“Let’s talk about sex, baby. Let’s talk about you and me…”
Other than this being a great quote from a Salt-N-Peppa song, that’s exactly what we are going to do.
Who doesn’t want great sex, am I right?
In light of Valentine’s Day being right around the corner, I thought it was a good time to talk about ways to spice up your sex life in time for this holiday.
No, I’m not talking about acrobatic positions with your partner. I’m talking about the balance of yin and yang.
Yin and Yang, in Chinese medicine, are the way of heaven and earth. These energies were separated and it is believed that they merge once again during intercourse.
When we conceive, Heaven and Earth create humanity (your baby.) I think this is just a beautiful way to think about creation and the energies behind it.
Yin and Yang are present in all of us – regardless of biology and how we identify. From a Chinese Medicine view, during intercourse the feminine Yin sexual energy and the masculine Yang sexual energy combine and nurture one another.
Yang excited energy makes for Yin blood fill sex organs. The entire process is a swirl of Yin and Yang processes for the excitement and lubrication to support the intimate dance.
When we don’t have enough Qi (life energy) to make one or both of these forces “go” we see personal dryness, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido and other signs of disharmony.
Our Kidneys (and when I say Kidneys I am referring to the TCM Kidneys which is more than just the organ, it is the energetic jobs it does as well) are the house of our reproductive functions and that includes our sex drive.
A diet rich in Kidney supporting foods as well as caring for semen and menses are important parts of that healthy sex and sexual drive equation.
When we eat in this way, it allows for Qi and blood to flow freely through the body.
To support your sex drive, as well as blood and Qi flow for great sex, foods that support the Kidneys and Essence (think: sperm and menses) are important.
Foods that are supportive to the Kidneys tend to be dark in color.
Some Kidney supportive foods are:
Black Sesame Seeds
Walnuts
Chestnuts
Blueberries
Black Beans
Seaweed
Kelp
Lamb
Beef
Goji Berries
Foods that support Essence tend to be salty and overlap quite a lot with what supports the Kidneys. Take your Kidney food list and add:
Miso
Kimchee
Algae
Eggs
Fish Roe
Nettles
Oats
Artichoke leaf
Organ meats
Oysters (particularly for men)
Being overly busy is one of the fastest ways to tax your Essence and Kidneys.
Pull in these foods regularly and find some compromise in the speed of your life and the balance will pay off in your love life.
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