Customer Reviews

Sexual Secrets: Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Alchemy of Ecstasy

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I often laugh at all those articles in men's and women's fad magazines that promise to reveal new "sexual secrets". You know which ones I mean . . . "Become an Animal in Bed"; "9 Ways to Turn Him On"; "Keep Her Motor Humming"; "Sex Secrets Your Neighbors Won't Tell You"; "11 Erotic Uses for a Chicken Baster" . . . stuff like that. The list goes on and on, ad nauseum. Geared towards couples who have their obligatory sex two times a week for 30 minutes and need new, neat little sound-bite ideas to keep things from getting boring. All heavy on fancy shtick and paint-by-number techniques, light on any real depth or substance.

And so . . . I write this review to promise readers that, despite the poor choice of main title, this exceptional tome is not like that at all. "Secrets" here refers to holistic, ancient wisdom that celebrates the beauty and power of the sexual energy within all of us; sexual energy that permeates all of life. Thus the subtitle, "The Alchemy of Ecstacy", more accurately hits upon the truth. The word 'tantra' means 'interwoven'. The two authors have compiled a veritable bible of ancient tantric wisdom illuminating the interconnectedness of all things - an interconnectedness that has its most wonderful, powerful, and delicious expression in the sexual union between two people.

Think of this book as an encyclopedia of sacred sexuality, albeit one not in alphabetical order . . . and not sold by traveling, door-to-door salesmen, thank goodness. It is a guide to everyday living, but not from a dogmatic perspective. It is a grand expose of everything sexual. The authors provide explanations of yoga poses, stretching techniques, and breathing exercises (for instance, to summon that kundalini energy up the spine). They even have small sections devoted to food, water, clothing, massage, worship, and service to others. But it also probes (pardon the pun) the depths of the stories of Brahma the Creative, Shiva and Shakti, and Vishnu the Preserver. And of course, there are plenty of sexual positions and sensual poetry. With pictures! We like pictures!

The whole point is that, despite what organized religion would like us to think, we are sexual creatures and we should be celebrating that fact every day through our everyday activities. All of these things (eating, yoga, service, etc) ARE manifestations of our sexual energy - giving to and connecting with Life and with others. Cultivating that sexual energy (indeed, our very life-force energy and the energy that creates Universes . . . if you will allow my melodramatic flourish) is a constant, all-day thing. But not with the sole purpose of "getting some" or even "being a better lover". Instead, to connect with Source through sexual union and remember our Oneness. As the authors say in the Introduction, "It is for those who wish to use the sexual bond as a means to liberation and who desire to transcend the limits of the individual self."

This book helped start me down the path of tantra and sacred sexuality a few years ago. May I humbly recommend it to others who seek the same.

This book came very highly recommended to me by a couple whose sexual bravado I respect. They went through all the positions, raving over each new plateau. So I got the book, of course. It was a good recommendation, but it requires patience to plow through some things that simply won't apply to you. If you have an erotic library or a lonely coffeetable, this book will not fail to do justice to either, but if you're looking for one definitive manual to begin with, look somewhere else. If you're looking for erotic art of eastern and Indian origin this is a good book to have, there's a voluminous sampling of it. The book is definitely better explored between lovers; it was written by lovers for that explicit purpose.

I bought this book for a class I was taking in college on human sexuality. It definitely presents a different take on normal sexual practices. I hadn't heard of the kundalini, or even the chakras, and other sacred sexual beliefs until I read this book. The author is long-winded and detailed, but that's to the benefit of people like me who are novices to Eastern philosophy. I read this book at length, and after my class, I gave it to my girlfriend, and we've enjoyed reading about some of the more uncommon sexual techniques described in detail (here's one: for deeper penetration, place a pillow underneath your or your partner's body during intercourse). The author also talks about the sacred aspect of sex, and how it can enhance your connection with your partner. Although this book isn't for everybody, if you have an open mind and are willing to try new ideas, you might enjoy this book.

This book greatly exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be another ok "sex" book, but it turned out to be my all time favorite. Great illustrations, entertaining to read. Shines a light into the dark corners of eastern erotic culture that is often supressed in the western literature. If you are interested in eastern culture and sex this is a must have.

The book is extensively researched, but ultimately sacrifices heart for a confused mess of deeply biased data. Is it a handbook? A history of curious things you can do sexually? A reference manual, rather like a sexual encyclopedia?

The secrets aren't really secrets. Most of them, in fact, are either pretty ordinary positions or are positions more suited to contortionists; all are listed by some "fancy" non-Western name (no "Howdy Pardner" positions here). Sadly, the emotional aspects of sexuality are glossed over.

If you're gay or lesbian, I strongly recommend that you read what the authors have to say about you before buying this book. I suspect you won't find their views to be kind or helpful. Heterosexuals also are shoe-horned into stereotypes.

Better books: "The Joy of Sex" for sex manual tips, and for a better overall handbook, I recommend "Sexual Energy Ecstasy: A Practical Guide to Lovemaking Secrets of the East and West." It's better written, better organized, more fun, and unlike this book, has some real sexual "secrets" that most people can actually use.

.........I would recommend watching the authors for improvement in other books, though, since they clearly put a lot of work into this and did the research.

First published in 1979, this popular book (over 1 million copies sold) presents a concise and articulate overview of the history and philosophy of sacred sex. Practical exercises and meditations are interspersed throughout. It will work well for people who like to know the background of what they are doing and would like to pick and choose and create on their own the activities they will do in their exploration. It overflows with wonderful erotic drawings by Penny Slinger.

This is an interesting book to say the least. There are many, many books out concerning Tantric and Taoist sexual practices few of them actually have anything to do with Tantric Yoga or Taoism. Tantra, in the West, is automatically associated with sexuality but in actuality sex is a very small part of Tantra. Tantra is a path(unlike vedanta)that tends to embrace all eight limbs of Yoga and all of the practices. In essence, Tantric Yogi's believe that anything can be a gateway to enlightenment and unity with the Divine. Surprisingly, despite the title of the book, the authors do a good job of outlining that holistic idea. This is more than just a book on sexual positions (which most books on Tantra and Taoist sex tend to be); if read carefully it outlines a good basic practice of Asana, pranayama and meditation as well as outlining the importance of male ejaculatory control so key to health in the Taoist traditions. Included in this manual are specific practices that not only help to achieve ejaculatory control, but also help to develop the Bandas (the physical retentions that pool prana/chi in various key chakras). If a practitioner were to remove the sexual aspects of this book they would still have a very good mind/body/spirit manual. Well done.

Although there are no photographs in this book, there are plenty of sketches ranging from the very modern (drawn I believe by one of the authors) to the traditional (directly from the Kama Sutra, Taoist texts and Japanese block prints). The sexual practices are detailed both in writing and drawing and although the practices can't help but create deeper intimacy between partners, the true purpose of the practice is to move the Kundalini up the spinal column awakening the chakras and ultimately toward enlightenment and health.

This book is not something to be read lightly, but a text book for those that have a serious interest in Eastern sexual and tantric (of the non-sexual kind) practice.

A good introduction to concepts related to eastern mysticism in relation to the spirituality of sex in human relationship. A must for anyone who even faintly suspects a multi-dimensional connotation to human sexuality.

This book really amazed me because I learned a lot of things about sexuality I didn't know. I think that every one should read this book. It will make you a better partner and lover.

A book for everyone who wants to explore, challenge and improve their sexuality. Great to share with a partner or learn on your own!