We here at Sex with Dr. Jess recently became acquainted with Mary Anne Marlow, author of Pursue to Paradise.  Mary has devoted many years of her life to learning Tantric methods of sacred union. Naturally, we wanted Mary Anne's help to introduce you, the readers, to the Lifestyle of Tantra. Here is what she had to share with us:

How did you first come to know the "Lifestyle of Tantra"?

It was well over 10 years ago, while living in the arms of paradise in Costa Rica, where I was introduced to the “Lifestyle of Tantra”. A couple that I regularly provided Aromatherapy massage to owned a B & B Tantra Retreat and together, they were disciplined in the sacred practices of the Eastern Tantra/Tao Philosophies.  One aspect of that lifestyle was exercising healthy intimate meditations of sexual energy.  Following this; I took it upon myself to fine-tune techniques learned through the writings of Mantak Chia & other various masters.

What is the...

Often times, clients come to me (particularly moms) without any ability to connect with their lower abdominals. When an area of our body feels dormant or hard to connect with, this can sometimes mean that that corresponding chakra needs some energy brought into the area. The sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality and is located right around the lower abs. Visit this site to read more.

Any exercise that helps stimulate the lower abs can be a great way to bring your sexuality back to life and bring new energy into the area, clearing out stagnation.

There are some go to exercises I love for getting these muscle fibres more alive.

To get your started, I'm going to suggest the towel squeeze tail bone lift exercise. Many people who haven't been able to fire these lower tummy muscle fibres find this fool proof! I've had people swear they haven't been able to feel this area work in any exercises or with lots of coaching in the past and finally feel their lower tummies alive again.

...

When Tennessee passed their new Gateway Sexual Activity law, I laughed out loud. Surely, this was a joke, right? The Onion had somehow gotten control of…. NO? They were serious! It is written right into their laws that hand-holding has to be taught as a “gateway sexual activity” in sex ed classes in public schools. Hand holding is now pre-sex, and banned in schools. Which is going to be regrettable when people start posting photos of all those GOP politicians holding their children’s hands. Or when all those sweet pre-schoolers with hands holding that big long rope get classified as pre-BDSM.

What the hell is a Gateway Sexual Activity? Something that will eventually lead to sex, maybe? Like adolescence? Eyesight? Birth?

Here’s the thing about sex: Everything about us is sexual. Our sexuality isn’t this little thing that is neatly partitioned in one little aspect of our beings that can be brought out just now and then like a holiday elf that you...

I made my students repeat aloud “Sex is a skill,” as I was beginning the sexuality module in my college courses last week, their collective voices paired with open and uncomfortable grins.

via GIPHY

I am always amazed at how many people do not realize that yes, SEX REQUIRES SKILL! It does not come naturally. Nothing does, except maybe breathing. When we come into this world, we don’t know how to do anything—not even eat. That’s why there are so many breast-feeding consultants. Babies need to learn how to take their mothers’ breast into their mouths and suckle, and new moms need to learn how to teach them!
When we are born, we don’t know how to drive a car, play Frisbee or soccer, cook a turkey, or dress ourselves with style. All of these things must be learned. And so must sex.

Yet we have all these romantic notions that somehow sex is just natural, it “just happens” and, it’s perfect with “the one” you love,...