Sex, Health, and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice

Sex, Health, & Long Life Translated by Thomas Cleary

The benefits of sexual bliss were not lost on the ancients, who knew well its powers to enhance health, concentration, and peace of mind.

These ancient Chinese Taoist texts explain the transformative effects sex can have when properly and wisely practiced, demonstrating Taoism’s emphasis on cultivating life’s “three treasures”—vitality, energy, and spirit—in all the activities of daily life.

The texts are part of the famous Mawangdui finds, Han Dynasty tombs that yielded the richest cache of ancient medical manuscripts ever found in China. The first three texts, Ten Questions, Joining Yin and Yang, and Talk on Supreme Guidance for the World, deal with physical health and sex lore, including diet, exercise, sleep, and techniques of lovemaking. The last two, A Course in Effectiveness and A Course in Guidance, concentrate on the psychological factors of good health and well-being, especially the reduction of stress and cultivation of wholesome social relations.