Spiritual Sex and Chakras! Want to know the nexus? (Part-9)

Speaking about the ancient times in Greece and the eastern world, there had been (probably still is) an age old tradition of a temple priestess helping the spiritual seekers with ceremonial sex. This method of transmitting and transforming sexual energy from one person to the other, was kept hidden from the eyes of common masses for a very long time as, the people would not have been able to  perceive any spirituality aspect attached to the process and would have termed it as a basic ‘animal instinct’ or ‘lust’. It has been established and repeatedly affirmed by Yogic teachers and scholars from thousands of years that the ‘sexual energy’ is a part of our Kundalini energy (Refer to Sacral Chakra in Part-3) which in itself is a sum total of etheric or life-force energy. This form of energy, as we know, can be used not only for sexual pleasure and procreation but also for facilitating spiritual growth, by making our Chakra system and higher energies fully functional.

From time to time various Yogic and meditative practices have been prescribed to transform sexual energy into spiritual energy. It’s like (what they call) transforming the ‘Dog’ in us into ‘God’ or the Higher Self. Whether it is ‘Tantra’ from eastern world or ‘Karezza’ in the western countries, both propagate almost the same kind of mechanism to achieve the desired results; the only difference being that while ‘Karezza’ emphasizes on spiritual sex, ‘Tantra’ speaks about transmutation of sexual energies which opens our Heart Chakra and fills the body with the same kind of glow and mystical bliss as would have ordinarily been achieved during an orgasm. A regulated and controlled sexual energy can be channeled upwards (refer to previous series of Chakras) to develop a strong and stable Chakra system.

Standing at a vantage point, for being born and brought up in the land of sages (India), provided me with ample opportunities to assess the benefits and infirmities in the ‘spiritual advancement’ theories propelled by the learned scholars there. Although I spent two thirds of my life chanting mantras (not having a clue what they actually meant) which I had been taught since my childhood, it took me (seemingly) a whole lifetime to understand the difference between ‘religion’ and ‘spiritualism’. Religion, no doubt, intends to maintain an orderly society by terrorizing a man about the consequences of his wrong doings but the down side is that it creates individuals with closed minds and preconceived notions which become more and more deep rooted with time; Spiritualism, on the contrary, sets the soul free from the bondage created by religious norms and exposes the human mind to higher realms of his spiritual consciousness. It shows the way to unite with the Higher self which in turn leads to ultimate happiness and peace.

One thing more which I realized was that the body which we are born with is a powerhouse of energy which has an immense potential for achieving whatever our mind desires, provided we know how to make an effective and optimum use of this complex tool. For almost two decades of (intermittent) interaction with various ‘sages’ and spiritually enlightened people, I found that they constantly hammered on the importance of ‘curtailing sexual activity as prerequisite for spiritual advancement. Although, (with due respect to all of them) I always had my doubts if they were able to practice the ‘law of abstinence’ in their closed door lives. I always felt that if God intended a human being to have sexual pleasure then how could its abstinence lead to God? What could be their motive behind the hypocrisy, I failed to understand. However, during my journey as a seeker, I met a very learned man who answered most of my questions. He explained to me that the focus is not on curtailing the sexual activity but to retain the sexual energy in the body in order to use it as a fuel for spiritual advancement. The purpose is not to push an individual into suppression and emotional deprivation but help him achieve a level of satisfaction as he would have achieved by indulging in sexual activity. Complicated, yet simple mechanics!

It dawned on me that ‘celibacy’ of priests, nuns, monks and spiritual seekers in different cultures had its roots in ‘spiritual sex’. I was told that they try to spiritualize their sexual energies by way of meditation, yoga, rigorous physical exercises, rituals and devotional practices. However, it can have negative manifestations if a celibate, deliberately and intentionally, tries to curb or suppress his sexuality by fighting his instincts. Suppression never leads to spiritual evolution as, intentionally or unintentionally, the Chakra gets blocked and the upward journey of the energy gets impeded. Meditative sex, has been since ancient times, used as a successful outlet for sexual urges and thereby creating a harmony in the energy centers of our body. This way of expressing love is especially useful for people when they age or for those who find no interest in aggressive sexual activity. Even for those people who yearn for closeness, warmth or a simple hug as against conventional intercourse, spiritual sex is a way to fill the entire mind and body system with love, fulfillment and radiance. As per ‘Karezza’ or ‘Tantra’ two individuals, most of the times, need to connect, relax, feel cared and protected, snuggle into other person’s arms without craving for an orgasm. The ultimate objective, in any case, is inner satisfaction and peace combined with sound mental, emotional and spiritual health. Needless to mention the long lasting bond and strong relationship that it creates between two individuals! That, of course, is an incentive.

At this juncture let me share an excerpt from an article on ‘Karezza’.

“When you have filled your brain and heart with pleasurable energy, shift your attention, partly, to the spiritual love that you feel for your partner. Feel your heart expanding with a gentle love and add this to the cloud of pleasurable sexual energy that surrounds and interpenetrates both of you. Finally, without losing this special feeling, you now shift another part of your attention to the top of your head or to your crown chakra. By sending out some of the love you feel to your High Self or God Presence, you immediately receive an even larger amount of spiritual love back. Feel that both of you are now connected to the love and power of your higher and divine guidance. Feel united and in harmony with all levels of your own being as well as with your partner and with your spiritual source. Feel like melting into each other…”

1.      Hold each other in a warm and comfortable embrace. You may choose to sit or lie down side by side by maintaining close contact with each other. You might want to play some soft music in the background to create an ambience. Incense sticks may be an additional help. The purpose is to stimulate all your senses before you plunge into an ocean of love and emotional bliss.

2.      Focus on each other’s Chakras as decided mutually before commencing the process. Normally couples focus on Heart Chakra. Slowly caress the other person’s hands and if you choose to lie down, you can even softly and gently move your hands over the body of your partner. The touch is a great stimulant.

3.      Hold hands and concentrate on each other’s Heart Chakra. Take deep breaths several times and try to empty your mind of all thoughts flowing in and out of your mind.

4.      Visualize energy waves flowing from your Heart Chakra to the other person’s Heart center and vice versa. Stay in this position for a while and enjoy the warmth and love radiated by the two of you. Soon you’ll feel the energy flowing into your hands. In prolonged sessions, the hands might even start sweating. You might even feel your breath synchronizing with your partner’s breath.

5.      As a final step, when two of you find yourselves in a state of perfect harmony, again take a deep breath and visualize the energy (so generated) travelling upwards, to the Crown Chakra. When the feeling of unison gets intensified, imagine yourself to be engulfed in an air of spiritual ecstasy. Offer the same kind of love to your Higher Self (God) as you gave to your partner and in return you’ll be blessed with eternal love, much greater in magnitude than what you transmitted to Him. After the union with your Higher Self exhale and imagine the energy descending back to the Root Chakra. This completes your process of converting sexual energy into spiritual bliss. The resulting satisfaction is more stable and long lasting than the one attained by way of conventional sexual intercourse and as a bonus, you harmonize your energy fields and accelerate your spiritual advancement without having the need to suppress the sexual energy.