The Arousal of Adam: Part 2

The Arousal of Adam:  PART TWO

Sexuality in Men and Traditional Chinese Medicine

In part one I looked at what might be the cause of the dilemma in the “Arousal of Adam”.  Now I want to explore with you the places where we might generate change in physical and mental behaviors and thereby contribute greatly to more joyous relationships and profoundly better health for men.

I am recommending that men look to amend their aging health issues in four main categories:

*          Overall stress reduction and change in life attitude

*          A different approach to sexual relations

*          Sleep patterns

*          Food Intake and Choices

Stress Reduction and Attitude

We know that a healthy life has an abundance of laughter, playfulness and lightness of being.  Stress and stress related attitudes undermine these positive attributes. Men MUST find a healthy way to remove stress from their lives and increase uplifting, peaceful energies.  One must look at how stress hits you at work and find ways to manage work-related anxieties if possible .  It also translates to doing things to generate inner peace such as meditation, yoga, pilates and writing in a journal to “empty the garbage can”.  Regular aerobic exercise, time for relaxation with friends and time alone with a book or walking through the woods are all good for increasing the peace in your soul.

Sexual Relations

As men are facing issues with their sexuality, it is extra poignant to be kind and patient with yourself – and to share with your partner.  It is important to romance sexuality rather than using sex as a stress valve at the very end of your day.  Try romancing you partner differently where foreplay actually begins in the morning and carries through the day. Use text messaging for this higher purpose!  At night, plan a little massage. Even just a short and delightful foot massage can be amazing for your partner. You maybe a sex-in-the-morning person as we know that testosterone is higher in the beginning of the day. Maybe you bring your lover some breakfast fruit to bed. These are just suggestions to view sexuality with more consideration. Mixing up spontaneity and preparation is fun too! When struggling with aging sexual issues, a different approach is called for to enhance and celebrate in the place of the challenges of “performance” .

Two different forms of medicine use sayings that are very similar to each other about the loss of sperm.  The Chinese proverb says for every one drop of lost sperm (Jing) it is like you loose 10 drops of blood.  Aryuvedic medicine even increases the ratio to one drop of sperm to 35 drops of blood. Clearly sperm is the essence and one should not squander it. Numerous tantric traditions teach techniques to learn to have a profound intimate experience with a partner without actually ejaculating so one does not lose this essence.  It would be difficult to learn how to make love in a satisfying way without ejaculation in a week-end training course or just reading a book by Mantak Chia – but perhaps with self-patience and practice one can change. Here is a video with Mantak Chia as inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8tNN0AbSo

Food

Food is your medicine.  If you eat prepared foods in boxes and cans with ingredients you can’t pronounce then you will have energy that resembles what you put into your body.  And what do we expect would be the outcome of such an unpronounceable menu?  You need  the simplicity of fresh, organic, nutrient-dense food to make viable changes in your energy levels. The quality of what you take in will determine the quality of your overall available energy to live the quality of life you desire and to do the things you want to achieve.

Here are some suggested menus for meals as well as highlights of specific foods which can enhance male energy. Basically, a diet of fruit and veggies in high quantities with less starches, less carbs and less sugar.
– Breakfast: eggs and greens, granola and yogurt with fruit, avocado and high quality bread.
– Lunch: If you eat meat or fish have a piece the size of the palm of your hand and then plenty of veggies or green salad.  Or some brown rice or quinoa or a baked sweet potato or butternut squash.
-Dinner:  More of the same in a slightly lighter configuration.   

Sleep patterns

Sleep is vital. You need 8 hours if you are recovering from stress and overwork.  Do not watch TV,  play or work on your computer before you go to sleep.  Cutting out all toxic disturbances near your sleeping room stands to reason.  Electronic pollution can contribute to distrubeances of the nervous system significantly affecting your sleep. Turn your wi-fi and computers and I-phones OFF during the night.  See www.magdahavas.org 

If you have interrupted sleep or insomnia,  check if sleep apnea might be an issue as part of your poor sleep.  There are beneficial sleeping aids in the market.  There are several acupuncture approaches to insomnia and they work nicely to calm the spirit and to assure rest. There are several powerful Chinese herbal prescriptions as well as wild lettuce, hops, passionflower, valerian, and other Western herbal combinations.
WHAT CAN ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE MEDICINE DO FOR MALE SEXUAL HEALTH?

There is a vast pharmacopeia of herbs specially assigned to men’s health including:

– Blood and energy movers – energy increasing herbs

– Tonics…a whole large group of these tonics that promise to boost and tonify the Kidney energy.

Kidney energy is a much vaster concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine than in allopathic medicine.  Kidney energy alone addresses:

– Sexuality and creativity

– The entire nervous system,

– The lower back

– All joints in the body

– The bone marrow and the bones

– The sense of hearing

– Infertility (did you know that 40% of infertility issues rest with men not the actual child bearer?)

Chinese medicine divides the state of energy as pre-natal or post-natal. In other words, one equation is what describes how you came in to this life while post-natal is the energy that you end up with through living the way you do. If at one time you did have high virility and high libido then you can mostly regain it if you live an appropriate life-style following some of the suggestions in this article. Good news for many men.

You are invited to watch this short video so you can see what Chinese herbs look like.  The video is about a general tonic but some of the herbs listed below are also in this recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geQQNEoIZE4&list=UU4pq8PCL44KVYhEQlIgGQyQ

The main stamina-supporting herbs employed in Chinese medicine are:
Ren Shen, Ginseng, Huang Qi, Astragalus, He Shou Wu  (Polygonatum multiflora), Tu Si Zi and Herba Cuscuta.  There are, of course,  many more. This is just an overview and you need to go to a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine for a personal approach. The practitioner will tailor your specific prescription to your very personal configuration.

Acupuncture is equally and differently effective.  It is a great mover and motivator of energy. Your practitioner may choose points on the front of your body, but maybe also on your back where there are most relevant Kidney and Bladder points.  For example, maybe if your insomnia patterns and your digestion change then other aspects of your health will also improve. Frequently someone who I am treating with acupuncture may say “I have never felt sooo relaxed” or “I have never gone that deep inside.”  We need this relaxation state just to remember that our lives do not always need to be part of the crazy rat race. We can be deeply contented to just be alive.
The changes I suggest may take a little while to integrate, but as an aging man you know that some things take time.

In Health

Verena