What Is Sexual Transmutation? How To Transmute Sexual Energy
Many believe sexual energy is akin to creative energy, and that it can be harnessed—and transformed—to help us in other areas of our life, such as fitness or art. Just as sex can physically bring about new life, channeling that energy can bring you "new life" in a spiritual and energetic sense. This transformation is called sexual transmutation, and it may be just what you need for your next big project. Here's what it's all about, plus how to try it yourself.
What is sexual transmutation?
First, it's important to understand what "transmutation" actually means. "Transmutation is the conversion of one element into another, so it's changing one state into a different state," Alexandra Roxo, spiritual teacher and author of F*ck Like a Goddess, explains to mbg.
Sexual transmutation is taking the sexual energy that's building inside you and channeling it into something else. "You'll let that physical energy build up," clairvoyant intuitive Catharine Allan notes, "and you purposely don't release it in that sexual way." You could, of course, channel it directly into physical sex, as so many do, but if you need a little extra oomph of creative energy or physical might, holding off on the sex and using that energy elsewhere is the idea of sexual transmutation.
Allan notes that it isn't unlike tantric sex, which is also all about sexual energy and sacred sexuality. Edging, for example, is a popular practice for men in tantra—and that's actually one way of transmuting your sexual energy. And just like in tantra, sexual transmutation doesn't always have to involve a partner (see tantric masturbation).
Ultimately, sexual transmutation is about "keeping the power of that energy that's building and rising and wants to release and going for a run or painting, etc., to apply that," Allan says.
How to transmute sexual energy:
Get in tune with yourself.
"When we consider transmuting our sexual energy, we're really asking ourselves into quite an advanced practice," Roxo adds, because sexual energy exists on so many levels—physical, mental, emotional, and even astral. "We're working with many different bodies," she explains, from the physical to the emotional, and so on.
Allan and Roxo both note that sexual transmutation requires a great deal of awareness, particularly of your own sexual energy. "You have to physically be aware of that build of energy," Allan explains, "and instead of right away going to the release of it (orgasming), you take it and maybe you clean the house, for example."
Roxo adds if you haven't meditated for very long or aren't involved in other spiritual practices and rituals, you might find difficulty trying to transmute your sexual energy. "You need to have a certain level of awareness to be able to differentiate between these different states occurring in your body, and in your emotional and spiritual body," she says. "You want a basic knowledge of how to work with your breath and a basic cultivation of awareness training, so you can stay present with what's happening."
Use breath, sound, and movement.
When Roxo practices sexual transmutation, she works through the heart center by directing the sexual energy through the body, then her heart space, and out. Though she notes you could also do this with the crown chakra or any chakra you want to work with, really. The following is her three-step process for doing so:
- Breathe. "Any time you want to change energy in your body, the basic element that's always going to be your ally is breath," Roxo says. Drop into your breath and start breathing deep, big belly breaths.
- Sound out loud. "As you're breathing, pull the breath up the spine through the heart and sound out 'HA,'" she explains. As breath travels up through the spine, she recommends the sound HA because it's an ancient seed syllable that causes a vibration in your body that resonates with the heart. You could also choose a different mantra or syllable, depending on how you want to channel the energy. If you're working with the crown chakra, for example, you would sound out "AUM" as you pulled the breath up through the crown of the head.
- Movement. From there, then you can incorporate some gentle movement. "What you want to do with the breath and sound and gentle movement is to open around it," Roxo explains. "You're softening into it so it can flow, and then you're redirecting it." Try any movement that feels good, like yoga or even a walk. You're allowing the body to physically transmute and channel that energy.
Channel that energy to another endeavor.
When you feel you've harnessed your sexual energy and you're ready to channel it, dive immediately into the area of your life you want to focus that energy on.
For example, art is one avenue to go down. Maybe for you this looks like painting, making music, or writing a poem. If dance is an art form to you, perhaps you dance. "You can create with that energy because sexual energy is creative energy," Roxo notes.
And for anyone looking to make fitness gains, yes, you can channel your sexual energy into something more athletic or physical. This is a more masculine approach, Roxo adds, but can be great for the physical body. Anything from a cold plunge to a workout to breathwork like Wim Hof's technique would allow you to move that energy.
As Allan adds, if you tend to spill the energy and want to have a release, you can ask yourself, Where does that creativity want to pour into my life?
Make sure you're tending to your sexuality, too.
Sexual transmutation can be incredibly powerful when done right, but Roxo does note that we live in a sexually wounded culture, and trauma ought to be addressed first. "Before attempting to go into any advanced practices around your sexual energy, I would recommend healing practices. If you haven't actually dug into any healing work, then going into the advanced states could actually be triggering."
There's no limit to the things we can channel sexual energy into, and sexual transmutation offers us the ability to harness that powerful, creative energy for anything we're looking to accomplish.
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, a registered yoga instructor, and an avid astrologer and tarot reader. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from State University of New York at Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.