“Bruce Frantzis leads his readers on a journey of sensational discovery through the world of

BRUCE FRANTZIS
SEX/TAOISM/MEDITATION
energy-generating sexuality. I am delighted to see more light brought to the world of sexual meditation.”
–NICOLE DAEDONE, author of Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm

connecting LOVE, ENERGY AND SPIRIT

“Taoist Sexual Meditation will inspire you to give and receive sexual pleasure in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.
Using the powerful, time-honored Taoist concepts and techniques provided, you’ll master skills to gain more sensation,
intimacy and delight for yourself and your partner. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking greater satisfaction
and joy in their lovemaking.”
–Patricia Taylor, PhD, author of Expanded Orgasm: Soar to Ecstasy at Your Lover’s Every Touch

“In this finely crafted book, Tao adept Bruce Frantzis provides us with both the theory and practice of Taoist esoteric sexual
teachings. Whether it’s the sensual or the spiritual aspect of sex that turns you on most, you’ll find clear guidance and

TAOIST SEXUAL MEDITATION

sound advice in these pages.”
–Daniel Reid, author of The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity

“Against the trendiness of works on ‘Tantric sex’ that are fashionable, glitzy and almost vacuous, Taoist Sexual
Meditation is a pleasurable book, yet one that is to be read by the serious spiritual seeker who knows that within the
lived experience of our erotic body lies the path to living life in love, freedom and joy.”
–Barnaby B. Barratt, PhD, DHS, past president of the American Association of Sexuality
Educators, Counselors and Therapists and author of Liberating Eros and What Is Tantric Practice?

What if you could become a better lover, increase your pleasure and accelerate your spiritual awakening all in one? This
groundbreaking book gives you a way to do just that. Bruce Frantzis guides you through Laozi’s inner tradition of Taoism,
revealing the secrets of sexual qigong and meditation, toward the ultimate aim of merging with your partner and the Tao.
Included are 37 practices with more than 140 detailed illustrations that will help you:
■ Become a more sensitive and effective lover ■ Use qi and orgasms to heal and revitalize your body
■ Release stress and become more comfortable with sex ■ Learn how the five elements affect your relationships
■ Enjoy multiple, whole-body orgasms ■ Awaken your psychic and spiritual potential
Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit
BRUCE FRANTZIS, PhD, is an author, husband, father, teacher and Taoist priest.
He is the first known Westerner to hold authentic Chinese lineages in tai chi, bagua,
qigong and Taoist meditation. The founder of Energy Arts, Bruce Frantzis has been US $24.95 / $28.95 CAN
teaching Taoist energy practices for more than four decades, training more than ISBN 978-1-58394-495-0
20,000 students and instructors.

North Atlantic Books

Berkeley, California
North
Atlantic
Bruce Frantzis Author of Tao of Letting go
Books

Final Cover-10012012.indd 1 10/12/2012 4:30:36 PM

TAOIST SEXUAL
MEDITATION
MultiMedia cOurses with Bruce Frantzis
Tai Chi Mastery Program
Bagua Mastery Program
Hsing-i Mastery Program

Other BOOks By Bruce Frantzis

Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body:
Qigong for Lifelong Health

Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong:

Health and Energy in Seven Simple Movements

Tao of Letting Go:

Meditation for Modern Living

Relaxing into Your Being (Taoist Meditation, Vol. 1):

Chi, Breathing and Dissolving Inner Pain

The Great Stillness (Taoist Meditation, Vol. 2):

Body Awareness, Moving Meditation and Sex Qigong

Chi Revolution:
Harness the Healing Power of Your Life Force

Tai Chi: Health for Life

Why It Works for Health, Stress Relief and Longevity

The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi:

Combat and Energy Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi and Hsing-i

Bagua and Tai Chi:

Exploring the Potential of Chi, Martial Arts, Meditation and the I Ching
TAOIST SEXUAL
MEDITATION
Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit

Bruce Frantzis
Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis
All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief reviews, may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise—without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Energy Arts, Inc., P.O. Box 99, Fairfax, California 94978-0099
415-454-5243 www.energyarts.com
Distributed by North Atlantic Books, P.O. Box 12327, Berkeley, California 94712
800-733-3000 www.northatlanticbooks.com

The following trademarks are used under license by Energy Arts, Inc., from Bruce Frantzis:
Frantzis Energy Arts® system, Mastery Without Mystery ®, Longevity Breathing® program, Opening
the Energy Gates of Your Body™ Qigong, Marriage of Heaven and Earth™ Qigong, Bend the Bow™
Spinal Qigong, Spiraling Energy Body™ Qigong, Gods Playing in the Clouds™ Qigong, Taoist
Neigong Yoga™, Living Taoism™ Collection, Chi Rev Workout™, and HeartChi®.

Taoist Sexual Meditation: Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit is sponsored by the Society for the
Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an
educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social and artistic fields; to nurture
a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the
relationship of mind, body and nature. North Atlantic Books is part of this organization.
Editing: Geralyn Gendreau; Diane Rapaport, Jerome Headlands Press; Caroline Frantzis; Jessica
Moll, North Atlantic Books.
Cover Design: Thomas Herington, Angger Aristo
Interior Design: Heidi Helyard, Bluewood Studio; Veronica Sosa; Lisa Petty, GirlVibe, Inc.
Illustrations: Emmeralda Yang, Michael McKee
Photography: Caroline Frantzis, Bruce Frantzis, Mark Thayer, Danny Connor, Audrey Fontanilla
Printed in the United States of America
PLEASE NOTE: The creators, publishers and distributors of this book disclaim any liabilities for loss
in connection with following any of the practices, exercises, and advice contained herein, and imple-
mentation is at the discretion, decision and risk of the reader. To reduce the chance of injury or any
other harm, the reader should consult a professional before undertaking this or any other martial arts,
movement, meditative arts, health or exercise program. Any physical or other distress experienced
during or after any exercise should not be ignored and should be brought to the attention of a healthcare
professional. The instructions and advice printed in this book are not in any way intended as a substitute
for medical, psychological or emotional counseling with a licensed physician or healthcare provider.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Frantzis, Bruce Kumar.

Taoist sexual meditation : connecting love, energy and spirit / Bruce Frantzis.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58394-495-0 (pbk.)
1. Sex instruction--Religious aspects--Taoism. 2. Sex--Religious aspects--Taoism. 3. Taoism. I.
Title.
HQ64.F73 2012
299.5’14--dc23
2012038322

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Peter Schultz Printing 17 16 15 14 13 12

This book is dedicated to yin and yang—woman and man—
and what they can achieve together in sexual union.
Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix
FOREWORD by Caroline Frantzis 1
PREFACE by Geralyn Gendreau 3
AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION 7
TaoisT PriesThood Training 8
Liu hung Chieh and The TaoisT WaTer TradiTion 10
sexuaL MediTaTion: The Way of Love, energy and sPiriT 12
The reLevanCe of TaoisM and sexuaL MediTaTion To Modern Life 15

SECTION 1: THE TAOIST CONTEXT 17

CHAPTER 1: Ordinary Sex, Energy Sex and Spiritual Sex 19

ordinary sex 20
Becoming a Better Lover - Special Topic 21
Sex and Tension 21
Practice 1: gently releasing sexual stress - Ordinary Sex 22
Choice of Sexual Position - Special Topic 24
sexuaL Qigong: energy sex 25
Directing Qi into the Body 25
The Meaning of Qi or Chi - Special Topic 27
Benefits of Sexual Qigong 27
Working with Subtle Energy 28
Practice 2: hand, foot and head holding - Sexual qigOng 29
The Nature of Energy Blockages 32
Affection, Unattached Love and Universal Love 33
sexuaL MediTaTion 34
Accelerated Meditation Methods 35
A Living Spiritual Path 36
Dissolving Energy Blockages 36
The Superior Man or Woman of the I Ching 37

vii
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viii Taoist Sexual Meditation

CHAPTER 2: Laozi’s Tradition of Taoism 39

TaoisM and reLigion 40
Water and Fire Traditions: Two Branches of Taoism 40
Why Buddhism Is Mentioned in a Book about Taoism - Special Topic 41
Why Taoism Is Less Well Known than Buddhism and Hinduism 42
Contrasting the Taoist Fire and Water Sexual Practices 42
Why I Teach the Water Tradition - Special Topic 44
eighT PrinCiPLes of Laozi’s WaTer TradiTion 45
1. Naturalness 46
Natural Breath - Special Topic 46
2. Internal Balance 47
3. Relaxation 47
4. Making Your Body Conscious 47
5. Seventy Percent: Do Neither Too Much Nor Too Little 48
6. Letting Go 49
7. Wu So Hui and You So Hui 50
8. When the False Leaves, Only the True Remains 51
Laozi’s MediTaTion TradiTion 52
Four Practice Areas in Taoist Meditation 52
Taoist and Tantric Sexual Traditions - Special Topic 54
Experiential Knowledge: The Cornerstone of Learning 55

CHAPTER 3: Taoist Energy Anatomy 57

eighT energy Bodies 57
Physical Energy Body 60
Qi (Etheric) Energy Body or Aura 60
Emotional Energy Body 61
Mental Energy Body 61
Psychic Energy Body 62
Karmic (Causal) Energy Body 63
Reincarnation - Special Topic 64
Body of Individuality (Essence) 65
Body of the Tao 67
energy ChanneLs of The Body 67
Central Channel 68
Right and Left Channels 70
Neo-central Channel 72
The Three TanTiens 72
Lower Tantien 72
Middle Tantien 74
Upper Tantien 75

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Contents ix

energeTiC anaToMy of The geniTaLs 75

Men’s Energetic Anatomy 75
Women’s Energetic Anatomy 78
The fLux of yin and yang 81
Masculine and Feminine Essences 81
Primary Qualities of Yin and Yang 83
Feeling Yin and Yang 84
Balancing Yin and Yang in the Energy Bodies 85
The I Ching: Book of Changes - Special Topic 86

CHAPTER 4: Taoist Morality—Mind of Man, Mind of Tao 87

anCienT sourCes of TaoisT MoraLiTy 88
The Dilemma of Rigid Rules 90
Guilt in the West, Shame in the East 90
Taoist Sages and Universal Morality 91
Limitations of Being Human-centric 93
Only Acquire What You Will Use 93
Mind of Man versus Mind of Tao 94
Mind of Tao 94
Mind of Man 94
Settling the Red Dust - Special Topic 95
Sexual Conditioning and Burdens 95
Modern Media, Sex and Youth - Special Topic 97
The Permission to Have Sex 98
Sexual Freedom and the Mind of Man 99
Awareness and Your Moral Compass 100
Practice 3: Becoming free of Conditioning - Ordinary Sex 101
sPeCTruM of TaoisT PraCTiTioners 101
Conservatives, Moderates and Liberals 102
Crazy Wisdom 103
A Radical Approach to Depolarization - Special Topic 104
Sexual Noninterference Principle 105
The Karma of Sex 106

CHAPTER 5: The Path of Taoist Sexual Practice 107

guideLines on The TaoisT sexuaL PaTh 108
Focus on Feeling, Not Thinking 108
Go Inward to Face What Is There 108
Develop Emotional Stability 110
Be Consistent and Steady 110
Overcome the Fear of Sexual Rejection 112
Avoid Becoming a Sexual Savior or Martyr 112
Practice 4: Preliminary Questions to ask yourself - Ordinary Sex 113

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x Taoist Sexual Meditation

hoW TaoisT sexuaL PraCTiCes Were TradiTionaLLy TaughT 114

Five Modalities of Taoist Practices 115
Taoist Sexual Training Methods 115
Learning Taoist Sexual Practices in the West - Special Topic 118
Connecting to the Heart-Mind 118
Learning Curves 119
How Taoists Would Teach Adolescents about Sex 119
sex aCross The LifesPan 120
Youth 121
Midlife 122
Seniors 123
Elders 124
CoMMon QuesTions on The PaTh 125
What If Your Partner Isn’t Interested? 125
What If a Woman Is Nonorgasmic? 125
What If He Can’t Get It Up or Maintain an Erection? 126
What about Sexually Transmitted Diseases? 126

CHAPTER 6: Five Elements, Sex and Relationships 127

five eLeMenTs and sex 127
Earth Element 130
Water Element 132
Wood Element 133
Fire Element 134
Metal Element 136
Sex for the Nonsexual - Special Topic 138
Practice 5: What element am i? - Ordinary Sex 139
sexuaL CoMPaTiBiLiTy in reLaTionshiPs 140
Attraction versus Sexual Compatibility 141
Natural and Conditioned Responses 141
Looking at Someone: Appearance and Reality - Special Topic 142
Letting Go of Conditioned Mind Images 142
Complementary Elements in Relationships 143
Yin and Yang within Relationships 144
Five Elements and the Spiritual Path 145
Compatibility: The Nose Knows - Special Topic 146

SECTION 2: TAOIST ORDINARY SEX 149

CHAPTER 7: Enhancing Ordinary Sex 151

sexuaL sensiTiviTy skiLLs 151
Nerve Weakening and Overstimulation 152
Overall Pressure and Nerve Strength 153

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Contents xi

Practice 6: developing finger dexterity - Ordinary Sex 154

Slow Down to Recover from Overstimulation 158
Practice 7: Cultivating finger sensitivity with Tofu - Ordinary Sex 158
Using Hand Sensitivity Techniques 160
Practice 8: Tongue strengthening for kissing and oral sex - Ordinary Sex 161
Sex and Pregnancy - Special Topic 163
Mitigating Nerve Strain with Pillows 163
Arousal through Biting 164
TaoisT vieWs on MasTurBaTion 164
For Women 165
For Men 165
For Adolescents 166
ProsTaTe Massage 166
fLuid hiPs for BeTTer sex 166
Practice 9: Move That Pelvis - Ordinary Sex 167
The Value of Hip Exercises for the Physical Body 170
The Value of Hip Exercises for Sexual Qigong 171

CHAPTER 8: Orgasm—Hers and His 173

energeTiC MeChanisM of a Tension orgasM 173
feMaLe orgasM: MaxiMize The yin 174
Expanding Western Views of Female Orgasm 175
Barriers to Female Orgasms 176
Practice 10: relaxing into an orgasm for her - Sexual qigOng 177
Possible Reactions from Strong Orgasms - Special Topic 179
MaLe orgasM: MaxiMize The yang 179
Semen Retention: A Hallmark of Taoist Sex Techniques 179
The Case for Semen Retention 180
Classic Taoist Techniques for Prolonging Sex 181
Differing Views on Ejaculation - Special Topic 186
The Case against Semen Retention 186
Ejaculation and Bonding 187
Regularity Is Best 187
Dead Jing 187
ToTaL reLaxaTion orgasMs 188
Practice 11: Total relaxation orgasm - Sexual qigOng 190

SECTION 3: TAOIST BRIDGE PRACTICES 193

CHAPTER 9: Breathing into Intimacy 195

TaoisT LongeviTy BreaThing 196
Continuous Circular Breathing 197

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xii Taoist Sexual Meditation

Extending the Length of Your Breath 198

Breath as a Barometer in Life and Sex 199
Practice 12: Breathing from the Belly - Ordinary Sex 200
BreaThing in ordinary sex 201
Yin and Yang of Breathing 201
Practice 13: Breathing from the Belly, sides and Back - Ordinary Sex 202
BreaThing in sexuaL Qigong 203
Practice 14: Breathing into the Lower Tantien - Sexual qigOng 203
Heating and Cooling Dragon Breaths 205
Practice 15: Taoist dragon heating Breath - Sexual qigOng 206
Practice 16: Taoist dragon Cooling Breath - Sexual qigOng 207
BreaThing in sexuaL MediTaTion 208
Practice 17: etheric Body Breathing - Sexual meditatiOn 209
Taoist Neigong Yoga: A Spiritual Meditation Practice - Special Topic 211

CHAPTER 10: Tai Chi and Qigong—Foundations for Sexual Practices 215
The arT and sCienCe of neigong 216
Sixteen Neigong Components 216
Energy Arts System of Qi Cultivation - Special Topic 218
The Process of Feeling Qi 220
Qi Practices for Healing 221
BuiLding BLoCks for Qi CuLTivaTion 221
Physical Foundations 222
Energetic Foundations 222
Integrating the Sixteen Neigong Components 223
Tai Chi and Qigong 224
Selecting a Qigong or Tai Chi Style 224
Teacher Considerations 226
Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong - Special Topic 227
inTeraCTive PraCTiCes—Tai Chi Push hands for sexuaL sensiTiviTy 230
Sticking to Your Partner 231
Listening 232
Stages of Push Hands Practice 232
Spiritual Martial Arts - Special Topic 235

SECTION 4: TAOIST SEXUAL QIGONG 237

CHAPTER 11: Energy Clearing and Dissolving 239

exTernaLLy aCTivaTing and CLearing Qi 240
Energy Clearing for Lovers 241
Practice 18: Clear your Lover’s aura - Sexual qigOng 242

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Contents xiii

Sex Drive and Libido 245

Yang Fire of the Eyes 247
Practice 19: opening a Man’s heart—yang fire of the eyes - Sexual qigOng 247
ouTer dissoLving MediTaTion MeThod 249
Ice to Water, Water to Gas 249
Practice 20: The feeling of dissolving—ice to Water - Sexual qigOng 250
Three Stages of Dissolving in Sex 251
sCanning and dissoLving BLoCkages 252
The Four Internal Conditions 252
Practice 21: outer dissolving and scanning your Body - Sexual qigOng 255
Resolving and Dealing with Repression 257
Practice 22: outer dissolving to release repressed sexual Pleasure - Sexual qigOng 258
The Small Heavenly or Microcosmic Orbit 258
Practice 23: Transfer sexual energy around your Body - Sexual qigOng 260
Sexual Qigong Is Not Inherently Spiritual - Special Topic 263

CHAPTER 12: Energy Foreplay and Sex 265

yin and yang in sexuaL Qigong 265
Yin and Yang Surfaces and Acupuncture Meridians 266
Practice 24: activating his and her yang and yin energy - Sexual qigOng 268
Ancient Texts Describe How to Maintain an Erection - Special Topic 275
energeTiC forePLay TeChniQues 276
Kissing, Dissolving and Merging 276
Nuzzling, Tonguing and Rubbing 281
Blowing 282
Possibilities, Not a Cookbook 282
Practice 25: Moving energy during intercourse - Sexual qigOng 283
Cautionary Note: Opening to the Psychic World - Special Topic 284
energeTiC erogenous zones 284
Primary Sexual Areas in the Body 286
For the Love of Breasts - Special Topic 288
Practice 26: extending Lovemaking for Men - Sexual qigOng 291

CHAPTER 13: The Power of Internal Orgasms 293

generaTing inTernaL orgasMs 293
Opening and Closing: The Pulse of the Universe 294
What Makes an Orgasm Internal? 295
How To Have Internal Orgasms 296
Practice 27: Creating an internal orgasm - Sexual qigOng 297
addiTionaL guideLines for inTernaL orgasMs 298
Considerations for Men 298
Pregnancy and Internal Orgasms - Special Topic 299

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

xiv Taoist Sexual Meditation

Considerations for Women 300

Learning to Have an Internal Orgasm 300

CHAPTER 14: Sex as Energy Healing 303

heaLing WiTh inTernaL orgasMs 303
Healing Orgasm Process 304
Cooling Down after Healing Sessions 304
Healing Qi and the Lower Tantien 305
inTernaL orgasMs in sPeCifiC LoCaTions 306
Locations to Consider 306
Locations to Avoid 308
LoWer BaCk ProBLeMs 309
Strategy 1: Subluxations in the Vertebrae 310
Strategy 2: Pump Your Kwa 311
Pain Means Stop! 311
headaChes 311
Practice 28: relieving a Lover’s headache - Sexual qigOng 312

SECTION 5: TAOIST SEXUAL MEDITATION 315

CHAPTER 15: The Inner Dissolving Meditation Method 317

a neW MediTaTion ParadigM 317
Sexual Energy to Accelerate Meditation 318
Accessing Four Times the Energy for Meditation 319
Three Levels of Taoist Meditation - Special Topic 320
Preliminaries to Sexual Meditation 320
Laozi’s inner dissoLving MediTaTion MeThod 322
The Process of Inner Dissolving 322
Yin and Yang Qualities of Inner Dissolving 323
Practice 29: inner dissolving to release Blockage within yourself - Sexual meditatiOn 324
Why There Are More Male Than Female Spiritual Adepts - Special Topic 326
Practice 30: applying inner dissolving to all Previous Practices - Sexual meditatiOn 328
Stages of Inner Dissolving 328
Connecting with the Mindstream 329
Making Space for a Regular Sexual Meditation Practice - Special Topic 330
Practice 31: Partner inner dissolving - Sexual meditatiOn 330
Ten Ways To use inner dissoLving 331
1. An Antidote to Spiritual Stress and Deep Repressions 331
Practice 32: dissolving the fear of sexual rejection - Sexual meditatiOn 332
2. Eliminate “Ghosts” in the Bedroom 332
Practice 33: dissolving Psychic residue before and after sex - Sexual meditatiOn 333
3. Connect to the Sheer Joy of Life 336

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Contents xv

4. Understand the Karma of Relationships 337

5. Resolve the Fear of Death and the Fear of Life 337
6. Resolve Current and Past Life Trauma 337
7. Experience True Partner Merging 338
8. Achieve Nonphysical Psychic Linking 340
9. Discover Your True Essence 341
10. Enter into Universal Consciousness 341
yin, yang, reinCarnaTion and The higher energy Bodies 342
The Nature of Karma 342
Karmic Propensities and Natural Ability - Special Topic 344
Future Reincarnations 344
Taoist Higher Morality 345
Relationships and the Eight Energy Bodies 346
Taoist Sexual Meditation and Classical Tantra - Special Topic 347

CHAPTER 16: Advanced Practices—Transmission, Sound and Vibration 349

safeTy PreCauTions 350
The arT of sPiriTuaL TransMission 351
sounds and inTernaL orgasMs 352
Five Stages of Learning Sound and Vibration 353
Communication Is Vital 353
Possible Effects and Releases 354
Practice 34: Making internal sounds
to generate internal orgasms - Sexual meditatiOn—advanced 355
Taoist Esoteric Liturgies - Special Topic 355
aCCessing and reLeasing PriMaL eMoTions 357
Practice 35: using gibberish to release
repressed emotions - Sexual meditatiOn—intermediate 358
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear 359
Aftereffects of Energetic Releases 359
Practice 36: Freeing Bound emotional energy
with Your Partner - sexuaL MediTaTion—intermediate 360
Is Your Partner Willing to Play? - Special Topic 361
CauTionary TaLes 363
Case Study: Vibrating Qi Techniques Can Have Unpleasant Effects 363
Case Study: Mixing Qi Techniques and Overtraining Can Be Harmful 364
Case Study: Forceful Sexual Qigong Can Cause Problems 364
Case Study: The Downside of Packing Qi 365

CHAPTER 17: Two Become One 367

one ConTinuous danCe: forePLay and inTerCourse 367
Practice 37: Merging with inner dissolving - Sexual meditatiOn 368
The Magic Moment: Experiencing the Essence of Another 370

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xvi Taoist Sexual Meditation

Maintain Your Intrinsic Nature 373

The Emerging Inner Space of Two Becoming One 374
Rest to Allow True Spiritual Friendship 375
The MiCroCosMiC orBiT: PreParing To aCTivaTe The CenTraL ChanneL 376
Preparation Phase 1: Small Heavenly or Microcosmic Orbit 377
Ten Phases of Using the Microcosmic Orbit to Awaken the Central Channel 380
Preparation Phase 2: Link Microcosmic Orbits 381
Linking with Nature, Natural Forces and Planets - Special Topic 381
aWakening The CenTraL ChanneL 383
Method 1: The Three Tantiens Link to the Spine 383
Regular and Instantaneous Jump Method of Linking Energy - Special Topic 385
Method 2: Transfer of Energy from the Side Channels into Central Channel 385
Method 3: Spinal Pumping to Move Energy in the Central Channel 392

CHAPTER 18: Two Become More than One 395

Linking The CenTraL ChanneLs of BoTh Lovers 395
Upper Tantien and Beyond 397
Linking within the Etheric Field above the Head 398
Inter-Dimensional Jump-Gates 399
Surreal, Out-of-this-World Experiences - Special Topic 400
souL Merging: CreaTing a CoMBined neo-CenTraL ChanneL 401
Experiencing Super-bliss States - Special Topic 402
Opening, Closing and Dissolving the Neo-central Channel 403
A New Pulsing Energy Ball Arises 403
hoW The CoMBined neo-CenTraL ChanneL PuLses 405
Going into the Core of Your Being 406
Going beyond the Physical Body: Inner and Outer Space 406
Space of Pure Consciousness and Spirit 407
Universal Morality and the Body of the Tao - Special Topic 408
eMPTiness: your uLTiMaTe desTinaTion 409

SECTION 6: APPENDICES 411

APPENDIX A: The Politics of Sex 413

CeLiBaCy 413
Marriage 416
MonogaMy 417
saMe-sex reLaTionshiPs 418

APPENDIX B: Man-Woman Concerns 421

ConTraCePTion 421
CondoMs 421

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 Contents xvii

MensTruaTion 421
aging and MenoPause 422
heTerosexuaL anaL sex 422
PornograPhy and geTTing reaL 423

APPENDIX C: Ancient Texts on Sex 425

ProCreaTion and reLaTed heaLTh issues 426
sex and food are naTuraL needs 426
age-aPProPriaTe sex 427
good and Bad Ways To have sex 427
Chinese and WesTern sexuaL Language CoMPared 428

APPENDIX D: The Spelling of Chinese Words in English 429

APPENDIX E: Glossary 431
APPENDIX F: Frantzis Energy Arts System 445
Tai Chi, Bagua and hsing-i 445
Tai Chi Chuan 446
Bagua Zhang 446
Hsing-i Chuan 447
Qigong/neigong PraCTiCes 447
Taoist Longevity Breathing 448
Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong 448
Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body Qigong 449
The Marriage of Heaven and Earth Qigong 449
Bend the Bow Spinal Qigong 449
Spiraling Energy Body Qigong 449
Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong 449
Shengong 450
TaoisT neigong yoga 450
heaLing oThers WiTh Qigong Tui na 450
TaoisT MediTaTion 451
TaoisT sexuaL PraCTiCes 452
Training oPPorTuniTies and evenTs 452
Instructor Certification 453
Train with a Frantzis Energy Arts Certified Instructor 453
Energy Arts Email List 453
Contact Information 453

BIBLIOGRAPHY 455
INDEX 457

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

Author’s Introduction

I was a nineteen-year-old hotshot martial arts champion. It was the 1960s, and I
had managed to get myself introduced to the legendary tai chi, hsing-i and
bagua master Wang Shu Jin. Amazingly, he was willing to take me on as a student.
On a hot and humid afternoon, we were sitting together in his living room in
Taichung, Taiwan. Bald-headed, big-bellied, with arms and legs like tree-trunks,
the old man, speaking in Chinese, proceeded to lay into me. “I can fight better than
you. I can eat more than you,” and then, hitting me way below the belt, at least
metaphorically, he added, “and I can fuck better than you. There’s more to being
strong than youth. It’s all to do with how much qi you have.”
Later, in the middle of sparring practice, Wang took the idea further: “You look
like a sexually high-spirited young man,” he said, “but do you really know how to
do it?” I didn’t like where the conversation was going. Here was a man in his sixties,
carrying three hundred pounds on a 5
foot 8 inch, rotund frame—not the body
type you might commonly associate with
the buff, macho sexuality paraded about
in the West. Who was he to challenge my
youthful enthusiasm and what I thought
of as natural prowess?
In fact, I knew full well who he was—one
of the best fighters in all of China. When I
realized that his intent was not to insult
me but to open my mind, I began to get
curious about what he might know. I’d
already experienced the remarkable power
of Master Wang’s qi firsthand when he
had first invited me to spar with him. Even
Photo by the author

though I had black belts in judo, karate,

jujitsu and aikido, I couldn’t get near him.
When he asked me to punch him in the
gut as hard as I could, he bounced me
The late Wang Shu Jin demonstrates
right off his big belly like a rubber ball. As standing qigong in a park in Taichung, Taiwan.

7
Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis
8 Taoist Sexual Meditation

a martial artist, he was matchless. That much was abundantly clear. Equally
remarkable were his older students, some in their sixties and seventies, including
women, who could spar with me and hold their own. Without a doubt, Wang was
an extraordinary teacher, skilled at teaching people how to use qi.
Although he never discussed the matter with me directly, I also knew that the
venerable Master Wang lived with nine women, only one of whom was his servant
and housekeeper. The other eight, loosely speaking, were his concubines. Clearly
there was something about the old man that made them want to stay with him.
Wang talked to me about a secret Taoist group with a comprehensive knowledge of
sex and meditation far beyond what I could imagine. He gave me a personal
introduction to this group that trained adepts to become Taoist priests.

taOist PriesthOOd training

Although I had practiced Zen Buddhist meditation in my youth, my primary
interest was in experiencing the world rather than retreating from it. I grew up in
New York City, where the word “priest” evokes strong images: the black and white
collar, the man at the altar with an offering raised overhead. Like most of my
generation, I associated priests with the Catholic Church, the tight confines of a
confessional and vows of celibacy. I did not in any way aspire to become a priest. In
fact, I wasn’t even interested in spirituality at that point in my life. As a martial
artist and a healthy, sexually-active young man, celibacy was the furthest thing
from my mind.
Wang, to my astonishment, completely demolished my cultural stereotypes. I was
ushered into a world where priests were not encouraged to renounce their sexual
nature—quite the opposite.
Through Master Wang’s personal introduction to this Taoist community, I quickly
came to realize that my youthful enthusiasm for sex was largely an automatic,
unconscious activity, driven by instinct. As a lover, I was on autopilot, unaware and
out of touch, not only with whoever was my partner, but also with my own body,
mind and heart. I could not yet recognize that sexual attraction and fulfillment
was beyond looks, personality and thinking. Rather sexual joy and satisfaction
were determined by how well the invisible energy flowed between lovers and on how
many levels those energetic flows were compatible (for more on this subject, see
Chapter 6). I was completely oblivious to the multidimensional experience everyone
can access by consciously engaging sexuality.
Moreover, this unconsciousness and almost naïve lack of awareness of my inner
Being also, at the time, extended into my personal relationships. Perhaps this more

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Author’s Introduction 9

than anything else persuaded me to embark on a seven-year course of study to be

ordained as a Taoist priest.
The word “priest” is used completely differently in the East than in the West. In
China, training to be a tao shi (literally “spiritual teacher,” the Taoist word for
“priest”), involves total immersion in multiple Taoist energy arts. A tao shi is, first
and foremost, a master of internal energy or qi. At each stage of development, an
initiate is required to undergo practical, in-depth training, during which he or she
must embody and demonstrate the ability to work with qi within his or her body
and later with the qi of others. An elaborate sequence of spiritual rituals and vows
is involved.
The course of study, utterly foreign in the West, includes a complex array of
subjects:
1. Comprehension of the classic Taoist texts, especially the I Ching, which is studied
in depth, much as a Christian studies the Bible.
2. Qigong (energy work) for mastering the energy circuits and flows in the body
and becoming healthy.
3. Meditation methods for health and vitality, releasing karma, and developing
psychic capacities to move toward enlightenment and the Tao.
4. Healing arts such as herbs, acupuncture and my particular specialty, qigong tui na
(bodywork that uses both physical and qi techniques), one of the eight branches
of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
5. Spiritual martial arts—tai chi, hsing-i and bagua, with their physical, martial,
psychic and healing skills, and then the entire meditation process that leads
toward the Tao.
6. Performing or assisting with exorcisms.
7. Spiritual midwifery—ushering sentient beings into the world by working with
women during pregnancy and delivery, to enable the soul to fully enter in the
healthiest possible spiritual condition.
8. Death and dying practices—to guide people through the pre-dying process and
help them cross over to the other side—and, if appropriate, teach them what
happens and what to do when consciousness permanently leaves the body.
9. Rites and rituals that minister to the spiritual needs of the community.
10. All aspects of sexuality, from improving relationships to resolving physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual blockages, and opening the door to higher levels
of consciousness through solo and sexual meditation practices.

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

10 Taoist Sexual Meditation

In this particular Taoist priesthood group, an initiate was required to engage in sex
as a vehicle for personal transformation. This particular training was not exclusively
for men; women were also allowed to train as a tao shi. Understanding sexual energy
and all that goes with it was a vital part of the training. In fact, the vows of the tao
shi placed initiates under a mandate to be sexual in many circumstances even when
they felt disinclined.
This training also involved total secrecy. The methods were to be shared only with
initiates of an exclusive, nonpublic group. Outside my group of initiates, I was not
permitted to mention my membership in the group or any of my activities to anyone,
including my family and closest friends, sexual or not. Likewise, I was never allowed
to elaborate what transpired in the priesthood except in the broadest terms.
It was considered a great honor and privilege to gain access to this sacred knowledge.
Receiving the teachings generated an unprecedented level of personal responsibility,
because the subject matter dealt with the core of each person’s inner life. The
teachings were not a matter for casual consideration or gossip. Only after I became
ordained was I able to share the Taoist work, not to fulfill anyone’s idle curiosity,
but only to help alleviate deeper human and spiritual needs.
It was while training to become a tao shi that I learned the depth of knowledge that
the Taoists hold about sexuality. Here in the West, it was the advent of birth control
that sparked the free-love movement. Contrast this with ancient Taoist
communities, which didn’t need modern medicine and “the pill” to prevent
pregnancy. Having perfected the techniques of semen retention, the Taoists have
had reliable birth control for thousands of years. That’s two thousand years of
uninterrupted sexual exploration. Far from a fad or new innovation, Taoist sexual
qigong and sexual meditation is grounded within one of the world’s great religious
traditions.
Before I lead you further into this unusual and fascinating realm, I want to offer an
important point of clarification. I want to state, right here at the start, that while
the Taoists may appear unrestrained in sexual matters, the behavior prescribed for
priesthood training does not involve selfish indulgence or sexual exploitation at
all. Its primary purpose is spiritual acceleration and advancement with consenting
partners. An exalted understanding of human sexuality is what makes this possible.

liu hung chieh and the

taOist water traditiOn
After seven years of priesthood training, studying a wide range of energy practices,
including martial arts, qigong, meditation and healing modalities with Wang

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Author’s Introduction 11

Photo by Caroline Frantzis

The author was a disciple of the late Taoist Lineage Master

Liu Hung Chieh, of Beijing, China.

Shu Jin and other masters, I met Liu Hung Chieh. He was a master of a different
Taoist lineage who was considered a Spiritual Immortal, or what is often termed
“a fully realized Being.”

With the exception of one Chinese student, Liu had not been teaching, much less
taking on new students, since the Communists rose to power in 1949. However,
shortly before we met, he had a prophetic dream in which a big foreigner arrived at
his doorstep to study with him. Because of this dream and a personal letter of
introduction I had brought with me, Liu agreed to take me on as a student.

Just as in Tibetan Buddhism, within the Taoist arts, a lineage is a line of teaching
that runs from one master through successive generations of worthy students, who

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12 Taoist Sexual Meditation

become masters in their own right and pass on the knowledge. As Sogyal Rinpoche
writes in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: 1
“Lineage serves as a crucial safeguard: It maintains the authenticity and purity of
the teaching…It is not a question of preserving some fossilized ritualistic knowledge,
but of transmitting from heart to heart, from mind to mind, an essential and living
wisdom and its skillful and powerful methods.”
Liu would fully teach me yet another Taoist tradition unknown in the West—the
Water method, based on two classic Taoist texts, the Tao Te Ching by Laozi, who is also
known as Lao Tse or Lao Tzu (see Appendix D, “The Spelling of Chinese Words in
English”) and the I Ching. Liu would also complete my education in the Fire methods
of Taoism that I had learned during my Taoist priesthood training and from other
masters.
Liu Hung Chieh took my learning to extraordinary levels, for which I have deep
gratitude. From Liu I received authentic lineages in bagua, tai chi and hsing-i (the
three internal martial arts of China), as well as in qigong and Taoist meditation.
One of the responsibilities of my lineage was to teach and carry the knowledge
forward to this and future generations, if I so chose.
I have written this book for the same reason as my previous ones—to ensure that
even if I should die tomorrow, important parts of the Taoist lineage to which I
belong will be not be lost but instead will be available to people in the West. My aim
is for this profoundly transformative material to continue to benefit future
generations over multiple lifetimes.

sexual MeditatiOn: the way

OF lOve, energy and sPirit
Taoism has a well-worn phrase, “If there is the real, then there is the false.” In this
book I have attempted to write only about the “real,” as my lineage and personal
sense of integrity require. This book introduces the Taoist view on sexual meditation
as a direct method to the highest attainments of Eastern spirituality. More than
just another sex manual, it is an entry point into the largely untapped potential of
human sexuality.
Sexual energy is the single most powerful, natural internal force that is readily
available to a human being to foster his or her spiritual development. For thousands
of years, Taoists have harnessed that supercharged energy using precise and very
pragmatic methods. By introducing these multidimensional methods, I hope to
1. Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (New York: Harper, San Francisco, 1994), 128.

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Author’s Introduction 13

help people become comfortable talking about sex and engaging in it, a subject
that is both natural and profound. Then couples can begin to see and actualize the
dormant possibilities sex offers as a method to reach their highest human and
spiritual potentials.
Becoming a better lover is not just about physical techniques. It is mostly about
becoming energetically aware of and sensitive to increasingly deeper dimensions
within you and your partner. As this occurs, sex not only becomes increasingly
pleasurable and emotionally satisfying, but it also becomes a method to broaden
intimacy between you and your partner, both in the bedroom and in your day-to-
day relationship. Each chapter explores the context and theory of sex from the
Taoist tradition. As you move through the book, you may be surprised by Taoism’s
pragmatic approaches to solving some of the sexual hang-ups and conditioning
that get in the way not only of pleasure but also of having a relaxed and satisfying
relationship with your partner. You may also be intrigued by the Taoist view of
morality in the larger context of karma and of sexuality as a means to achieve
enlightenment.
Learning Taoist sexual practices is a multilevel process. The beginning level can be
called “ordinary sex” or “the way of love.” The intermediate level is what Taoists
refer to as “sexual qigong” or “the way of energy.” This involves intentional
engagement with the subtle energy dimension of sexuality. The advanced level is
“sexual meditation” or “the way of Spirit,” an accelerated path to full enlightenment.
Most of what Westerners have come to know as “Tantra,” in Taoism falls under the
category of energy sex or sexual qigong rather than sexual meditation.
Although the practices in this book are not necessarily easy, they are not too
difficult to consider trying, even if certain aspects may seem way out of your reach.
Many normal human beings, just like you, have successfully engaged in these
methods for millennia. Most began working with ordinary sex and progressed
step-by-step over time. Rather than thinking sexual qigong and meditation were
impossible, they adopted the attitude that “if others have done it, I, too, may get
there in time.” They recognized that “not yet” is quite different from “never” or
“impossible.”
According to an old Taoist saying, “If time is limited, don’t ask a master whys or
wherefores. Rather, ask how to do what is being proposed.” In other words, focus
on the practices that give you the direct experience rather than only explanations.
Only by doing what is suggested can you discover what the practice is meant to
reveal. To this purpose, the sexual practices in this book are sequentially numbered
to give you the ideal order in which to experiment with the material. Nevertheless,
I leave it to your judgment to decide how to proceed.

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

14 Taoist Sexual Meditation

Many specific exercises will provide you with an understanding of Taoist sexual arts
and how to learn them. Each exercise is categorized according to its level of practice:
Ordinary sex, symbolized by the Chinese character jing (sperm/ovary
generative energy that governs the physical body).

Energy sex or sexual qigong, represented by the Chinese word qi (vital

energy, including thoughts, emotions and psychic energy).

Spiritual sex or sexual meditation, denoted by the Chinese character shen

(Spirit or karmic and essence energy).

The techniques within these practice sections form the essence of the book. Each
new level includes methods of the previous ones. In order to reach the higher levels
of practice, some degree of skill and competence at the earlier levels is required. In the
transition phase between two levels, the methods tend to mix and match before they
become more complete and stable at the next level.
Although ordinary Taoist sexual practices can be learned by almost everyone, this
may not be the case for advanced methods of sexual qigong and meditation. These
require a higher level of commitment to learn the subtle energy skills that provide
a pathway to success. The necessary foundation is commonly gained in such
preliminary practices as qigong, tai chi and tai chi push hands, explained in more
detail in Chapter 10. For Taoist sexual meditation work, it is necessary to have had
significant training and practice in both the Taoist methods of meditation and the
energetic techniques of neigong, the Taoist art and science of how to consciously
move energy through the body, which consists of sixteen components (see Chapter
10, “The Art and Science of Neigong”).
The Taoist Water tradition is not rigid, however, and fully recognizes that readers
are likely to experiment with methods from different levels to satisfy their natural
curiosity. Nonetheless, it must be stated that reading about Taoist sexual practices
from a book does not have the same power or subtlety as learning under the
guidance of an experienced master. It does, however, allow for a worthwhile start,
as actual masters of this material are difficult to find. At the very least, it may
inspire you to learn some of the other energy practices, such as qigong, that can not
only dramatically improve your sex life but also help you become extremely healthy
and vibrant.

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis

 Author’s Introduction 15

the relevance OF taOisM and

sexual MeditatiOn tO MOdern liFe
This book introduces Taoist spirituality through the lens of Taoist sexuality, a
subject little known about, much less taught. Developing and strengthening life-
force energy through sexuality is one of the Taoist paths toward spiritual awakening.
During the final years of my Taoist studies in Beijing, I once asked Liu Hung Chieh
why he didn’t teach more people meditation. His answer was, “Not many want to
learn.” Today, Liu’s words reach across to Eastern and Western cultures that are
deeply mired in a malaise of anxieties and fears. Modern life for many feels out of
balance and continually stressful. Few people set aside the time for a regular
spiritual practice, meditation or otherwise.
For many couples, sex has become just another task or chore for which they can’t
seem to find the time or energy.
Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone was having thoroughly
satisfying sex. In their daily lives, both inside and outside the bedroom, people
would feel happier and more relaxed, as well as less prone to negative emotions
such as depression, fear and anger.
Prolonged, sustained commitment to a spiritual path is never easy. However, Taoist
sexual practices can allow you and your partner to work together and gain
accelerated access to that path. Using Taoist meditation, as you release that which
energetically binds you, pure states of awareness, joy and love can begin to arise
naturally. This becomes your new baseline. The goal is to explore who you are at
the level of your soul or Being.
This book gives you a systematic way to improve the quality of your lovemaking on
a variety of different levels, and, if you so choose, to begin working toward becoming
more spiritually awake. More fulfilling sex is just a tiny fraction of what Taoism,
one of the world’s great religious traditions, has to offer. Its potent, transformative
techniques can benefit you in all kinds of ways, from the everyday to the esoteric.
I wish you well on your journey towards the Tao.

Bruce Frantzis
Marin County, California
September 2012

Copyright © 2012 Bruce Frantzis