picture humans are relatively small. In order to maintain a dynamic balance of health we must be in harmony with these sources that are the infinite power of nature. Today we are taught to look outside ourselves for entertainment and constantly seek new stimulation to satisfy this need. Yet hidden within ourselves are unlimited electrifying ecstasies that we can never tire of. Taoism is neither a religion nor a path to salvation. The Tao is the infinite force of nature, the path of the heart or put simply ‘the way’. The raw materials needed for the Tao can be found at any given moment in our lives. The Taoists, being practical, proposed that we begin with the most accessible energy which is the feeling of sexual attraction. Unlike Tantra, Taoism never took on secret rituals and invocation of religious deities – sex was more openly used in China as a medicinal form of healing and natural way to spiritual balance. There are two main goals for which Tao techniques of energy cultivation can be used. The first is to improve worldly happiness, to increase physical, emotional and mental satisfaction. For example strengthening love partnerships, alleviating sexual frustration, impotency and premature ejaculation and relieving boredom with sex, increasing longevity and good health. The second is for someone on a spiritual path who wishes to integrate sexual desire with his spiritual belief or meditative practice. The Tao is a sex-positive approach that helps to better integrate sexuality with spiritual growth. The beginning stages of Taoism if you have a lover are: 1. A man learns to sustain erection for as long as desired and regulates his ejaculation. 2. Both partners re-direct sexual energy through the body into higher regions of the heart and brain. 3. The lovers exchange their super charged energy with each other. If you do not have a lover you follow what is called ‘single cultivation’; this is where sex energy is channeled creatively in daily life and used to heal the mind, body and spirit and so enjoy life without sexual frustration. Taoists see sexuality as the primary source of power behind love. The aim is not to fulfil the human ego with its insatiable desires but to quiet the ego and calm the mind so as to first observe and then cultivate the body’s energies. Many in the West have heard of the concept of abstaining from ejaculation as Taoist. In fact the Tao views male semen as a vital essence and actually urges all men to develop ejaculation control. Depending on your age and physical condition ‘a man should discover and master his own ideal ejaculatory frequency. This should not be more than two or three times in ten coitions (sexual incidents ).’* It is generally assumed in the Western world that ejaculation is the climax of pleasure. The Taoists taught that male orgasm and ejaculation are not the same thing. After the brief sensation of ejaculation a man is tired. By reducing and regulating ejaculation your body will be strengthened. Though at times he might seem to have denied himself an ejaculatory sensation, he will be more energized, he will have more confidence by savoring the energy generated in sexual contact, his immune system is stimulated and his love for his partner will increase, as if he could not have enough of him. This is true lasting pleasure. The Tao shows how to balance the Yin (feminine energy) and the Yang (masculine energy). Heterosexual couples would seek to balance their feminine/masculine essence from each other through lovemaking. Gay partners able to experience physically both masculine and feminine roles have a more direct opportunity to balance these energies within. Androgyny in this respect could be considered a spiritual state of being as it represents a physical manifestation of a Yin/Yang balance. The Sensual Touch Workshop is an introduction to Taoism for gay men. Touching and massaging sensually, while not focusing on orgasm or ejaculation, enables us to relax emotionally and physically in a way that we usually don’t when having sex. We teach practical ways of using natural energies so that we begin to fully savor the energy generated in sensual contact. Instantly, as if remembering, the mind and body open up to loving freely and to the exhilaration of ecstatic pleasure. Taoist masters knew that love between partners cannot be taught. We learn through experience. Sex is the beginning and can confront us with many feelings. Have you ever wondered if there’s more to sex or have you ever felt not fully satisfied, wanting sex to the point of feeling addicted or controlled by sexual urge? Has your partner ever ‘peaked’ before you have leaving you feeling incomplete with your lover or with life generally? Have you ever experienced ecstasy during lovemaking when you felt free of personal problems and preoccupations, and want to recreate that state? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then learning the Tao could help bring about more understanding. If Taoist techniques are practiced you will gain the personal skills to cultivate that sexual ecstasy and access your power and healing within. The Tao demands that you stay in your body, preserving your individual nature and not surrendering to any Guru, divine being or religious authority. The Tao is a tool and Taoist techniques are meant to be mastered and discarded when sexual energy has naturally transformed to a creative power. Then sex can be ecstatic beyond orgasm and love tender beyond belief.
Further reading :‘Tao Te Ching’ by Lao-Tse Secret of the Golden Flower by Wilhelm and Jung Taoist Secrets of Love by Mantak Chia The Tao of Love and Sex by Jolan Chang * * * For details of the Sensual Touch Workshop phone 0181-746 3599. Any readers with personal experiences of Taoism, sex and health who wish to comment on this subject should write in or fax. |