Yes, although I had been practising Hatha Yoga for many years, it wasn’t until my 40s that I truly became serious about it. So yes, you will come a long way!
Thank you so much for explaining this. Can you tell us a bit more of what the ojas are? Where they come from? And how they can help us advance our spiritual practice? 🙏
Ojas constitutes one of the essential tissues of the human body. Science identifies four primary types: connective, nervous, muscle, and epithelial. While there remains limited knowledge about Ojas, it emerges as a by-product of a process known as feedback inhibition. In this process, the pituitary gland detects a consistent baseline level of sexual hormone and stops producing it. Thereby, resulting in a spontaneous lack of urge to release it. When retained for a period of time, this tissue undergoes a transformation into subtle vibrations and sounds, known as "nada." I utilise this technique to achieve kevala kumbhaka and samadhi. Vajroli Mudra is a Hatha Yoga technique aimed at enhancing and preserving Ojas, but its discussion is somewhat sensitive and intricate (both on and off the mat). It would probably require a long series just to touch its the basics.
Similar to a sponge, nadis absorb Ojas. Consequently, if the nadis are blocked (or while in the purification stage), the energy will find an outlet elsewhere. Wet dreams are one such outlets, which I consider to be quite common, especially during the purification of the nadis. In my view, this phenomenon is still healthy. Dreams are our subconscious support mechanisms and through time, one can actually remain 'awake' while dreaming, thus witnessing the subtle body arise. On the other hand, attempting to suppress the sexual urge can actually be counterproductive, potentially leading to hormonal, mental, and psychological imbalances.
@SukhaYogaSchool I appreciate this is a vast topic with many grey areas. From your own experience did you have some negative experiences in your time suppressing the sexual urge? I guess my motivation for retaining comes from past experience. In my 20s, I went for long amounts of time without sex or masturbation. My experience is it was like a double edge sword, I did have many difficulties, but I benefited greatly also, especially when abstaining while living in nature. Back then I developed what I would call strong powers of intuition. Then shortly after I got into a bad relationship where I spent 6 years wasting sexual energy. Back I not only lost such abilities as intuition but aged quickly, lost hair and my overall level of energy. Since I moved on from that relationship it has become my motivation to get back to that spiritual level I once had but despite practicing hatha yoga and moderately retaining sexual energy over the last several years progress has felt slow. I guess I strongly desire to have those powers of intuition back as they were very helpful in my life. Like I knew things without knowing the reason why. Like who to trust and who not to and what to do. But these days I don't know who to trust and have difficulties making decisions.
Can Ojas be cultivated and transmuted at any age? Can I start practicing Vajroli Mudra after 35?
Yes, although I had been practising Hatha Yoga for many years, it wasn’t until my 40s that I truly became serious about it. So yes, you will come a long way!
Thank you so much for explaining this. Can you tell us a bit more of what the ojas are?
Where they come from? And how they can help us advance our spiritual practice? 🙏
Ojas constitutes one of the essential tissues of the human body. Science identifies four primary types: connective, nervous, muscle, and epithelial. While there remains limited knowledge about Ojas, it emerges as a by-product of a process known as feedback inhibition.
In this process, the pituitary gland detects a consistent baseline level of sexual hormone and stops producing it. Thereby, resulting in a spontaneous lack of urge to release it. When retained for a period of time, this tissue undergoes a transformation into subtle vibrations and sounds, known as "nada." I utilise this technique to achieve kevala kumbhaka and samadhi.
Vajroli Mudra is a Hatha Yoga technique aimed at enhancing and preserving Ojas, but its discussion is somewhat sensitive and intricate (both on and off the mat). It would probably require a long series just to touch its the basics.
So what happens if one retains without the nadis being open? Does the practitioner miss out on the transformation (nada)?
Similar to a sponge, nadis absorb Ojas. Consequently, if the nadis are blocked (or while in the purification stage), the energy will find an outlet elsewhere. Wet dreams are one such outlets, which I consider to be quite common, especially during the purification of the nadis. In my view, this phenomenon is still healthy.
Dreams are our subconscious support mechanisms and through time, one can actually remain 'awake' while dreaming, thus witnessing the subtle body arise. On the other hand, attempting to suppress the sexual urge can actually be counterproductive, potentially leading to hormonal, mental, and psychological imbalances.
@SukhaYogaSchool I appreciate this is a vast topic with many grey areas. From your own experience did you have some negative experiences in your time suppressing the sexual urge? I guess my motivation for retaining comes from past experience. In my 20s, I went for long amounts of time without sex or masturbation. My experience is it was like a double edge sword, I did have many difficulties, but I benefited greatly also, especially when abstaining while living in nature. Back then I developed what I would call strong powers of intuition. Then shortly after I got into a bad relationship where I
spent 6 years wasting sexual energy. Back I not only lost such abilities as intuition but aged quickly, lost hair and my overall level of energy. Since I moved on from that relationship it has become my motivation to get back to that spiritual level I once had but despite practicing hatha yoga and moderately retaining sexual energy over the last several years progress has felt slow. I guess I strongly desire to have those powers of intuition back as they were very helpful in my life. Like I knew things without knowing the reason why. Like who to trust and who not to and what to do. But these days I don't know who to trust and have difficulties making decisions.