Sexual Transmutation: How To Channel Your Sexual Energy

Sexual energy is a powerful force and a source of empowerment, creativity and freedom that resides within us. Each and every one of us has access to this inner treasure chest of raw energy.

Sexual energy can be so much more than the physical aspect of our sexual drive. If directed – transmuted – into expressions and areas of life other than our sex life, sexual energy can work as a powerful restorative and motivating force. We can harness and use it as a catalyst for aims as seemingly disparate as material success, creative effort and spiritual development.

It doesn’t occur to most people that sexual energy can go much deeper, and higher, than sexual activity. Because our physical sex drive is the most obvious manifestation our sexual energy, it is easy for most of us to overlook or fail to see the connection between our sex drive and life force energy. In fact, the two are inextricably linked.

Sexual desire goes beyond the physical. There are more layers to sexual desire than the simple craving for sexual stimulation through touch. Of course, most of us desire to experience sexual pleasure because it feels good and satisfying, and because it is just about the most fun you can have as a spirit living in a physical body.

However, on a core level, the desire for sex is about self-expression. It is a way of channeling the creative life force that every human being is a custodian of. It is a way of experiencing transcendence. For people who don’t have a spiritual practice, sex just might be the only way in which they are still able to reach out and touch the divine.

What if the powerful force of your sex drive can do much more for you than simply bringing you physical pleasure (wonderful as that is, too)? The many-faceted answer to this question is found in the practice of sexual transmutation.

What is sexual energy transmutation?

Sexual transmutation means converting the sexual energy into some other, usually higher, aim or expression.

Napoleon Hill

Although the idea of sexual transmutation has played a role in many ancient cultures, Napoleon Hill was the first spiritual teacher to introduce it to the modern Western world.

Hill writes about sex transmutation in his classic self-help book, Think and Grow Rich that ‘sex transmutation is simple and easily explained. It means the switching of the mind from thoughts of physical expression, to thoughts of some other nature.’

This is it, in a nutshell.

Note that Hill doesn’t talk about suppressing or denying our sexual nature, but merely redirecting it towards something other than sexual contact.

Sex transmutation is directing the flow of sexual energy

Beyond the immediacy of burning desire, sexual energy is just energy.

Energy works much in the same way as the physical element of water. Undirected, it will always flow its own way, in the direction of least resistance. Uncontrolled water is still pleasant and enjoyable, but only water controlled can really enrich your realm. Build dams and pathways to direct the water’s flow and you will find yourself the master of a magnificent force of nature.

Sexual transmutation is not the path of least resistance, but it is the path of the greatest rewards. Sexual transmutation is a way of cultivating, directing and harnessing your sexual energy, rather than leaving its flow undirected and its true power untapped.

With consciousness and practice, we can learn how to redirect the body’s energy and the desire for sexual expression towards other thoughts and other pursuits. Doing so can imbue these other thoughts and other pursuits with a rare power and potency.

Why practice sexual transmutation?

Practicing sex transmutation teaches you how to direct the flow of your sexual force, so that you can harness and spend its power in your life as you choose.

If you are used to being very sexually active, transmuting your sexual desires may prove a great challenge. However, there are number of compelling reasons for learning how to practise sexual transmutation after all.

Once you have mastered the self discipline necessary for sexual transmutation, you can choose to tap in and out of the practice when it suits you.

Although some of the befits of sexual transmutation are more easily achieved with long-term practice, there is nothing stopping you from tapping into sexual transmutation when doing so serves a particular purpose in your life – for example, if you are working on manifesting a particular outcome where all of your life force is needed in order to make it happen.

More life force and more physical energy

Transmuting sexual energy leads to increased levels of life force and physical energy.

When you are no longer releasing all of your sexual energy in the bedroom, it is converted into other forms of physical, mental and spiritual energy.

If you suffer from chronic fatigue or generally low energy, sexual transmutation could be key to replenishing your inner batteries.

More will power

Practicing sexual transmutation is a fantastic way of training your willpower muscle. To transmute sexual energy takes willpower, but it gives you back twice as much as you expend.

Qualities like willpower and self control are rare in today’s world of instant gratification. Nevertheless, willpower is one of the key ingredients to success and to achieving your goals. Most things in life don’t come as easily as we would like – having the willpower to keep going when the going gets tough is what differentiates those that make it from those that don’t.

Increased creativity

People who have practiced sexual transmutation for some time can expect to find that they tap into a level of creative ability unknown to them before.

When the sexual energy is bound to find other forms of expression than physical sex acts, it makes sense that one of the forms it takes is creative energy.

In my own experience, powerful creative forces and sexuality both come from a similar place within our personalities – both forms of expression, when they are good, encompass freedom, self-expression and transgression within a safe space. The vital essence of sexual energy easily crosses the line over to creative energy.

Mental clarity

The prospects and allure of sex can cloud our brains, distract us from the project at hand, make us irrational and short-sighted. Desire has the ability to short-circuit our sense of logic, balance and foresight more than any other drive. At the very least, mental arousal and intruding fantasies can be disruptive and distracting. Sex energy calls out for constant attention and can be one of the things keeping you distracted, sidetracked and unfocused.

The ability to channel sexual energy helps us stay on-track and aligned with our higher intentions and goals. In tasks where absolute focus is required, this is a great strength.

Practicing sexual transmutation for as little as a few weeks may be enough to begin enjoying more focus and mental bandwidth.

Greater physical health

A perhaps surprising benefit of sexual transmutation is greater physical health.

While sex has many positive benefits for our health, excessive ejaculation can cause depletion of amino acids and steal vital energy away from our nervous system.

Our minds and bodies need energy to heal. Sexual transmutation works in this way too, by directing more energy to the areas of the body that need healing.

Material accomplishment and success

Strange as it may sound, sexual transmutation can help us reach greater levels of success in all material matters.

One of the most constructive ways of redirecting sexual energy is to turn it into fuel for our competitive nature, our creative side and our general desire to conquer and possess.

When the electric charge of sexual energy is not released, the motivating force maintains its raw intensity and will seek another avenue and another outlet. What will happen when you bring this level of intensity and hunger to your business dealings or when you step into your boss’ office on Monday to negotiate that raise?

Spiritual growth

Sexual transmutation can be a powerful tool, ushering us into powerful inner transformation.

One of the other thoughts we may direct our energy towards is our connection to the divinity and higher power within us. If we redirect some of our raw and powerful forces from the bedroom to the boardroom, we may be more focused, assertive and hungry in our careers and other pursuits of material reward and recognition.

Spiritual evolution requires a streamlined focus on wanting to grow and expand beyond that which we currently are.

Obstacles and pitfalls on the path to sexual transmutation

No one ever said that sexual transmutation was easy.

The most obvious thing holding us back from being able to successfully transmute our sexual side into creativity and accomplishment is a lack of willpower, a lack of self control. But beyond the obvious obstacles and pitfalls are the not-so-obvious ones.

Sex and suppression

One of the primary spiritual laws of the universe dictates that energy never disappears, it only changes form.

Sexual energy is a natural and potent force within us – it is an integral and indelible part of our energetic makeup.

Suppressing our sexual nature is not what sexual transmutation is intended for. Sexual suppression is harmful and attempts to do what cannot be done by disowning a vital part of who we are as human beings. Sexual suppression can lead to frustration, depression and unhealthy ways of lashing out, while promising none of the benefits of sexual transmutation.

Sexual transmutation, on the other hand, does not seek to suppress or deny that we are sexual beings. Rather, sexual transmutation seeks to exalt and uplift us as sexual beings by enabling us to direct the energy in conscious and constructive ways. It is important to understand that sexual transmutation is not sex negative.

Pornography

Although pornography can seem entertaining in the spur of the moment, pornography rewires and rewrites our understanding and expression of sexual forces.

Pornography renders sexual expression simplistic by reducing it to the physical action of a hard cock being inserted into a bodily orifice. It all seems rather lifeless and mechanical, devoid of true sensuality and real energy. What’s more, porn consumption has a tendency to become addictive and compulsive – it becomes a way of scratching an itch, rather than a true expression of sexuality.

Curtailing your intake of pornography is one element of the sexual transmutation practice that is absolutely vital.

How do you tap into sexual energy?

There are many different ways of tapping into sexual energy. Here is a shortlist of powerful practices to give you some ideas about where to start.

Sexual energy and the sacral chakra

In the chakra system, each of the chakras regulates and presides over a certain type of energy within us.

The chakras are depicted as seven orbs of glowing, different-coloured lights, arranged in a vertical line from the crown of our skull to the base of our spine.

The sacral chakra, located below our navel, near the genital area, is depicted as as an orb of radiant, orange light. The sacral chakra presides over sex energy, sensuality, creativity and pleasure.

Meditating on the sacral chakra is a simple yet powerful way of tapping into the sexual force within you.

Sexual energy and the kidneys

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the kidneys are the storehouses of Jing, our essence.

If our kidneys are out of balance, our essential Jing is also affected. This energy, and the kidneys, are responsible for maintaining or sexual and reproductive health (as well as urinary function, bone and brain health).

Ensuring that your kidneys are in optimal health is one of the most direct ways in which you can strengthen and support your sexual energy.

A kidney cleanse is a restorative process that detoxifies and heals your kidneys from any form of imbalance. You can find many resources on kidney cleansing online.

Another way of supporting your physical kidneys is through your diet. Foods that are particularly beneficial for the kidneys include spirulina, seaweed and kelp, black sesame seeds, walnuts and chestnuts, blackberries, black beans and kidney beans, and all manner of dark and leafy green vegetables.

The kidneys, just like the liver, don’t tolerate cold foods very well. To ensure optimal kidney health, keep your intake of cold and raw foods to a minimum.

Yet another way of keeping your kidneys healthy is by practicing qigong. Qigong offers a wide range of exercises that address particular organs or parts of the body, including exercises that specifically support the kidneys.

Finally, avoid excessive fear as much as possible. You will probably want to do this anyway, but fear is the one negative emotion that specifically affects and depletes the kidneys.

Kundalini meditation, yoga and tantra

Kundalini yoga offers a powerful unlock for your sexual force

The Sanskrit word kundalini means ‘coiled snake.’ The kundalini energy is a powerful energetic force associated with the divine feminine (although both men and women have the ability to tap into this force) residing at the base of the spine, essentially where the root chakra is also located.

The kundalini energy is dormant, but can be awakened and cultivated through a practice of meditation, mantra, yoga and tantra. There is no set program of exercises that lead to kundalini awakening – instead, there are many possible ways that may lead you to this destination.

The purpose of kundalini awakening is to shoot this spiritual and sexual energy upward along the spine, from root chakra to crown, stirring your entire spiritual being on the way and resulting in spiritual liberation.

Forms of sex transmutation

The energy from sexual transmutation can be directed into a wide variety of aims and pursuits. Here are some ideas for you to consider.

Manifestation

Manifestation may be the most obvious container for unspent sexual energy.

Sexual energy creates a hunger, an electric charge that wants nothing more than to be released. This is exactly the kind of intensity required when you want to manifest something – particularly if what you are trying to manifest is a big ask of the universe.

Sexual energy can be transmuted into manifestation energy to great effect.

To give focus to your manifestation desire, consider writing your manifestation down on a piece of paper and carrying it with you always, imbuing it with energy throughout the days and weeks and months. You may also want to turn your desired manifestation into a sigil. You may want to inscribe your manifestation sigil or a votive candle or an amulet.

Another way of channeling energy into your manifestation is through sympathetic magic. For this, you will need a representation of the thing or circumstances you are trying to manifest. Keep them in a dedicated space, such as on an altar or a bedside table where you can regularly concentrate upon them and feed them with energy. You may, for example, be trying to manifest a particular new car. Get hold of a miniature version of the same car – the exact make and colour you want to manifest – and place this on your altar. You may want to place it on top of a sigil or a written request you have penned to the universe, in which you ask for your desire to be delivered.

Now, when desire rises, direct its charge towards the miniature version or the sigil representation of your manifestation.

Creative energy

There is no better home for sexual energy than in the creative side of your life.

If you are working on a project – or want to find inspiration – sexual energy can work as the powerful battery and catalyst you’ve been missing.

Directing sexual energy into a creative project imbues it with an intensity and vibrancy that it just wouldn’t have otherwise. Channel your sexual fantasy, desire and longing into the novel or the lyrics you are writing, or express the magnitude of your energy on canvas, or in photoshop.

By denying ourselves the outlets we normally gravitate towards without a second thought, we force the intensity of our sexual energy to go somewhere else. There is no more potent battery to drive creative ambition than transmuted sexual energy.

Healing

Transmuted sexual energy can help us heal in body, mind and spirit.

There is a decidedly physical component to sexual energy. By using to restore our bodies rather than simply releasing it, we are working wisely with our inherent abilities to regenerate, rejuvenate and rebalance.

Alchemy

Alchemy is the process of transforming a baser material into gold.

Somewhere along the way, alchemy became a metaphor for the spiritual journey, which of course is about refining and uplifting our inner selves.

Sexual transmutation is a perfect example of spiritual alchemy in action; we are transforming the baser material of immediate physical desire into something higher and potentially more powerful.

How to transmute sexual energy

How do we control our need to seek sexual release?

Self discipline is the core answer, but there are certain methods we can enlist in support of it.

Note that none of the methods suggested here are prescriptive. Consider them ideas to help inspire you to find your own way and go deeper.

Seminal retention

Often, men develop keenness for sexual climax – indeed, some men equate sex with the moment of orgasm.

Seminal retention is the act of intentionally avoiding ejaculation, and it is a powerful tool for any man interested in sex transmutation.

The purpose of seminal retention is to avoid releasing the sexual charge. It is the release that spends both the physical component of semen and the eternal component of life force. By retaining both, the energy glass is still full and can be poured into whichever other endeavour you choose to spend it on.

Another benefit of seminal retention worth considering, is that it enhances sexual stamina and can prolong sexual enjoyment when you do decide to have sex.

Of course, women are unable to practice sexual retention in the same way as men, but as with all spiritual practices, transmutation can be practiced by people of any gender. The same principles of withholding orgasm and release still apply, and work just as powerfully for women as they do for men.

Taoist energy transmutation

In Taoism, the primary goal of sexual transmutation is spiritual.

While the Western alchemists were trying to convert lead into gold, the Taoists were miles ahead, working on transforming the elements of the physical bodies. The aim of these ancient Taoist alchemists was to transform Jing (essence) into Qi (energy), and then to take it further by transforming Qi into Shen (spirit).

Taoism’s three treasures

According to Taoism, there are three different forms of energy, three treasures.

Jing, essence

Jing is the essence. Of the three energy forms, Jing emits the lowest vibration. Jing is connected to the physical body of both humans, animals and plants. In fact, everything in the natural universe is imbued with at least a little bit of Jing.

Jing is released through ejaculation and exertion. By avoiding ejaculation, Jing is preserved.

Qi, energy

Qi is a higher form of Jing, responsible for carrying information around within the body.

By preserving more Jing, it is transformed into more Qi in the body. Qi can help the body to heal.

Shen, spirit

Shen is the highest form of energy, with a very refined vibration. Shen is also much more personal in nature, considered by the Taoists as something akin to an individual soul within each person.

The inner alchemical process

The inner alchemical process practiced by the Ancient Taoists – and by sex transmutation practitioners all over the world today – consisted in preserving rather than spilling the Jing, in order to transmute it into Qi. By doing so, health is boosted and life force is invigorated.

The next step, of course, is to transform Qi into Shen, using the life force to feed and strengthen your spiritual being, ultimately becoming a power powerful and potent spiritual entity, in charge of, rather than a slave to, your desires.

The inner alchemical process puts your spirit at the head of the table, calling the shots and choosing when and where to spend and preserve your vital life energy.