Sex in Ayurveda

There has always been a dichotomy about sex. Whether you accept sex as a physiological need or prefer abstinence, it is an integral part of life. Both for continuity of human race and inter-individual bond, it is necessary.
Ayurveda is the art of moment to moment living. It teaches us to be aware and make constant adjustment to be optimally healthy. Being art and science of living, Ayurveda has a great deal to say about sex. The Ayurveda proponents used the terms Ritucharya and Brahmacharya to provide the guidelines regarding sex.

Ritucharya:
Simply it means “the right schedule”. In Sanskrit, the language of Ayurveda ‘Ritu’ means season and ‘charya’ means activity.. Obviously, ritucharya is all we do in a particular season to maintain the balance of doshas or to stay healthy. The seasonal changes are a result of the change in composition (temperature, humidity, air flow, sunlight etc) of environment. The composition of our body and anything around us is similar; ‘panchamabhuta’ (five great elements) constitute the universe. So any change in composition of our environment will make the disturbance in the equilibrium of doshas via the panchamahabhutas. To be in tune with the changes outside, we have to make constant insight of our doshas and try to keep them in balance by appropriate modification in our aahar (diet), vihar (mode of conduct including sex) etc. Ayurveda prescribes a general guideline called Ritucharya to maintain the balance of doshas.

Concerning sex, Ayurveda has mentioned the frequency and mode of sex in every season. IN autumn and summer, it is good for teenage with teenage; winter for young with young; autumn and spring for adult with adult. In autumn and winter, one can have sex as desired provided the health is normal and have enough energy and stamina. But in spring it is good to have sex on every third day. In rainy and summer season it is good to have sex on every second week. Regarding the appropriate time for indulging in sex, night is good time in winter; day in summer; day or night in spring; during thunderstorm and lightning in rainy season; and as desired in autumn.
Early morning, evening time, dark moonless night, midnight and mid-day is not a proper time to be involved in sex. Any place where there are respected elderly people, open space, filthy place and noisy place, it is not a proper place for sex.

Brahmacharya:
It simply means ‘the right way’. The word brahmacharya has been quite misunderstood as abstinence from sex. On the opposite, Ayurveda has described brahmacharya as the appropriate way of having sex and maintaining health. Appropriate way means to follow the ritucharya and to abide by the rule or law.
For best results or for eternal bliss, both the partners should be physically, mentally and spiritually involved with the other. Touch, smell, food, music and ambience play a vital role in developing, increasing and prolonging intimacy. The tantric religion, a religion of the body, respects sex as a sacred act, which can if properly performed become an act of worship. A man honors his partner as the embodiment of the goddess of wealth and prosperity. When he offers his libation of seed into her, he worships the fire. She embodies and from this sacrifice prosperity manifests through her. This is an internal sacrificial rite.
Orgasm, a sudden discharge of tremendous nervous energy, can disturb vata, so excessive indulgence in sex will vitiate vata dosha and result in diseased body and mind. Also the naturally born sexual desire should not be suppressed. The suppression may cause various diseases of urogenital system, fat born diseases, insanity, mental disease, weakness, social inactivity, sperm stone etc.

The right partner:
Your partner should be fully cooperating, interested and involved physically, mentally and spiritually.
Sex with teenage increases energy and stamina But sex with young decreases energy and stamina. Even old person becomes more energetic and strong with teenage partner. Impatient, voracious eater, hungry, thirsty, tired person with urinary and digestive problems should not be involved in sex. Anyone having sex during menstruation suffers from eye diseases, low life span. It is also regarded as a sin. Sex with holy lady, blood relatives, and old lady considered sinful. Sex with old lady, makes one lose his strength and stamina or even become handicapped in future. And in pregnant, it may disturb the fetus. Sex with dirty, angry, weak lady may weaken the vigor. Early morning and late night sex can cause nerve defect as vata is at the peak during this time. Unnatural sex also results in a whole of diseases.

Sex primarily for procreation:
Consciusness exists in both egg and sperm. How a child is conceived makes an immense difference to its development in the womb and its birth experiences and colors its whole life birth. It is trapped in a fixed constitutional pattern that determines its prakriti during the conception. A child conceived in fear and hurry will certain carry the fear and hurry it its genes. A child conceived during a blissful sexual experience unconsciously remembers some of that bliss throughout his/her life. According to Sushruta the ideal setting for conceiving a child and providing feast for each sense organ is a full-moon right in a bower of flowers, soft silk garments, sweet intoxicating perfumes, light and nourishing food, sweet music. When each sense has been fully fed, the satisfaction permeates the unconsciousness of the male’s shukra (sperm) and the female’s sonita (ovum).
So Ayurveda, provides much emphasis on sex for procreation and then only for pleasure.

Vajikaran (virilifier):
‘Vaji’ means horse and karan means sex. Vajikaran is a method by which an individual can gain enough vogour to have sex like that of horse, which is quite passionate and persisting.
According to Charak, the best agent of virilification is an exhilarating sex partner. Ayurveda has a whole lot of herbs, minerals and other preparation that enhance the quality and quantity of sperm and body fluid.
Ayurveda teaches that a healthy, emotionally satisfying sex life is a critical factor in human life.