|
According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 is a pandemic. As such, many of us are being encouraged to self-isolate, to socially distance ourselves, to refrain from physically connecting with others. Amongst the anxiety and uncertainty, an opportunity has presented itself. Many of us have a chance now to spend time with ourselves, to connect with our own body, to explore our pleasure. This is an invitation to you to expand your self-pleasuring by experimenting with seven elements; breath, sound, movement, touch, container, distractions and closing practice. Self-pleasuring, especially when fully engaging the above elements, can have a whole host of mental and physical health benefits, from reducing stress and blood pressure to increasing self-esteem and relieving pain. Breathing deeply and powerfully may actually boost your body's immune system (Kox et al., 2014; Asimakos et al., 2018). Movement may release endorphins (Dishman & O'Connor, 2009) and improve immune regulation (Nieman & Wentz, 2019). Touch can be a self-soothing activity that is linked to well-being and anti-stress effects (Unväs-Moberg et al., 2014). Being mindful of our container and distractions can also be beneficial. While we cannot definitively say that self-pleasuring boosts the immune system, a 2004 study published in the journal Neuroimmunomodulation did find that sexual arousal increased the absolute number of leukocytes (white blood cells) in a group of male participants, suggesting that chemicals related to the body’s immune system are impacted by sexual stimulation. 
0 Comments
When I speak to men about how they masturbate, I often notice a recurring theme regarding the way they touch themselves. Many men will masturbate with the mindset that they want to get something from their cock. They want an orgasm, they want an ejaculation, they want to climax and be finished. In a sense, they're taking pleasure from their cock. Treating their cock like it has a job to do, figuratively (and literally) beating it out of their cock. And, if it doesn't do it's job, if it doesn't give them what they want, men get frustrated and upset with their cock. But, what if, rather than taking something from your cock, you gave to it instead? . I will often tell men to change their mindset around masturbation, to think of it as giving pleasure to their cock, to their body, as opposed to taking pleasure from it. This way of self-pleasuring can allow for more awareness of sensations and can be quite nourishing. Instead of getting upset if your cock doesn't give you what you want, you're able to give to it and let it be filled up with pleasure. You allow it to receive from you. This is how you can love your cock.  Driven by biological urges and hormonal changes in the body, the Ejaculatory Cycle is often felt as frustration, tension or anxiety. This is what the cycle looks like; (1) Feel the build up of sexual tense, frustration or anxiety, (2) Look for an opportunity to release that tension and frustration by ejaculating, (3) Ejacuate, (4) Feel tension released and frustration subside, (5) Start all over again. Except for a brief explosion of pleasure, most of the time you feel anxious and frustrated about when you'll get to ejaculate again. The lives of most men are ruled by this cycle. Ejaculation triggers the release of dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, ensuring that ejacualtion is enjoyable. Immediately after an ejaculation, you enter the refractory period. Prolactin, the hormone which subdues sexual desire, has been secreted. Feelings of needing to ejaculate, of frustration, dissipate. The next day, dopamine and oxytocin begin to rapidly decline while prolactin gradually decreases. Testosterone is low and your tendency think about sex is diminished. You might feel sleepy, unfocused or even low in mood, also called an "ejaculation hangover." A few days later, as your levels of dopamine and oxytocin bottom out, and testosterone slowly starts to rise, your libido increases and your body craves another ejacualtion. Really, your body is craving another hit of dopamine and oxytocin, it wants to feel good. So, you become more interested in sex and fantasize more. In turn, you have more feelings of frustration and anxiety. Eventually, the need to ejaculate becomes so strong that you seek an outlet - masturbation or partnered sex - and the cycle begins again. Becoming aware of this cycle and how it influences your sexual behavior is important. Are you being sexual because you're wanting to explore pleasure and connection, or are you simply going through the motions of your Ejaculatory Cycle and seeking another hit of dopamine and oxytocin?  You may have seen the beautiful artwork [swipe to see] comparing vocal chords and the vulva (from @luisaalexandre), bringing light to the connection between these areas of the female body, noting the body's tendency to replicate and repeat (by @myorgasmiclife). I felt inspired to create my own version for male bodies. I'm no artist but managed to rustle up this rendition of the pituitary gland and testicles to highlight the link between brain and balls. They're similar in shape but also share an neuroendocrinological and energetic connection. Sperm production requires a complex interaction between two parts of the brain, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and the testes. The relationship is referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis), describing the direct and critical link between the brain and balls. Dysregulation of the HPG axis can lead to loss of cognitive function (Vadakkadath et al., 2005). It is important to maintain healthy interactions between the brain and balls. One way to do this is gently, rhythmically squeezing your testicles. The testicles actually contain three times as many unique proteins than the brain, according to The Human Protein Atlas. Our biological processes are carried out by proteins, which give each organ its function. To support this, you can shake and chant, vibrating both your actual balls and the little balls in your brain. Energetically, the pituitary gland is sometimes associated with Ajna Chakra, the third eye, and the gonads with Muladhara, the root Chakra. These are the two poles of energy in our body. Muladhara represents everything in its potential state, all that we could realize, express and become. Kundalini is said to lie dormant here. Ajna is the chakra of the mind, the chakra by which we are aware. It is fundamental for awakening consciousness. The infinite energy is at Muladhara, but we become aware of it through Ajna. All energetic centres are important, but Ajna and Muladhara, the brain and the balls, are the two easiest ones to concentrate on in order to bring about the greatest awakening of energy and release the maximum possibilities and creativity in life.  |
Cam FraserThis blog aims to discuss all things masculinity, sexuality, male bodies and men's experience of pleasure. Archives
June 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed
SESSIONS |
BUSINESS |
|
