The nature of sexual energy

Tantra is about the sensation of sexual energy, being connected to what and who surrounds us in general. The funny thing is: these sensations, while generally a result of interaction with one another, are really not connected to the other person. Yes: you are with him, and the actions between the two of you lead to an increase in energy. Arousal, emotion and physical sensation may be shared amongst the two of you, but ultimately it is an experience that concerns each of you separately.

There is, of course, an element of mutual exchange of energy and we have all been aroused by actions that someone else has taken on us. A flirtatious look across a pub, that soft kiss on the neck when you least expect it, a massage in just the right place… all of those are means to create a connection and therefore rise that sexual or life energy we are looking for.

At the same time, this kind of energy can be present within yourself only, and you could as well have created that increase by visualising on your own. This is what happens when we are daydreaming or imagining scenes with other people or with just ourselves. Going further, this may involve a level of self-touch and – dare we admit it – masturbation.

Either way, we may find ourselves in a place where the energy we have been raising reaches levels that push us forward even more. Tantra teaches us that this rise in energy does not always have to lead to a physical climax! What if you were to store that energy or experience it in different ways? This sexual energy can be channelled into the most vivid of meditations, into other forms of physical experience. Have you ever felt like ‘shaking something off’ and you had one of those full-body sneezes where you just shudder and move on? That was an energy build-up! Or you are lying in your bed and your hands start to feel like fuzzy mittens, buzzing with energy. Yep: another energy build-up.

Sometimes it’s enough to feel the sand on the beach with your feet or even see the wind play with the blades of grass on a green hill. The important thing is to stay aware of the flow of energy inside of you. Once you can do that, just imagine what will happen if you connect with someone who can do the same!

energy has to exist before it can be shared