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| What is yoga's view on sex and masturbation. I have read that celibacy is encouraged, and I have also read that sexual activity is okay as long as you retain the sperm or "ejaculate up the spine". I'm not sure what this all means. Should I not be having sex or masturbating if I can not contain the ejaculation? Should I be training myself in some way to control my sexual desires? Or should I not worry about this until a later stage of my yoga practice?
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| Brahmacharya - a yama which means focus (on the absolute) and also means moderation -applying moderation is about learning to control the senses, it can mean celibacy for some (monks etc) so that all the energy is focused on God, but for "householders" it would mean moderation of sex, too much of anything depletes our stores of energy -too much sex can lead to weakness in the nervous system. For me it is not about retaining sperm whilst having sex, but more about being selective when and with who you choose to have sex, not over-indulging, this may take lots of discipline |
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| Do not get fixated on it.
It is easy to be obsessive about sex, however, that creeps out the majority of the population.
Focus on Pantanjali's Sutras first so that you can have a more lasting foundation in your 'practice'. |
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Expert Yogi
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| We really need to be careful about the idea of leaping from a typical householder's life "in the world" straight into practices intended for monastics and people highly dedicated to advanced spiritual lives. This is why most religious systems etc. have extended periods of study and work before any sort of initiation takes place. Don't go there without a guru, though discussing and contemplating the concepts is an important step that anyone can take. |
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| "Householder" is a euphemism for non-celibate, including but not limited to married people. |
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sexual practices and yoga
