Saturday, November 08, 2008

Spirituality and Sexuality


An interesting article from Integrative Spirituality. Nothing profoundly new, but a good reminder that sexuality is (or can be) about more than two bodies.
Spirituality and Sexuality

Introduction

Spirituality is all-inclusive, expanding into every aspect of life, because spirituality is the infusion of spirit into living life. Spirit is always there for us and a part of us, so how can anything be separate from that? It is only our minds that create the separation, from the Infinite. Given this perspective, love and sexuality is the perfect topic to relate to the development of relationships and spiritual connection. We at Integrative Spirituality feel it is important to openly discuss and support the healthy integration of spirituality and sexuality.

The value of sexual expression in relation to spiritual laws has been controversial for eons. However, we have been provided with the gifts of biologically designed bodies that can not only procreate life, but experience immense delight, enjoyment and energy in the process. There are many spiritually focused groups who do not recommend wasting life force energy in sexual activity, because if not practiced properly can drain the body of power and distract the mind, creating suffering and confusion. There are also many teachings, such as the Kama Sutra and Tantric traditions, who highly value sexuality and the practices of spiritual energy flow to increase the sacred connection with another person and the Infinite. From these traditions, sexuality is a spiritual path of transformation, as powerful a tool as any.

It is the intention of Integrative Spirituality to provide you with the information, tools and resources to make the best decisions in your life, to enhance your relationships and experience of spiritual fulfillment. This information on sexuality is part of that offering, giving you the opportunity to integrate what feels true to you that supports your highest intentions.

1. The capacity to give and receive Love is a divine bestowal. It is a gift.

To Love, one has to be "open" to receiving that love. Receiving Love is an experience of happiness, because it is what our soul knows best. We came from love, and are continuously (consciously or unconsciously) in search of that experience. The process begins with having love for our self. When we have unconditional love for our self, receiving and giving love come naturally and without effort. This is what creates an opening. One cannot express freely or give openly when one is closed to the world, to other people, to one's true self, and to the divine.

Being open makes us vulnerable to receiving both the things that bring us joy and the things that make us sad. This can be frightening. The possibility of being hurt while one is expressing Love, in all its forms, is why people so often avoid relationships that are truly loving, whether this relationship is with other people, the world around them, or with God/Buddha.

Some people would describe this "openness" as empathy, humility, awe, absence of ego, the true self, innocence or wonderment. It is often all of these things. To cultivate any of these in our life, will begin the process of "opening" the heart to love for ourselves and everyone in our life.

2. Love is an energy. Think of a Loving relationship as an energy circuit.

One can have love for the self, but it is difficult for Love to be experienced in isolation. The expression is giving it and receiving it with others. Love flows energetically between people. Love flows between people and God and/or Buddha. When we give freely, openly and unconditionally of oneself it is considered love. This is also manifest in God and/or Buddha’s relationship to us. It is the purest gift we can give another person. It is also the purest expression of ourselves that we can have towards the world and radiate out in all of our brilliance and glory of spiritual beings.

We can activate this within ourselves. We can activate this in other people by loving them. We thus actualize this benevolent "energy circuit" in the world around us, for the benefit of all and can access it anytime. This energy has a viral and cumulative effect. The more one Loves, the more one can - and will - receive Love from others.

Become conscious of the love you have to give to all and how much love there is in your relationships and life. By realizing the abundance of love you already have, it attracts more. Give your Love to all. Receive all Love from all.

The act of Loving is "paying forward" that which has been gifted to us, making the kind of difference we all strive for at the level of the soul.

Read the rest of the article.

The article highly recommends reading on spirituality and sexuality, Transcendent Sex by Jenny Wade -- I can ditto that -- very cool book.


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