THE SEXUAL PATH: Holiness, Healing, Tantra, Magic?

By Francesca Gentille

TANTRA - An Eastern Spiritual Path dedicated to the Loving and Unconditional Acceptance of All. Instead of subjugating the body or rising above it, Tantra embraces the learning of the embodied experience (in all its flavors) to blast the heart wide open to compassion. Buddhist Tantra contains “White” practices (clear, non-sexual, visualizations, breath work, mantras/chanting, mudras/hand-body postures, yantras/pictures). Hindu Tantra can also include “Pink” practices (erotic breath and touching), red (genital intercourse), “Black “ practices (everything in life). The GOAL is union with The Divine ALL. In India today practicing Tantra  is considered a dangerous path because, if not done well, can lead to addiction and excess.

AMERICAN NEO-TANTRA - A Western Eclectic Spiritual Path dedicated to opening the heart, connecting the chakra/energy centers and enhancing lovemaking.  Neo-Tantra uses some traditional  Eastern Tantric exercises and combines them with whatever other traditions and teachings the instructor has to offer. It embraces and glorifies the embodied experience. The GOAL is a more loving, connective, juicier experience with one's love(rs).

SACRED SEXUALITY - A World Wide concept. Most countries and religions have some version of Sacred Sexuality as a tradition. Even Christianity.  Buddhist Tantra is one example of a Sacred Sexual Tradition within a religion.

There are two main perspectives on Sacred Sexuality:

1) All Sex Is Inherently Sacred.

2) Sex is Sacred When Paired With Conscious Intent
 toward healing, love, connecting with the Divine (etcetera.)

SEX MAGICK - Uses the energy available in arousal and sex to focus on attaining one's goals. This can be anything from a new car to personal healing to world peace.

HEALTH & SEXUAL HEALTH:
Eastern Medicine is based on a Yin/Yang concept of energy, flow, and balance. When the energy is stuck or imbalanced we become dis-eased. In Eastern Medicine it was believed that we are meant to be healthy. It is the Doctors job to keep us healthy not to intervene in dis-ease. If there is dis-ease, the Dr has already failed in his/her duty.

Until the last few hundred years sexuality was a major focus of keeping the body (and its energy system) in balance and flow. Intricate systems of sexual knowledge were created including body postures/positions for sex (that enhance particular types of energetic flow), breathing techniques, and visualization techniques. Many of these can still be found in Taoist Sexual Trainings.

SEXUAL HEALING - Most people in our western culture carry some amount of sexual wounding and emotional wounding  from being raised in a sex negative, body negative, sex superficial, emotionally suppressing, anti-aging, and body dominating culture. Many of us also carry some amount of sexual wounding from rejections, denigrations, inappropriate physical touch, as well as the crossing of our own boundaries to be liked, or to receive an illusion of love.

SEXUAL HEALING WORK uses workshops, visualizations, massage, dialogue, sensuality and sexuality to bring past wounds to consciousness, face them, release them and/or reprogram them. Sexual Healing can be undertaken through Psychotherapy (Counseling, Coaching), Energy Work (Reiki, Polarity Therapy etc), Somatic Therapy (Dance Therapies, Movement Therapies, Touch & Massage Therapies) Ontological Work (Being), Ritual/Magic/Prayer, Emotional Release Work, Tantra, Sexuality, and Sacred Sexuality Workshops etcetera.

HEALTH, SEXUAL ENTHUSIASM, & BEING SPIRITUALLY ADVANCED:
I find there is confusion or collapsing between health, sexual enthusiasm, and spirituality. There is an assumption that if one is healthy, enjoying lots of sex, and filled with chi, this automatically means that one is more spiritually advanced.

I find it a similar confusion to the Christian perspective that collapsed monetary success and Spirituality. That is if someone became financially successful they were obviously spiritually advanced and favored by God.

While low chi, lack of sex, and/or depleted finances can indicate a wound or stuck place in our energy system, the converse does not necessarily imply greater enlightenment. It is possible to have strong chi, lots of sex, and be an energy vampire. It is possible to have financial success and be a power hungry dominator.

THE GIFT OF CONSCIOUS SEXUALITY: I find that intentionally focusing on breath work, visualizations and bodywork during sexuality with my beloved brings about greater energy, and physical well-being. This is especially true when it is approached with a gentle compassionate heart, integrity and truth.

ADDITIVE RELATIONSHIP PRACTICES include Compassionate Boundaries, Radical Honesty, Holistic Fitness, and Healthful Eating.

NOTE: Tantric Texts say that it takes a minimum of 30 - 45 minutes of breath work, arousal, foreplay and/or intercourse to start truly re-charging our internal batteries and aligning and energizing our systems. Many videos, books and courses teach methods to prolong high states of arousal without ejaculation and/or with multiple energy orgasms for both men and women.