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Taoist sexual practices

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Certain schools of Taoist practitioners in China have researched a number of specific sexual practices over many centuries of applied study. The main goal of these exercises is to utilize the physiological energies of the sexual reproductive drive, known as jing (精), for the benefits of health, longevity, and spiritual development. Taoism is a diverse philosophy, and not all Taoists study these practices.

The major Taoist sexual belief is that longevity or immortality are attainable by sexual activity. One way for men to achieve this is by having intercourse with virgins, particularly young virgins. In Taoist sexual books, the woman sexual partner is called ding (鼎), a vessel used in the practice of alchemy. Zhang Sanfeng's Instructions in the Physiological Alchemy, mentioned the lowest rank of ding as 21- to 25-year-old women and the highest rank, as 14-year-old premenarcheal virgin girls.

Although some exercises and principles are the same for both men and women, there are fundamentally different practices for both. According to Taoist tradition women are mostly yin (陰), whereas men are yang (陽). Both men's and women's practices focus on the conservation of jing (精), which is seen by them as a component of original birth qi (氣). These sexual practices are regarded as a sub-class of the many and varied practices of qigong (氣功).

Contents

[edit] Exercises

There are dozens of different exercises outlined in various Chinese texts. The following are among the more well known.

[edit] Deer exercise (鹿功)

The muscles of the pelvic floor ( women ) and tailbone muscles ( men ) are contracted, pulled upward and in towards the body. Men should contract tailbone muscles and women pelvic floor muscles. This way both men and women, can draw the sexual energy upwards and tonify the endocrine organs which are connected to the governing ( men ) and conception ( women ) meridians ( hormone pathways ).This exercise is named Deer Exercise because the Taoists are said to have observed that deer would regularly do so.
There are two main variations of the Deer Exercise:

  1. The muscles are pulled and held for as long as possible.
  2. The muscles are flexed and released repeatedly for a specific count, often repeated after a short pause between sets.

In medical terms this is called Kegel exercises. [1]

[edit] Jade eggs

Also known as vaginal weight lifting, an egg-shaped smooth jade ball (with a loop at the bottom) is inserted into a woman's vagina as she is in standing position. The loop on the bottom is used to suspend progressively more weight as the woman's pubococcygeus muscles strengthen.

[edit] Male control of ejaculation

Many Taoist practitioners link the loss of ejaculatory fluids to the loss of vital life force, where excessive fluid loss results in premature aging, disease, and general fatigue. The more extreme Taoists contend that one should never ejaculate, where others provide a specific formula to determine the maximum amount of regular ejaculations. The general idea is to limit the loss of fluids as much as possible to the level of your desired practice. Although increased performance for men is one of the direct benefits of this practice, many Taoists agree that this should not be the ultimate goal in practice or the maximum benefits of spiritual development will not be received.

There are different methods to control ejaculation prescribed by the Taoists. The most simple being not to allow oneself to reach "the point of no return." This can result in blue balls or other uncomfortable and frustrating situations unless certain techniques are followed to help recirculate the blood and semen from those areas. The most common are to gently massage the testicles and surrounding areas, to breathe deeply into the abdomen in a specific way, and/or to do a headstand or some other form of inversion in which the genitals are raised above the torso. Regardless of which method one practices, many Taoists agree that these practices are helpful after sexual stimulation in all cases.

[edit] External Locking (The Million Dollar Point)

One method is to push on the Hwei-Yin point, in acupuncture known as CV-1 (Conception Vessel-1). This point is located directly between the scrotum and the anus, where the urethra passes close to the surface of the skin. Dr. Stephen Chang coined the term Million Dollar Point for this area. By using the middle three fingers of the left hand, one reaches to their perineum (or their partner's) and applies mild pressure to block the passage of semen through the urethra during orgasm (also known as coitus saxonus). This is generally considered as a means to an end to reach the level of practice where, through the development of proper muscle control, one no longer needs to use the "Million Dollar Point".

[edit] Goal

Through the strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles, a man can learn to withhold ejaculation and orgasm indefinitely. At this point, one can even orgasm fully without any fluid loss. Men who have reached the highest levels of practice can maintain an orgasmic state for a duration much longer than the unpracticed male, and can orgasm multiple times in a row without a refractory period.

[edit] Controversy

There is little evidence to support the health claims of this practice. The debate is somewhat controversial because of the lack of proper research. The opponents to these practices claim that they may be unhealthy (particularly the use of the Million Dollar Point) -- possibly inherently, but especially if done incorrectly. One criticism is the occurrence of retrograde ejaculation, where the ejaculatory fluids actually end up in the urinary bladder, to be urinated out shortly after the erection subsides. Although the health risks associated with retrograde ejaculation are rare, it is improper practice if nothing else and can be easily avoided. Another claim against the practice of withholding ejaculation is that the pressure from the force of ejaculation (the contractions of the prostate gland), can actually cause damage to the urethra, vas deferens, or other parts of the reproductive system by sudden force against the valves designed to be one way. Both of these claims have little research to back them, as do the claims of the Taoists. The Taoists use experience as the grounds of their research, with their practices evolving over generations of practioners. Western culture in general overlooks subjective data because it is not repeatable or controllable. More controlled studies may be needed on the subject to support or provide evidence for or against the Taoists' health claims about this practice.

[edit] Quotes from the Masters

  • A man should learn to control his ejaculation. To be greedy for feminine beauty and emit beyond one's vigor injures every vein, nerve, and organ in the body, and gives rise to every illness. Correct practice of sexual intercourse can cure every ailment and at the same time open the doors to Liberation. — Yang Sheng Yao Chi [2]
  • The way to make the semen return, to thereby nourish the brain, is as follows. When a man feels that he is about to ejaculate, he should firmly press the place between the scrotum and anus with the fore and middle fingers of his left hand, at the same time inhaling deeply and gnashing the teeth, without holding the breath. This practice will cause the semen to be activated but not ejaculated. It will instead return from the Jade Stalk, ascend, and stimulate the brain. This method was taught by Lu the Immortal, but he ordered his disciples to swear an oath that they would not divulge this potent secret to the uninitiated. — Classic of the Immortals [3]

[edit] References

[edit] Contemporary texts

[edit] Classical texts

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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