The Herbalist - theherbalist.com.au - Dipaunka Macrides

Mens Health - Sexuality Explored

When thinking about Men's Health I always think of that great skit in Monty Pythons, The Holy Grail – In which a knight has a limb cut off and is bleeding everywhere , and shouts out to the opposing knight “ It’s only a scratch , come back and fight “ etc as further dismemberment takes place . 95 % of my clients are women ranging from small children - women in their 70’s. 99 % of my students in Colleges where I teach are Female. I literally have 1- 2 males in each of the 3 classes I teach at present. That is 3 men out of 76 students. Something wrong with this picture ??

Men have been unfortunately programmed from time immemorial, to keep going no matter what, there is no stopping to tend to wounds on the battlefield. You must keep going till they are dead or you are dead. They have not been programmed take care of their health, especially when they leave the care of their Mothers. The good old Aussie adage, “ She’ll be right Mate “ springs to mind . This is changing to a degree and there seems to be more awareness and focus on Health for men, however there are certain areas of men’s health that should be addressed and looked at. I think Prevention is better than cure so taking Herbs and Supplements so that one doesn’t end up with disease states or dysfunctional systems is prudent.

I will not focus on the common ever day complaints here like headache’s, eczema etc but on The male reproductive system . Men don’t seem to want to speak of what is ailing them too much especially when it comes to Sexual dysfunction. No man wants to admit that his Libido is waning, or he “ cant get it up “ . Prostate Cancer is common in older men,but this I think is because of a generational conditioning where Sexual Issues were not spoken of and Intimacy was not high on the priority list. The mind Body Connection cannot be dismissed here and I see a definite link between ailments and dis- ease of the Male Reproductive system and the lack of discourse between men regarding these topics. There is also I feel a lack of discourse between men and their partners regarding sensuality and sexuality. I am sure there may be a lot of talk about sex, positions, toys etc however deep intimacy may not be the topic foremost in discussion.

There is a lot of Performance pressure , though again this is slowly changing but focus on” giving your partner “ an orgasm or being Mr. Super stud/Porn Star in the bedroom is a lot of pressure which can subtly affect the Human Machine . Stress also has a high impact which can severely hinder erectile function, libido as well as general over all health. Poor general health from bad diet, too much coffee, booze, cigarettes, preservatives, toxins from shampoos, soaps, recreational drugs , etc, etc.

Ejaculation control is not widely practised here in the west, though more awareness of it is happening. However in Tantric and Taoist practices it is very important. Preserving the Essence / Jing by not ejaculating helps strengthen the body and improve health. Most men are probably groaning at this point , saying” What do you mean I shouldn’t cum “ . It reminds me of the old Joke – “ Q- Why do Aussie men cum so quickly “ A “ So they can race off to the pub and tell all their Mates “ I am not knocking the Aussie male here guys , just pointing out that there are certain areas where other cultures are ahead of us and I am not talking about cricket or football .

I say don’t knock it till you try it. What happens with practice is, you can make love for longer, you feel better and you also become Multi Orgasmic which is a bonus. Then everyone is happy. So it becomes about choice and when you do choose to ejaculate, then you may be very pleasantly surprised. You also strengthen you bladder and eliminate the possibility of Prostate cancer. Another practice that is helpful is urine control . This involves using the PC muscles and the bladder to stop and start the flow of urine whilst peeing. This strengthens the bladder and means that you can control your ejaculation and not cum if you don’t wish too.

In TCM ( Traditional Chinese Medicine ) and Taoist practices conserving the Jing is considered very important. Jing is Life Force .

{ Jing is not as easily generated as other bodily fluids, it must be preserved. In fact, according to TCM, Jing conservation is intricately related to longevity and the anti-aging process.The Taoist practice of sexual conservation known as Liu Fang Ching is considered to nurture the spirit, and the act of sexual conservation has been credited with contributing to extraordinary feats of strength as well as enhanced over-all mental clarity. }

Another important factor in TCM is strong Kidney Yang Essence or Energy . More on this later.

{Tantra is a Sanskrit word derived from the root tan, "to expand".The Tantric path teaches us to embrace and unify the ordinary, the erotic, and the sacred dimensions of life, which all have their roots in Spirit. The beauty and wisdom of Tantra is that it embraces sexuality as a doorway to the "ecstatic mind of great bliss". Truly, at the peak of orgasm, we pierce through the illusion of fragmentation and separation, and glimpse the unity and interconnectedness of all beings. And through the other -- our partner -- we fall in love with life . }

So including these practices in our daily lives will not only aid our general over all wellbeing but enhance our lovemaking and prevent unwanted dis-ease states .I will now Look at the different dis-ease states (Listed first ) and appropriate Herbal remedies for them ( Listed Below )

Low Libido : As I stated before this can be due to a myriad of factors, poor diet, too much stress, which affects the Adrenal glands which in turn affects the Kidneys. Lack of desire for your current partner, lack of energy, low Kidney Yang essence. - Herbs any of the Aphrodisiacs, Kidney Yang or Adaptogens .

Erectile Dysfunction : Again, stress, too much coffee which affects the Kidneys, taking street / recreational drugs like speed, Ecstasy, Cocaine again which affect the Kidneys and Adrenals . Performance anxiety, tiredness, lack of energy which can be due to poor diet, low zinc levels. Herbs - Circulatory tonics, Kidney Yang tonics, aphrodisiacs.

Enlarged Prostate : This can occur in later life for men but I believe it is not a given and with Herbal Remedies taken in Advance ,plus Tantric or Taoist Sexual Practices Ie: Prevention vs Cure , men can avoid this embarrassing and annoying complaint. I believe it is partially due to reckless waste of our Jing in our Youth, sort of like overdrawing your account at the Life Essence Bank if you will. Sunflower seeds and pepitas are rich in zinc which will help . Also the following Herbs - Horsetail: Equisetum arvense , Saw Palmetto : Serenoa repens / Sabal serrulata , Scruffy Pea : Psoralea corylifolia, Small Willow Herb : Epilobium parviflorum , Xian Mao : Curculigo orchioides .

Aphrodisiac Herbs:

Damiana - Tunera diffusa / aphrodisica - This herb was thought to contain Testosterone. It is a nerve tonic and very useful in relaxing one and reducing the effects of stress. It is also an antidepressant, reputed aphrodisiac, helps with premature ejaculation and prostate problems. Other benefits include it being a mild laxative as good bowel function is important for good health. It is also mildly stimulating which can enhance the mood of love making. It helps rejuvenate kidney energy and in TCM low Kidney Yang energy can also be responsible for low Libido, poor erection and premature ejaculation.

Horny Goat Weed: Epimedium sagittatum -This is a Male tonic much revered by the Chinese and one which was very popular a while back-The new kid on the block, the next best thing. It is also a Kidney Yang tonic and an aphrodisiac . It helps to treat impotence, spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation. The old Chinese herbalists used this in male tonic formulae.

Kola Vera : Cola nitida - Another aphrodisiac which also gives you a bit of a boost. It was one of the Original ingredients in Coka Cola, in fact it was the Kola part. Antidepressant.

Morinda: Morinda Officinalis - Aphrodisiac, anti impotence, balances hormones, tonifies kidney yang, premature ejaculation, profuse urination, increases sexual strength, considered to be one of the best Yang / Jing tonics .

Mucuna : Mucuna puriens - It is an Aphrodisiac , increases testosterone , a nervine and is useful for erectile dysfunction and impotency .

Muira Puama : Ptychopetalum olacoides - aka - Potency Wood . It is an Aphrodisiac, nerve tonic , increases libido , promotes sexual function , antidepressant , adaptogen, hypotensive and is specific for erectile dysfunction and increasing libido .

Scruffy Pea : Psoralea corylifolia - Aphrodisiac , vasodilator , Kidney Yang tonic , this herb is used for impotence, treating seminal emissions and enuresis.



Yohimbe : Pausinystalia yohimbe - Aphrodisiac , stimulant , unfortunately in Australia it is a scheduled Herb . Yohimbine which is an active alkaloid in Yohimbe, has been found to relax and dilate blood vessels in the penis, resulting in increased blood flow and erection but mainly in case where the dysfunction is not a physical based one . It may also stimulate areas in the brain involved in sexual desire.

Adaptogenic Herbs and Tonics :

Sarsparilla : Smilax officinalis - increases Testosterone

Siberian Ginseng : Eleutherococcus senticous -Adaptogen , stimulant, Tonic

Withania Root : Withania somnifera - According to Ayurvedic sources Ashwagandha /Withania gives the strength of a horse . It is an Adaptogen, aphrodisiac and tonic.

Xian Mao : Curculigo orchiodes - Reproductive restorant .

Kidney Yang Tonics :

Cnidium : Cnidium monnieri - strengthen yang – treats impotence, infertility, it is an aphrodisiac .

Dodder : Cuscuta japonica -Kidney Yang tonic , anti impotence

Eucommia : Eucommia ulmoides - Kidney Yang tonic, anti impotence, aphrodisiac, urogenital astringent vasodilator ,helps reduce lumbago, strengthens sinews, bones, cartilage .

Foxnut : Euryale ferox - Kidney Yang tonic, anti impotence.

Gokshura : Tribulus terrestris - Kidney tonic , increases testosterone , anti impotence , used in body building formulas to strengthen muscle growth .

Rou Cong Rong : Cistanche salsa - Impotence, premature ejaculation, frequency of urination , Kidney Yang tonic , treats infertility .

Circulatory Tonics :

Gingko : Gingko biloba - Increases circulation , this helps increase blood flow which is necessary for erectile function .

Hawthorn: Crataegus oxyca ntha - Vasodilator, heart tonic, h ypotensive and also this helps increase blood flow which is necessary for erectile function.

Nerve Tonics :

Oats : Avena sativa - Nerve & energy tonic , antidepressant .

Damiana : Tunera diffusa / aphrodisiac- Nerve tonic

Morinda : Morinda officinalis - Nervine , strengthens the nervous system

Quotes are from the Following Web References :

http://www.seaofchi.com/ttp.html

http://www.caldwellclinic.com/glossary.htm



http://www.innerself.com/Sex_Talk/tantric_keys.htm

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