For that’s what chakras are—invisible yet impossible-to-live-without pools of moving energy that spin like rotor blades when we’re healthy, and sputter and finally stop when we die. According to Quodoushka (pronounced Qua-dosh-ka), the native teachings of Turtle Island (1), we have ten major vortices of spinning light inside our bodies—which they perceive as luminous eggs cocoons. In their view, if you could accurately see what the human body is made of, you would see an egg—shaped ball of light, with ten spinning wheels inside that are more commonly known as chakras.

Medicine Wheel of Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains

Why Would You Want To Know How Your Chakras Are Doing?

Truth is you’ll live just fine even if you’ve never heard of a chakra. However, when you find out that feeling insecure, fearful, anxious, uncreative, or unsexy has a lot to do with sluggish chakras, the subject gets more interesting. The subject gets even more interesting when you learn that women’s chakras spin one way and men’s another. It’s also one of the hidden reasons why it feels incredibly nice to have our whole bodies next to someone we love. It’s not just our skin that touches—we have these spinning balls of energy flowing between us in opposite directions.

The robustness of our chakras also explains how we are irresistibly attracted or totally turned off by someone. Chakras either put out gusts of energy or they suck energy like vacuum machines. When they are vibrating with gusto everything is abundant, when they are slow everything is difficult. The good news is that there are several ways to balance chakras when they start slowing down or turning in the wrong direction.

The Quodoushka teachings locate ten chakras. For brevity’s sake I’ll just mention one here to show you how they work.

The First Chakra
Life begins and ends at the first chakra. It’s where our sexual, creative energy collects. Quodoushka calls it the Sun Wheel because when it’s open, uninhibited and used with respect, this chakra becomes a magnet for intimacy and love. What blocks the flow of our sexual, creative sun energy is the enemy of guilt. Every time we feel guilty about our natural sexual urges, or we repress, misuse or deny our sexual feelings, we put a plug in the first chakra. Since all the chakras are connected,
when we shut it down for too long, everything else becomes listless. Our emotions wobble, our minds dim and our spirits become lethargic. Quodoushka teaches that sex is natural and good. This means enjoying touch, affection, kisses, hugs and yes, good old sex too.

The first step in getting all ten chakras turning brightly is to accept the beauty and naturalness of our first chakra. When a woman joins her heart (4th chakra) with her genitals (1st chakra), it opens her 5th chakra or third eye of wisdom.

When her partner is doing the same, the merging of their chakras raises the power of love, making each act of kindness ripple into the universe like a single drop falling on a great wheel about to turn.

Quehestemehah
‘You Dance in My Heart’

May you walk In Beauty,
Amara Charles

(1) Turtle Island refers to ancient land masses from North, South Central America along with New Zealand and Australia. Quodoushka is the spiritual sexuality teachings from ancient native sources.

Amara Charles is the founder of Nourishing Arts, a healing center providing training courses in the spiritual sexual arts. Author of Sexual Agreements, Aching to Open and Erotic Touch for Two, Amara has been teaching spiritual sexuality workshops throughout the US, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand since 1987. Her programs include Taoist White Tigress, Shamanic Quodoushka Sexuality and the Yin Yang of Sexual Restoration. She also hosts Men’s Sex Forums promoting better, healthier sex. She has been a special guest on BBC and ABC Radio shows and a guest lecturer at Arizona State University. She writes articles on sexuality for a variety of publications.Offering Retreats and Private Sexuality Training for Women, Men and Couples.

QUESTION:

Hello,
I received your QSM e-newsletter today and found it not only very informative but actually an interesting read. I have no idea where I signed up to receive the newsletter but I am very glad that I did. I would like to have upcoming information about your membership area.

I also would like to know if you would address a specific topic at some point in the newsletter as I know I am not the only woman who this applies to.

I am a 54 year old divorced woman. I am very fit, very feminine, blessed with great genes, look and feel amazingly young, incredibly healthy, still have a tight body, have no problem attracting or keeping a relationship with a man but right now I do not want a man in my life. I have just sent my last child off to college so now my nest is empty, I am lucky enough to be able to cut way back on my days and hours I work. I have very few daily responsibilities and lots of time for fun and excitement.

I am a woman who has always preferred men sexually and consider myself as heterosexual or straight. In the past few months for some unknown reason, the thought of having sex with a woman has not only interested me but is now the subject of my masturbation fantasies, the storyline of the porn I am watching and best of all, the intensity and number of my orgasms at one time has increased overwhelmingly. Please be clear that my attraction is only a sexual attraction and not an emotional one.

I know by looking online that I am not alone at my age, who is in the same boat as I am. I will eventually find a woman and see if the reality is as exciting as the fantasy. Until I do, I would be interested if you had any information, data, explanation, literature or reason why at this point in my life I suddenly have this strong almost overwhelming sexual urge or should I just chalk it up to hormones

Thanks so much
Marlena

ANSWER:

Hi Marlena,

Many thanks for your support and questions. I loved reading your letter, and I think you are right about not being the only woman with these thoughts and desires. I’d like to offer you some of my personal
reflections and observations.

I should say that I now live with a woman, so I do have some experience that may be of interest. I should also say that I totally love men; always have and I always will. What I mean is that I love them both emotionally and sexually, so I guess you could say that I am bisexual.

I can understand your attraction to women, as I believe women are the most lovely creatures on the planet (and the most mysterious, and the most complex too!) From the Taoist and Shamanic perspective (where I come from in my views on sexuality,) both traditions see sexual relations between women as natural and beneficial. In their view, there is much to gain in sharing sexual energy with a women. According to both these traditions, women, when they are together sexually, gather yin energy. What this means is their
energy adds to each other. Like two bowls of receptive energy, their yin forces can join, like adding water to a cup or a bowl- they merge or flow into a greater container.

In the shamanic tradition it is said that women “dream together” because they both have wombs. Thus, the function of women being together (sexually or otherwise) is to dream (or enhance each other’s intuition). This happens naturally because their yin or feminine essence blends easily together.

Thus, usually when there is an attraction for women sexually, it is a sign that there is a desire to gather the sensitivity and sensuousness of feminine energy (yin forces), to cultivate intuition and to dream more deeply into life.

This being said, and again, this is my personal view, it sounds to me that you do enjoy and can still benefit greatly from being sexual with men. That you have constant fantasies, and right now are really turned on by the thought of being sexual with a woman, is most likely intensified because you have never done it. You know- the forbidden fruit is often more alluring that what we’ve got. (plus, the unknown can be very sexy indeed) So it is easy to be turned on by our minds about something. In fact, 90% of sexual activity occurs because of what is in our minds, and thus our greatest turn ons happen mainly by what we have roaming around in our heads.

Now, my sense from what you have said is that because you have never actually been with a woman (and I believe it is totally natural to be curious about being with someone of the same sex) your thoughts are generating a sense of heightened arousal, and great stimulation for you.

This can be either a good thing, or not so good. If you are obsessed, it is not so good, because sooner or later it will lead to an imbalance or confusion. If your fanaticizes are treated as natural and wonderful curiosities and you don’t repress your feelings then they can help you to explore new things you seek to understand. So the idea is not to get too carried away, take your time, make good choices, and always be safe. In other words, have fun and enjoy your imagination.

I think you are right that someday you may try being with a woman and then you will see if you actually enjoy this. In my view, being with a woman sexually does not make you gay. In fact the majority of women who try it out – so to speak – find that their real sexual preference is still for men. I call this being Bi Curious. It is a wonderful state of mind.

Finally, a word about he beauty of being sexual with a woman; it teaches you about YOU. It comes from a deep desire to know yourself, meaning, how you feel inside your own body, how your skin feels, how warm and soft your lips feel, and yes, how your pussy feels. This is what truly lies beneath the desire to be sexual with a woman, and it is something no book can ever reveal – you have to experience it. If you do explore the sensuous of a woman you will finally understand why men desire us so much. You will finally discover how unbelievably gorgeous you really are. It is like looking in a mirror – no it’s better, it’s like being able to feel inside the mirror of pure beauty.

My goodness, I didn’t mean to write so much! I hope this helps a little. Many blessings on your journey.

Peace in the way,
Amara Hsien Ku

P.S. I have a Jade Maiden Woman’s Workshop coming up in Los Angeles Dec. 6 – 7. May I send you info and would you like to be on my personal mailing list?

602.820.4661
http://www.nourishingarts.com

What’s on your mind? Just Ask!

SAN DIEGO, CA – On December 4, San Diego women will have a unique opportunity to learn a whole new way to gather and nourish their feminine body, mind and spirit. Amara Charles, a renowned spiritual sexuality instructor, author and poet will provide an introduction to the Taoist practices and exercises that women have used for hundreds of years to restore their spiritual, energetic and sexual chi.

“There are many paths one can take to evolve spiritually and I realized that using sexual energy with understanding and discipline can open one’s heart into a more compassionate way of living,” explains Amara. “Jade Maiden reflects my passion for the teachings of female Taoists who have inspired methods for achieving health, tranquility, and longevity by their example. Jade Moon is feminine alchemy, focused on timeless theories and practices of internal restoration and spiritual refinement for women.”

Amara Charles will be accompanied by Shyena Venice in presenting a one-evening, introductory workshop on the Jade Maiden teachings from 6:30 – 9 pm at a private residence in the Carlsbad area of San Diego.

“Jade Maiden has gifted me my juicy femininity. The teachings unlocked fears that have held me back from living my life as a woman, a mother, and a lover,” says Helen Heatly, a New Zealand participant. “Jade Maiden gave me the tools I need to maintain my youth, beauty and vibrancy and they are shared in the most moving way.”

The cost for the December 4 Jade Maiden Introductory Workshop in San Diego is $20 before December 1 and $35 per person thereafter.

Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to ask questions or arrange an alternative means of registering by phone at 760-729-1102 or by e-mailing amara@NourishingArts.com.

Nourishing Arts, has scheduled its first Los Angeles event, a two-day Jade Maiden Workshop, scheduled for December 6 – 7, 2008, designed to restore and cultivate sexual vitality. It will be a nourishing weekend of learning, sharing and adventure in a luxurious place full of laughter, warmth and great women.

Amara and Shyena

INSTRUCTORS:
Amara Charles
Delivering workshops and presentations throughout the United States, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Amara provocatively inspires men and women to cultivate passionate, authentic lives. She is a co-founder of Nourishing Arts, a learning center in Phoenix Arizona providing training that enables people to experience the beauty of spiritual sexuality. Amara is trained in both the Taoist White Tigress and Quodoushka traditions and has been practicing and teaching since 1987. Amara has been featured as a special guest on HBO Real Sex, BBC and ABC Radio shows. She is the author of Sexual Agreements: A Guide for Reawakening Sexual Passion, Aching to Open and Erotic Touch for Two. She currently lives in Phoenix, AZ.

Shyena Venice
Trained in the Taoist White Tigress tradition and co-founder of Nourishing Arts, Shyena specializes in devotional music and has performed worldwide for over 15 years. Teaching people how to connect with their inner rhythms, she teaches throughout the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Shyena is a master masseuse with over 25 years experience and is an international entrepreneur for natural women’s products. She is also a studio and performing artist as well as a healer. Shyena playfully offers her inspirational gifts in devotion to spirit.

The Seven Charms

Courtesans, many of whom have vanished without a trace, were often highly cultivated women who specialized in exchanging artistic graces, elevated conversation, and sexual favors with male patrons throughout history and around the world. Courtesans were present in Japan, China and Italy, where exchange was made through poetry, speech, and music; in pre-colonial India through magic, music, chemistry, politics, economics and other arts.

The following are seven feminine qualities courtesans cultivated within their arts for hundreds of years. Trained in the ways of feminine beauty, they were not only experts in charming, conversing with and enchanting men, many courtesans discovered how to bring their lovers into the highest states of contentment and pleasure. Although many courtesans lived precarious lives and were often kept as secret mistresses, there is much
any woman can learn from these elusive women who devoted their lives to appreciating the men in their lives.

The Seven Charms…

Timing
Consider everything you do with a man an erotic preliminary. It may last for an hour or days and weeks. Entirely up to you, timing is the art of offering a gesture, your voice, a touch, or whatever is needed in any given moment. Timing means being keenly observant, on the lookout for what someone likes, and then, at just at the right instant, effortlessly saying or offering a gesture that brings beauty into the space. Usually, timing is an invisible art, for when what is most needed to be said or done is given, the courtesan disappears and gives credit to someone else.

Beauty
Are we born with it, or can we create it? The only thing that matters is that you find yours and trust it. Believe in your beauty. Be willing to be seen, and take joy when you are. Drink in compliments like you are savoring a fine wine. When you are given even a
hint of a compliment smile shyly and let it linger. Your shyness can be irresistible.

Wit
Humor and laughter are your greatest assets. Your humor dissolves his insecurities. Your intelligence, delivered with wit will not be felt as competitive. Competing with men, in a direct or overly serious manner dampens their attraction to you. On the other hand, some men love playful, intense competition. They sometimes love to be tested and they love to have powerful women around them. Your power and comments should elevate them in some genuine way. In other words, the key to using your wit in a cheeky way means that you stretch your intelligence and use it to raise his feeling about himself. Then, with wit, a man is more open to being shown where and how he could be even better.

Benevolence
Kindly appreciate any man who praises you. His attraction is flattering, yet it doesn’t mean that you have to do anything but enjoy it. Listening with empathy, resist the temptation to over fix or change his situation. Fully hear where he is and then offer a small ray of hope. A courtesan is a seductress, not a schoolteacher or therapist. Men are highly attracted to the courtesan aspect of a woman – for she likes him as he is. She also lets him know she believes in his ability to make it. Believe in him more than he believes in himself, this is benevolence.

Lightheartedness
Men love gaiety. Your frivolity, your playfulness is highly attractive. It’s delightful to men. The lighter you are the more room there is for others to relax around you. Lighten yourself like a butterfly landing on a branch. Become a carefree power spot, calmly attracting laughter and an easygoing breeze to follow you wherever you go. Your calm relieves a man of his own worries. The brighter, more easygoing you are the stronger and more confident he will feel. It’s even better if you make him feel your sense of gaiety comes from him.

Grace
Grace is elegance in your movements. It also appears in your manner of speaking tenderly and politely in everything that you do. Allowing your graceful movements to be seen and enjoyed, grace is elicited through your eyes in the way you look at him. Your smile accepts him for who he is. Your grace melts away his insecurities, warms his feelings, calms his mind, and calls forth his desire to respectfully enjoy your gifts.

Charm
Even though you may never choose to have sex of any kind with a particular man, convey through your gestures that you could. Give signs of your interest while allowing the mystery of the outcome to remain open. Charm means keeping the possibility of sexual play in the air, why clearly conveying the timing is entirely up to you. He will respect you for this and actually likes the playful tension of the dance. Your openness entices and challenges him to remain in your good graces. He will want to be respectful, not because you outwardly tell him what to do; rather it’s his choice to be courteous. Rather than frustrating a man, temper his eagerness by allowing possibilities of connecting with you to remain possible. Consider his sexual interest as natural and good. Inspire him to offer you delights, and show him your sincere pleasure; thank him when he does.

The Key…
to acquiring the charms of a courtesan is through sincerity and generosity. Regardless of your age or how you look, you can share these qualities and charms not only to delight the men in your life, but to cultivate your soft, enduring feminine nature as well. The best part is that the more you freely give, the more beautiful you feel and thus the more beautiful you will become. Just as a flower effortlessly offers its petals to the sun without expecting anything in return, any woman can give with tenderness whenever she likes. As if dropping a pebble into a pond, watch the vast ripples, the effects of your giving, spreading out and touching others in beauty.

May you surround yourself In Beauty,
Amara Hsien Ku
Tigress of the Jade Moon
www.nourishingarts.com

Amara (with Fay McGrew and Shyena Hsien Shen) will be presenting the Jade Maiden’s Salon – a two-day Woman’s Retreat for Cultivating Feminine Vitality in Los Angeles, December 6 -7, 2008.

Jade Maiden Workshops by Amara

Nourishing Arts, a developer of workshops featuring practices and teachings from the Taoist and Shamanic traditions, has scheduled its first Los Angeles event. The two-day Jade Maiden Workshop, scheduled for December 6 – 7, 2008, is designed to restore and cultivate sexual vitality. It will be a nourishing weekend of learning, sharing and adventure in a luxurious place full of laughter, warmth and great women.

The workshop will be taught by Amara Hsien Ku, Shyena Hsien Shen and Fay McGrew.

What is the Jade Maiden?
The Jade Maiden is the part of every woman that is full of juicy vitality. She’s the part of a woman that is in touch with her natural feminine softness and grace. She’s clear about who she is, what she needs, and what she wants, and wise about how she finds it. There is an easier way for women to attract what they desire in life – the young Maiden inside holds the secret.

This workshop will share healing stories among a community of women who are inspired to awaken the Jade Maiden. They will find out what actually makes them feel dull and drained – especially with regard to men and sex. Most importantly, women will learn how to use their feminine passion to turn it around softly. (Life becomes a lot more fun when you are not trying so hard.)

Where Do These Teachings Come From?
Originating from an ancient lineage of female Taoists called White Tigresses, who were renowned for their alluring beauty, charm and youthfulness. The Jade Maiden Workshop will teach their secrets of staying healthy, young and full of vitality – especially what they knew about men and sex. Guess what; it hasn’t changed in hundreds of years. No matter what your age, or what kind of relationship you are seeking, these teachings will give you a whole new way of looking at health, sex and men.

What Will We Do?
Over the course of two days workshop attendees will learn the once secret exercises that were used to restore and strengthen feminine vitality. These include easy-to-do Healing Tigress and Tao Yin Exercises that will calm the mind, strengthen the body, and refresh the spirit. We will share, laugh, learn, eat and celebrate our feminine radiance together.

Through the workshop, women will learn new ways of looking at health, sex and men. For women who do not have a man in their lives, this retreat will gently nourish the spirit, and may get them thinking about men in a whole new way. For those in relationships, the workshop will clear up blocks to intimacy and get them back in touch with their sexy selves again.

Jade Maiden teaches women to let go of feelings of anger and disappointment related to the men in their lives. They will learn ways to turn around those frustrations and stop the leaks of energy.

The Jade Maiden workshop includes an introduction to the following:

• Philosophy and practices of the White Tigress teachings
• Understanding causes for loss of libido
• The Three Treasures and the Three Poisons
• Exercises for Increasing sexual energy
• Exercises for restoring breasts and ovaries
• Tranquility Practices for calming the mind and healing our spirit
• Feminine empowerment for longevity and health
• The Arts of Seduction (tips from Chinese Courtesans)

Dates, Times, and Location
The Jade Maiden Workshop will take place Saturday and Sunday, December 6 & 7, 2008 from 10 am – 5 pm. It will be located in a private home in the mid-Wilshire/Hancock Park area of Los Angeles.

On Saturday night, attendees may return home to absorb the beauty of the day, or attend the Jade Maiden Soiree, to which they may also invite male friends. This will be a casual evening of wine and cheese. The group will relax and put into practice what they shared on Saturday, and tell stories on Sunday.

Quantum Sexuality Magazine readers and subscribers are encouraged to benefit from an advanced registration fee of $189 for the weekend event, including breakfast and lunch both days if secured before December 1 and $250 per person thereafter,

Space is limited to approximately 30 individuals… Contact Amara to register.

On December 4, Southern California women will have a unique opportunity to learn a whole new way to gather and nourish their feminine body, mind and spirit. at a one-evening, introductory Jade Maiden Workshop from 6:30 – 9 pm at a private residence in the Carlsbad area of San Diego. Cost for this evening event is $35, but QS Magazine subscribers may attend for $20 if you register before December 1st.

Phone: 602.765.9551
amara@nourishingarts.com

Nourishing Arts
3741 East Shangri La Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85028

Profiles of the seminars leaders:

	Amara Charles is the founder of Nourishing Arts, a healing center providing training courses in the spiritual sexual arts. Author of Sexual Agreements, Aching to Open and Erotic Touch for Two, Amara has been teaching spiritual sexuality workshops throughout the US, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand since 1987. Her programs include Taoist White Tigress, Shamanic Quodoushka Sexuality and the Yin Yang of Sexual Restoration. She also hosts Men’s Sex Forums promoting better, healthier sex. She has been a special guest on BBC and ABC Radio shows and a guest lecturer at Arizona State University. She writes articles on sexuality for a variety of publications.Offering Retreats and Private Sexuality Training for Women, Men and Couples.
	Trained in the Taoist White Tigress tradition, co-founder of Nourishing Arts, Shyena Hsien Shen specializes in devotional music and has performed worldwide for over 15 years. She has taught people how to connect with their inner rhythms throughout the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Shyena has been a master masseuse for over 25 years and is also an international entrepreneur for natural women’s products. As a studio artist, live performer, businesswoman and healer Shyena playfully offers her inspirational gifts in devotion to spirit.
	With over 38 years experience studying various ancient mind body & meditation practices including Women’s Qigong, Tai Chi, & Zen Meditation, Fay McGrew has studied with Qigong Masters in China & effectively conveys modern meaning of these ancient practices to Westerners. Teaching in San Diego for over 13 years, she initiated classes at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine; UCSD, & San Diego Cancer Center Research Institute. She is currently contributing to the development of a women’s health program at Deepak Chopra Center in San Diego. Fay’s teaching style is accessible and personal. www.QigongWithFayMcGrew.com 760.729.1102 info@QigongWithFayMcgrew.com

This article focuses on the female aspects of Taoist Spiritual Sexuality. There are equally profound teachings for men as well, which I will be presenting future articles.

“If you cannot face directly into your sexuality, You will never discover your true spirituality.” – White Tigress Manual

While western scientists and drug companies seek to unlock the mysteries of female desire, the sexual teachings of the White Tigress are quietly revolutionizing women’s views on sexuality around the world. Propagated in secrecy through small clusters of female Taoists, a rare lineage from ancient China has preserved the secrets of female desire for thousands of years. Known as White Tigresses, these women long ago knew that a woman’s sexual passion is directly connected to her health and spiritual well-being.

After practicing these teachings for many years, I have come to discover a few things about sex… it’s one of the three best things in life, and I can’t remember the other two. I have come to understand we need sex at least as much as food and that if we don’t enjoy enough intimate sexual touch we age rapidly. Tigresses understood that if a woman gives up on expressing her sexual passion, it’s a sure ticket for rapid aging. Interestingly, medical science is confirming the many health benefits of sex (for both men and women). The Hebrew University performed studies on semen and found it contained high levels of micro-nutrients and proteins that are par excellence for the skin. Studies also showed increased frequency of performing oral sex creates a greater production of saliva, and the micro-nutrients in saliva have been proven to break down fat cells. Yes, this means you can lose weight performing oral sex, but more on this later.

The Basis of White Tigress Philosophy

While this article focuses on their sexual practices, in truth these were only part of White Tigresses did. Were they wanton women who practiced indiscriminate random sexual acts?
Hardly! They were highly disciplined and selective in their sexuality and extremely conscious of their safety and health. Unlike many spiritual traditions, Tigresses viewed the expression of passion as central to a woman’s well being. Taoist in nature, their goals were simple: to live a long, happy and healthy life, which for them meant “being youthful in old age”

As rare and powerful as white tigers in the wild, White Tigresses are renown for their compassion and feminine gracefulness. Their origins can be traced to the long lineages of courtesans, Tantrikas, and Geishsa of Eastern cultures that flourished for centuries in part by honoring the cultivation of feminine intelligence, beauty and power. The unique aspect of the White Tigress is their claim that women have their own process for acquiring the physical and spiritual goals of Taoism, namely restoring youthfulness and ultimately achieving immortality. Tigresses viewed their sexuality and spirituality as one and the same, and they discovered how to use it to stay remarkably healthy and young.

Replenishing her yin forces with yang

The theory they maintain is that since males are yang by nature – outward and active – and females are yin by nature – passive and inward – both can achieve optimum health by replenishing themselves with their opposite energy. Although not an exact translation, in our current language it would sound something like this: Women have both “yin” hormones called estrogen and “yang” hormones called testosterone. When testosterone levels drop in women we lose our libido, we age and the theory goes that if we add more testosterone (yang) we can restore our sexual desire. A Tigress sought to replenish and balance these hormones naturally by connecting with male energy.

According to Tigresses, the secret for men to stay young is to cultivate tranquility (yin) and avoid dissipating too much semen, whereas women should cultivate more focused (yang) activity. Tigresses maintain that women become youthful by expressing their sexual passion intensely and frequently. Who ever thought the secret to staying young was to enjoy passionate sex? (Actually, many women are finding this out for themselves!)

Harnessing the Power of the Jade Maiden

Tigresses consider the time when a young girl’s body is ripening into its first potent flair of
sexual energy, a most valuable period of a young girl’s life. During this phase, she is called the Jade Maiden, for her initial curiosities and sexual feelings are just emerging through the changes in her body and spirit. The infusion of new hormones causes her hair to shine, her eyes to shimmer and her skin to be fresh and rosy. Everything about a young maiden radiantly glows and her internal organs are robust and healthy. And of course, she starts to look at the opposite sex in a new way. The initial curiosity, enthusiasm and excitement for male energy is what she seeks to recreate in herself. It is this youthful period of optimum physical and spiritual health, the condition of the Jade Maiden, which female Taoists, and in particular White Tigresses, knew how to reclaim in women of any age.

Of course not everything about puberty was that great and few would want to relive the confusion and anxiety we felt growing up as teenage girls. For most of us it was like cracking through an eggshell we wouldn’t want to be trapped inside of again. No one explained the changes in our bodies or emotions, and most of us had to figure out what to do with these intense surges on our own. Unfortunately, this pre-pubescent push–pull confusion between feeling sexual, wanting sex, and not wanting it sets the stage for our adult sex lives.

Yet, some things were great about being a girl, and Tigresses sought to help women reclaim the power of those initial curiosities. Think about how exciting our first thoughts of dating were – how we looked forward to seeing some boy, how thrilling it was to have our (often clandestine) first kiss.

Tigresses viewed these early states of mind as a source of powerful energy that any woman can bring back into her sex life. One of the ways they restored the energy of the Jade Maiden included light exhibitionism. They helped women appreciate men’s attention, and taught them ways to be more playful and light-hearted around men. They knew the more youthful our minds became, the more youthful our bodies would remain. By deliberately recreating the playful and positive aspects of puberty (with greater wisdom and safety than we had as girls!), Tigresses sought to fully embrace their femininity rather than discard it.

Restoration and Sexual Practices

Tigresses were also probably as “health conscious” as many of us are today – they ate few grains and carbohydrates, with small amounts of fish and meat, took specific Chinese herbal formulas to increase libido and regulate their menstrual flow, practiced Healing Tigress, Tai Chi and Qigong exercises. They also maintained certain sexual disciplines.

White Tigresses engage in two primary oral practices to revitalize their yin and yang energies. In the first, Congealing the Dragon’s Jade, she makes use of male semen to restore her skin and hair. In the second practice, she focuses on enjoying male sexual energy, referred to as Absorbing the Dragon’s Breath. Absorption is the ability to induce and receive the energy of the male orgasm into herself, whereby she strengthens her own, as well as her partner’s energies. Tigresses viewed oral sex as far more than mere foreplay and it was considered the most important part of her early training. Not only did it help preserve her physical beauty, it could lead to transcendent states of spiritual illumination.

These, and other transformational sexual practices that were meant to be healing for both men and women, have long been held secret and were highly controversial in nearly every society. In China, where the preservation of the male lineage has dominated religious and political laws for centuries, little importance was given to women maintaining their youth or health. Along with many spiritual teachers, White Tigresses were imprisoned and even murdered in China for their views. Those that survived went underground, continuing to practice in secret, hoping the ancient lineage of feminine spiritual practices would be carried into the future. These teachings are also foreign to Western sensibilities where generations of religious philosophy regarded anything of the flesh as sinful. Yet as many are beginning to explore, there is more to sex than getting our needs met. A growing number are seeking ways to express their sexual passion with greater spiritual intention.

Even today, White Tigresses are quite rare and while their traditions are being adapted to suit our culture, their practices have survived due to the courage of a long lineage of dedicated women and men that still exist in secluded places. For the most part the methods of restoring youthfulness and creating the conditions for immortality have been handed down from teacher to student, often from sister to sister. Though many female Taoists and Tigresses remain reclusive, as it is their nature to disappear like mist in the mountains, their teachings and their beauty quietly echo through the valleys.

Amara Hsien Ku
Tigress of the Jade Moon

Amara is presenting The Jade Maiden Workshop, Dec 6 -7, 2008 in Los Angeles with Shyena Hsien Shen and Fay McGrew. It is a 2-Day Woman’s Retreat celebrating Feminine Vitality, and clearing up confusions around men. Presenting workshops, private sessions and trainings throughout the world since 1989, Amara is the founder of Nourishing Arts, a spiritual sexuality center dedicated to the preservation and continuance of the Taoist Sexual Arts. She is the first White Tigress initiated on Western soil.

More at: www.nourishingarts.com

There is a secret to gathering Yin Essence.

What is Yin Essence? While it’s invisible, illusive and impossible to contrive, everyone has felt it. It lives in the smile of a young child, it breathes when you lie back to absorb the blue sky. It happens when you laugh, it appears when you weep, you see it flash in people’s eyes.

Without the mysterious activity, of yin essence, life is inexplicably dreary. You could say it’s an unknown force that can pull you out of bed no matter how bad it seems.

Is it Real? Does it really exist?

What matters is that it seems to exist. It is far better to imagine there is some sort of nourishing essence (let’s call it Yin Nectar for a moment) sustaining you. Why? Watch what you attract when you forget to smile, drink a little yin nectar, make love, laugh, hug someone or purely give. Every time you do one of these things, you get an infusion; a whiff of yin essence to lift your spirit, even if you’ve never heard of it. Notice how deflated your spirit becomes chasing thoughts of doom. Here’s a great description from ‘Anna’s Book,’ one of my favorite collections of stories told by a young girl who was rescued from the London slums by her friend Fynn.

Fin say if you live in a house and you let the window get sploshed and dirty and if you look out of the window it look like the world is dirty bit it is not. If you look inside it look dirty too but it is not dirty because the window is dirty.

Fin say all of the people have two windows. First people have got eye window and then a hart window. The eye window is to look out and the hart window is to see inside to see you. Fin say wen you cry it is for to wash the window so you can see better.

One day I ask Fin for som sweet and Fin say no and I was sad and I cry some ters and I cry som ters to wash my eye window because my eye window was all dirty, dirty greedy for sweets. And Fin did not say nothing and Fin piket me up and put me to a luking glas to see my face reflechun and it was al funy like rain on a hous window. And I could not see proper and then I stop the cry and see Fin face reflechun and it was al smilig. And so I smile too and then I see my eye sparkling because I can see good. And then I see that Fin say no, becas he have got no mony, because he give it all to Missis Barkr to buy som penuts to sell to get som mony to buy som food and I did not see good because I have got dirty eye window and it was all sploshy with greedy dirty.”

Seeing Through Sploshy Windows

Annal saw it well. You see, the reason our innocent yin energy slips away is because we have sploshy windows and we can’t see the truth. We get greedy dirty eye windows, one looking inside us, the other looking out, and as Anna says, we can’t see right. The good news is, it is not the truth, it’s only a dirty window.

We forget this a thousand times a day. Perhaps it’s the reason why in Buddhist, Taoist and other religious traditions, prayers, mantras or scriptures are spoken daily, sometimes several times a day. It is incredibly easy to forget how to feel innocent, relaxed and open. We need constant reminders to see the truth of our beauty.

Catching The Robber

Our bodies are neither beautiful or ugly, sex is not dirty or clean, difficult or easy to get; yet how often do we let these kinds of thoughts and judgments interfere with beautiful moments we could share with someone? How often are we putting our selves and others down, pouting for what we want, while really looking through dirty windows? In other words, how much are we making up?

We are especially prone to these kinds of false thoughts, especially about our bodies. I recently lost twenty pounds. I have to say, sex was good when I had the extra twenty, but it was just as good after they were gone, no two ways about it. Actually, in terms of how fabulous I felt, there was no difference at all. Somehow though, we get to thinking that if we could just change something about our body, we would feel more beautiful. I assure you, however, the beauty of Yin essence is not measured in pounds.

Turning Weakness Into Strength

This being said, if you would like to change something changeable in your body, it is your Yin essence that is going to give you the will to do it. It is true that many women feel better and sexier when they are lighter. There’s no question, gliding across a room, catching a few guys sneaking a peek, is a lot more fun than lumbering around, covering up what we can. It’s just that, if you lose your yummy yin on the way, what’s the point? The truth is, you are going to need the unlimited power of your yummy yin to make whatever changes you want. And in the end, you are going to see that it’s your Yin Essence that does all the attracting anyway.

Remember, Yin is the persevering, resilient, persistent part of our nature – not the nagging, complaining part that can’t stand the way we look.

While we often let the inner nag reign free by endlessly comparing, and cutting ourselves down, it is actually our open and relaxed yummy yin essence that can become much stronger… if only you will allow it.

While it’s true I generally feel lighter now, after losing a lot of weight, I realized most other people were not thinking about me the way I saw myself, and if they did, what on earth were the thoughts I think they were thinking doing in my head? The truth is, we think people are thinking about us a lot more than they actually are. The reality is, they are likely thinking about themselves, just like you are.

Things like losing weight, or any of the achievements we’d like to accomplish, are only important, or lasting, if some other changes go with them. Namely, watch out for the false thoughts, the dirty windows looking in and all the things you make up that people think about you.

We cry about things like Anna, waste tons of energy thinking about what we think we can’t have, what we no longer look like, or what we think we will lose. Eventually, we find that the things we convince ourselves into believing, are not even real and have nothing to do with the genuine story.

Amara Charles is the founder of Nourishing Arts, a healing center providing training courses in the spiritual sexual arts. Author of Sexual Agreements, Aching to Open and Erotic Touch for Two, Amara has been teaching spiritual sexuality workshops throughout the US, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand since 1987. Her programs include Taoist White Tigress, Shamanic Quodoushka Sexuality and the Yin Yang of Sexual Restoration. She also hosts Men’s Sex Forums promoting better, healthier sex. She has been a special guest on BBC and ABC Radio shows and a guest lecturer at Arizona State University. She writes articles on sexuality for a variety of publications.

Offering Retreats and Private Sexuality Training for Women, Men and Couples

Amara is presenting The Jade Maiden Workshop, Dec 6 -7, 2008 in Los Angeles with Shyena Hsien Shen and Fay McGrew. It is a 2-Day Woman’s Retreat celebrating Feminine Vitality, and clearing up confusions around men. Presenting workshops, private sessions and trainings throughout the world since 1989, Amara is the founder of Nourishing Arts, a spiritual sexuality center dedicated to the preservation and continuance of the Taoist Sexual Arts. She is the first White Tigress initiated on Western soil.

Contact:

Nourishing Arts

3741 East Shangri La Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85028
amara@nourishingarts.com
602.765.9551