Taoist Secrets of Sexuality

Taoism is the foundation of Chinese philosophy and medicine. It is a comprehensive physical and spiritual system that helps individuals to reach their highest potentials. It is perhaps best known in this country as the basis for Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes acupuncture, herbal therapy, nutrition, massage, the energetic meditation called Chi Kung (pronounced "chee kong"), and the martial art called Tai Chi Chuan ("tie chee chwan"). The Universal Tao system was developed by Master Chia to teach Taoist meditative and exercise techniques to balance the body and increase one's vital energy, or chi ("chee"). The sexual practice, or Healing Love, is an essential part of this system.

"Chi," the Chinese word for life energy, is the force within our bodies and within the universe that engenders life. The word itself has many translations, such as energy, air, breath, wind, or vital essence. I will be using the word "energy" throughout the book when referring to chi, as it is the closest approximation in our language. But chi is not equivalent to energy; it is more subtle, akin to the force behind all life and movement. There are 49 cultures around the world that understand the concept of chi in one form or another; examples include Ki (Japanese), Prana (Sanskrit), Lung (Tibetan), Neyatoneyah (Lakota Sioux), Num (Kalahari Kung), and Ruach (Hebrew).

"Western culture" and allopathic medicine, often called Western or conventional medicine, is one of the few cultures that does not have a similar concept, although it recognizes the role of energy at the molecular level. Western medicine is extremely effective for treating acute disease and traumatic injuries. However, I believe that it is, in part, the absence of this concept of "life force" that limits its effectiveness in treating chronic illnesses. Western medicine is just beginning to recognize what the Taoists have known for more than 2,000 years, that directing the flow of our life force, our chi, can improve our health and vitality. One such method of directing this life force is with acupuncture, a Taoist healing tradition that uses fine needles to direct the flow of chi in the body. In the past decade, standardized clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture for a large number of illnesses. We've even begun to explain just what it is that happens in the body when chi flows; acupuncture modulates subtle body processes, such as blood flow, hormone release, nerve activation, and immune system stimulation.

You will probably be relieved to hear that we will not be suggesting that you use acupuncture needles in your sexual practice. It is possible to control the flow of chi in your body and have these energetic and health benefits without using needles. Master Chia and I will teach you, with simple exercises, to use your concentration and your breath to activate and move your energy; this practice is called Chi Kung. It involves both concentration exercises and simple movements to facilitate the flow of chi. Used throughout China and now widely practiced in the United States, Chi Kung is an ancient and effective practice. I often refer to the Healing Love sexual practice as "Chi Kung for the bedroom."

Once you become aware of your chi, you'll find that it's rather easy to notice and feel it. Try this simple exercise. Briskly rub your palms together until you produce heat. Now slowly separate your palms until they are about an inch apart. You should feel a "cushion" of air between them that may feel like pressure, heat, or tingling. This sensation is the chi passing between your hands.

As you increase and move your chi, you will also be able to move your sexual energy, called jing chi , as well. The ability to expand and move your sexual energy is what allows you to increase your pleasure and intensify your orgasms. It will also give you a great deal more energy out of the bedroom as you live your life in the world.

Master Chia has refined the Healing Love practices that are in this book over the course of 3 decades teaching students. I encourage you to try all of the practices and exercises as written. The purpose of this book, however, is not for you to perform all of the exercises correctly. It is to experience and adapt these teachings so that you feel the luxurious joy of your own life force, your sexual energy, streaming through your body and that you are able to use that energy to find fulfillment in your life. To do this, you need to be aware of your own responses as you practice these exercises. You should take from the practices what you need and add whatever feels right to truly make them your own. The purpose of doing these Taoist practices is not to become a Taoist expert, but to become more fully who you are.

The practices use the natural energy of your own body and are safe when performed in a balanced way with loving attention. I'll teach the Inner Smile and Healing Sounds practices first because they encourage loving self-regard and will help you to refine your energy. These practices improve the quality of your chi, while the sexual practice helps you generate a greater quantity of chi. If you learn and practice the Inner Smile and Healing Sounds, you are much less likely to have difficulties with the sexual practice because your chi be more refined and will flow more smoothly.

I give instruction throughout the book on how to keep the practices fun and effective. But because each human body is different and we all bring our own experiences to the practice, different people will struggle with different parts of the practice. After each practice, I provide a "troubleshooting guide" for the most common problems, from "I can't feel my chi" to "My chi is keeping me awake at night." If for any reason you have trouble with the practice, it might be helpful to have an instructor to guide you in the practice and to consult if problems arise. A resource for Healing Love instructors is available at the end of the book. There are hundreds of them throughout North America and Europe and in most countries around the world.

You can integrate the insights and practices in this book in whatever way suits your needs and your life. Since you will be learning a variety of practices throughout the book, I encourage you to try each of them to find what works for you. They are rich and powerful enough to do for hours each day, but flexible enough to energize you or help relieve physical or emotional stress in minutes. The sexual practices initially take some time to understand and feel in your body, but they can then be seamlessly integrated into lovemaking with astounding results: more pleasure, intimacy, and vibrancy than you've ever experienced.

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