🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Qigong and Sexual Health Care
Throughout history, Chinese sexual health practitioners emphasized qigong, believing it could delay aging and sexual decline and treat sexual dysfunction. Practice confirms that qigong not only benefits sexual function but also induces sensations similar to sexual pleasure during training. Of course, qigong is not as miraculous as some claim—capable of curing all diseases or possessing "boundless power."
Ancient practitioners believed qigong works by expelling stale "old qi" and absorbing fresh "life-prolonging qi" from nature, facilitating internal material exchange. As stated: "Those skilled in regulating qi make old qi disperse at night and new qi gather in the morning, clearing the nine orifices and filling the six fu organs," rejuvenating the entire body's zang-fu organs. The "qi" in qigong includes not only air perceived through controlled breathing but also mental imagery created to guide mental activity into a calm state—the guiding intention for the practice. When the brain focuses on a single thought, all other mental activities become relatively quiet. The brain regions concentrating on "qi" and the intention gradually become inhibited due to repetitive, monotonous activity. Long-term practice enables the brain to naturally enter a tranquil state, allowing the body’s entire function to be prepared and ready. Thus, qigong-based sexual health exercises not only strengthen the body, prolong life, prevent and treat diseases, but also regulate, protect, and treat sexual function, extending intercourse duration and enabling both partners to achieve full satisfaction and pleasure.
Qigong is a holistic, information-based therapy, requiring attention to three aspects: body adjustment, breath regulation, and mental discipline. ① Body Adjustment: Refers to adjusting posture during practice. Different qigong styles have specific postural requirements, generally demanding natural relaxation of all body parts to facilitate smooth breathing and mental relaxation. Relaxation involves not just muscle relaxation but more importantly mental calmness and mental stillness, clearing all distractions. Only when the body is naturally relaxed and the mind is quiet can breathing and mental focus flow naturally. ② Breath Regulation: Adjusting breathing during practice. This is the most crucial aspect of qigong. It involves shifting from chest breathing to abdominal breathing, from shallow to deep breathing, with breaths uniform, slow, and prolonged. Breathing intervals should be extended—“breath must be deep and long, new qi easily retained,” “deep breathing for longevity.” This expands lung capacity, enhances gas exchange and blood circulation, performs internal organ "massage," reduces sexual organ excitability, and improves sexual function. ③ Mental Discipline: Adjusting mental and emotional states during practice. Achieve a state of mental clarity, emptiness, tranquility, and peace—free from any distractions. As stated: "Those skilled in regulating qi and preserving essence regard nothing as tangible," seeing all things as formless, intangible voids. This allows concentration and elimination of distractions, focusing intention on one point. Induce the cerebral cortex into protective inhibition, guiding bodily functions toward normalcy. Mental discipline also involves guiding incoming pure qi through intention to travel throughout the body. "The way of inhalation must reach the extremities." Guide clean qi from the top of the head down to the limbs, ending at the perineum.
To master sexual health qigong, one must combine practice with proper rest. Focusing solely on practice without adequate rest renders the practice ineffective and may even harm the body’s vital energy. Combining practice with reasonable rest is essential to achieve desired goals. Proper rest includes balancing work and leisure, regular routines, moderate diet, timed sexual activity, and mental well-being.
Avoid rushing to achieve results or advancing too quickly. Qigong is not something accomplished overnight; it requires gradual progress and persistence. Each qigong style must be learned step by step, starting easy and progressing to harder techniques. Consistent practice over time leads to mastery and eventual entry into true qigong states. Effects manifest gradually with practice—expecting immediate, dramatic results is unrealistic.
Choose a fixed qigong method with appropriate intensity. There are many qigong styles; trying every one leads to none being mastered, wasting time and effort and potentially worsening conditions. Select a suitable method based on personal circumstances and illness severity, practicing it consistently.
To achieve deep mental stillness and easier focus during qigong, preparation is essential. First, choose a safe, quiet, well-ventilated place. Second, wear loose clothing and remove tight belts to allow unimpeded qi flow. Whether practicing lying, sitting, or standing forms, untie tight buttons and belts to ensure full muscle relaxation and smooth blood circulation. Third, stabilize emotions, dispel worries, and maintain a joyful mood. If troubled, wait until emotionally stable before practicing. Fourth, avoid intense physical or mental exertion before practice; rest for 20 minutes to calm the mind before beginning.
During qigong practice, especially in long-term static qigong, practitioners often experience sensations akin to sexual pleasure—half-asleep, dazed, whole body relaxed and comfortable. When this occurs, let it happen naturally—neither fear nor delight, neither pursuit nor avoidance. Fear disrupts practice; obsession leads to delusion and "spiritual deviation." Beginners may be affected by sexual activity, disrupting qi flow. Thus, beginners should moderately restrain sexual activity.