In August 2016, my colleagues and I decided to embark on a 30-day orgasmic yoga challenge (OYO). As the name suggests, it was a challenge to get on with the practice in the beginning. The idea was for us to report on our daily practice to the rest of the group, for accountability purposes, to support each other emotionally and to find out more about our inner-selves. So we all embarked on this daily OYO adventure.
You may be wondering… What is orgasmic yoga?
In a nutshell, “Orgasmic Yoga involves pleasurable, intimate and transformative practices that individuals, couples, and groups can do while sexually aroused. When practised regularly over time, Orgasmic Yoga can change your life. The practice sessions involve breathing, savoring, sound, movement, touch, placement of attention, and awareness of intention. Orgasmic Yoga is practised where you are—solo or with the companions you choose.”
OYO practice starts with doing, and ends with being. 30 minutes of mindful practice of your choice (doing), and 5 minutes of stillness (being) to savour all the sensations in the body.
Most people chose the quick and easy road to arousal, through porn or fantasy. Very few individuals actually take the time to play and explore their own body without an agenda or goal. I was one of those people, and for this reason, the 30-day OYO challenge was a challenge. Afterall, who has that much time and patience to spare? I just wanted my happy ending!
My OYO practice
My OYO practice of choice is called “Heart Pleasuring”. Pretty much I would go to bed (clothes on), play soft music in the background, focus on my breathing, and every time I inhaled, I clenched my pelvic floor muscles, while visualising the heart pulling erotic energy up from the genitals, filling my heart with energy. On the exhale, I released the erotic energy from my heart, and visualise it traveling back down to my genitals. I would do that for about 15-20 minutes. Then set another alarm for 5 minutes and just focus on the breath, and the sensations in my body.
I practised Heart Pleasuring OYO most evenings, and every time the practice took me to a different place. Most days I experienced kryias (an outward physical manifestation of awakened kundalini, such as a spontaneous body movement related to Kundalini energy flow), laughter attacks, tingling and full body arousal. After the practice, I usually experienced tingling, and was able to I feel my heart beating all over my body, my cells bubbling with life, and blood traveling through my veins. On other days, I experienced grief, feelings of disembodiment, rejection and incompleteness.
In conclusion
OYO practice is not about ‘getting off’. “OYO often produces a state of arousal that is free of fantasy, unfinished emotional business, religious dogma, cultural caveats and habitual sexual behaviors. In this erotic trance state, an individual becomes aware of the body as a source of wisdom, happiness and freedom.”
On day 30, I decided to go over my daily practice reports, and I realised how may different experiences I’ve had, how much healing had taken place during this period, and how embodied I have become in such a short period of time. I decided to continue with the practice, and I still report to my colleagues everyday. Today is day 64.More on OYO to come in the following weeks. Watch this space 😉