I have received, and continue to receive, many letters raising directly or indirectly practitioners' desire to free themselves from sexual dependency. They ask how to find peace from sexual fantasies and thoughts that agitate consciousness and cloud judgement, and from uncontrollable desires for sexual relationships. These sometimes interfere not only with spiritual life but drive people to reckless actions, occasionally criminal ones, quite apart from violating moral and human standards. Such actions leave a deep, painful mark in memory, accompanied by lasting guilt and remorse. The person understands their complete pointlessness yet feels unable to resist the overwhelming power of the flesh and subconscious.

I particularly want to emphasise that this practice is intended only to assist your Path towards Perfection. It does not replace the main Path: developing the higher spirituality through which purity of consciousness is attained. Nor does it replace the purity of deeply spiritual relationships founded on true Love. It merely offers some freedom for more independent spiritual practice, without spending time and energy on sexual “games” and senseless distortions that rob a person of their humanity.
While continuing to emphasise meditation as the sole means of complete freedom from sexual involvement, I offer an alternative approach to a problem that matters deeply to many people.

Description of the Practice

First, do not set yourself impossible goals. Your mind will remain in panic and cannot withstand prolonged tension. Under such conditions, you may not maintain abstinence even for two weeks. If you have been having sex two or three times a week, do not aim immediately for a year or two without it. Choose a period of one to three months, which you can extend later.
Before beginning, it is very important to have sexual relations until you feel completely satisfied: until a mild, or preferably even strong, aversion to the process appears. Many of you know this feeling: sex can seem as repellent after satisfaction as it seemed attractive during arousal. Experience this moment clearly — if not aversion, then at least indifference to sex — and remember it well.
Also stop consuming pepper of any kind, raw garlic and onions, and alcoholic drinks. Avoid overeating, particularly sweets. Eat moderately, preferably retaining a slight, pleasant and invigorating sense of hunger.

All the exercises below are equally suitable for men and women.

The physical and emotional preparations are complete, and the first morning of your abstinence has arrived.
If you followed the instructions above, you will wake as a saint does, without sexual thoughts or a desire for sex.
Appreciate this freedom. Feel the joy of finally offering your consciousness to other realms of Being and currents of Reality, and how freely it rests in this liberty.

Continue your ordinary life, avoiding nervous tension and fiddly, mentally exhausting work where possible. Do not quarrel or try to prove things to others. Accept things as they are and live easily, without strain. Where possible, reduce stimuli to sexual activity, such as intimate scenes in films or suggestive advertising. Do not be afraid if you encounter them; simply try to reduce their presence in your life.

Eventually, whether on the first or third day, sexual desire will knock at your consciousness again, puzzled by the change and treating it as a little eccentricity on your part, yet remaining insistent and commanding. Then begin using the exercises below.

Main Exercises

Releasing Negative Energy

This practice is effective not only for freedom from lust. It can also release negative, unhealthy or stagnant energy accumulated through psychological tension, overeating and clogged energy channels. The desire to rid oneself of this energy, cleanse oneself and release tension through sexual satisfaction often stimulates lust in the first place.
In other words, this practice is useful both for people with illnesses and for those prone to lust.

The practice is very simple:

While urinating, imagine and feel all negative energy — in this case heightened sexual desire or lust — leaving you with the urine. I am sure that after the first attempt you will understand what to do, because you will distinctly feel negative energy departing with the urine.
Use this exercise whenever even a hint of sexual desire appears, and also simply to release negative energy.

Let me describe it again:

1. At any time, as often during the day as you wish, when you feel the need to urinate, go to the usual place and do so. Add a little concentration on all negative energy, including lust, leaving your body with the urine.
2. This may involve somewhat greater relaxation of the urinary organs than usual. In general, however, you will easily feel the body guiding and participating in the release. Once you have actually experienced it, the practice becomes easier still.

Closing the Perineal Area

1. You can do this exercise at any time: reading, watching television, using a computer or even sitting at a meal.
   Simply place either heel against the perineum, applying slight pressure to the area with the heel and part of the foot.
2. Hold this position for 20–30 minutes a day, dividing it into shorter periods whenever convenient if you wish.

Ideally, perform it as follows:

1. Place the right heel, or the left if you prefer, against the perineum, pressing against it and sitting on it. Rest the other leg's shin on the opposite thigh, as in half lotus.
2. If practising on the floor, place something soft under your buttocks. You can also sit on a sofa, in an armchair or on a bed, leaning slightly against a pillow behind you.
3. You may interlace your fingers with the thumb tips touching above, resting the hands on the left shin. Keep your back as straight as possible.
4. At some point you may feel energy rising along the spine. Notice it without obstructing it. You can strengthen and assist this upward flow by visualising energy moving up the spine.

Thinking of the Divine as You Fall Asleep

1. It is very important to think of the Divine before sleep. Do so in the way most natural and meaningful to you. This might be a familiar prayer to God, the Supreme or a saint, according to your faith, an informal dialogue with the Divine, or meditation upon it.
2. What matters is that your thoughts turn towards the Divine as you fall asleep. Feel something refreshing and peaceful gently touching your consciousness, and how much calmer your sleep becomes.

Cleansing Breath

1. Light a candle and place it one or two metres in front of you, farther away if your lungs are stronger. Light a second candle and place it about the same distance behind you. They may stand on the floor or on supports such as chairs or bedside tables.
2. Breathe in a comfortable amount of air. As you inhale, imagine drawing in the energy of the flame behind you together with the air, picturing that flame.
3. Pause briefly, imagining the fire's energy spreading evenly throughout your body.
4. Then exhale sharply towards the candle in front of you, as though blowing it out. Naturally, the flame will usually only flicker, which is fine. Extinguishing it is not the aim; the aim is to breathe out as though you were doing so.
5. Repeat a comfortable number of times.
6. Ensure nothing is dangerously close to the flames, and perform the exercise pleasantly, without dizziness.

Ajna and Sahasrara

1. From time to time during the day, concentrate simultaneously on two chakras: ajna, between the eyebrows, and sahasrara, at the crown.
2. The concentration must be on both chakras at once.
3. You can do this at any time, even while travelling to or from work on a bus or the underground.

Additional Exercises

These can help considerably. Some may initially seem unrelated to the subject, but all are directly relevant. Do them too if you have time.

Physical Exercise

• Exercise every day. This should involve muscular work, rather than simply swinging the arms and legs. For example, three sets of thirty squats, three sets of twenty press-ups and fifty abdominal repetitions are quite sufficient. Alternatives include running, aerobics, exercise machines or dumbbells.

Enough Water

• Drink at least two litres of clean water in winter and three to four litres in summer.

Chanting the Mantra OM

• Chant OM. It is simple: create a pleasant low vibration, O-O-O-O-O-O-M-M-M-M-M, and try to spread it throughout your body, feeling it everywhere. As you chant, think of the space around you extending infinitely in every direction.

Brain Massage

If possible, practise brain massage.

Alpha Rhythms

• If possible, listen to an audio meditation that brings the brain into alpha rhythms.

Notes

It is very important to complete the period of abstinence you have chosen, especially the first time. This is one reason not to plan a long period initially. Through this small step into the Unknown, your mind and consciousness need to feel that there is ground There too. It is still hidden by darkness, but it exists and beckons its Explorer — you.

© Author: Sergey Veretennikov (Om Shanti)
(Practice given on 22 January 2007.)