Different women have different sex drives, or desires to experience sexual pleasure. Some women want to have sex every day, and others can rock with getting it in once in a blue moon. There are different opinions on what constitutes as a healthy sexual appetite, and what borders on an unhealthy sexual propensity toward over- or under-indulgence.
For me personally, the more I tune into my body, energy, spirituality, and current sexual patterns, I find that my drive is seemingly below the average than many of my female peers. This piece will dissect why that is, and why celibacy is my present choice.
Sex Is Energy.
Like every other emotion and physical act, sex is energy. Whether it's with someone else or in an act of self-pleasure, sexual desire and practice is an energetic exchange and chemical reaction. On a hormonal level, an orgasm is apart of the Autonomic Nervous System and triggers the release of neurohormones oxytocin, prolactin, and endorphins from the brain's pituitary gland. Energetically, the third eye chakra is very connected to the pituitary gland, which produces hormones and governs the function of five other glands. Sometimes the hypothalamic pineal gland, which influences the release of hormones through the pituitary gland, is linked to the third eye chakra as well as to the crown chakra.
Related: How Opening Your 7 Chakras Can Transform Your Mind, Body & Spirit
According to an article by David and Ellen Ramsdale of Innerself.com, sexual energy is recycled and returned back to source: "There is some evidence that in human beings the sexual energy cycle has two stages. The first stage begins in the brain, at the pituitary and pineal glands, and ends in the sex glands. The second stage of the cycle, the actual recycling step, returns energy to these master glands in the brain."
If this is the case, it is no wonder that my sex drive has decreased, as my awareness of energy and how important balanced and cleared chakras are, has rapidly increased since my spiritual awakening occurred in 2015. Energy is exchanged when you sexually merge with another person. You are literally allowing someone else's Juju to enter your body.
Sex Is A Biological Function.
Per Wikipedia, sexual desire or one's libido is a motivational state and an interest in "sexual objects or activities, or as a wish, or drive to seek out sexual objects or to engage in sexual activities."
A person's desire for sex varies from individual to individual, and can be triggered internally and externally. As a woman who is biologically passed my initial stages of puberty and influx of adolescent sexual urges, as well as being socially underwhelmed by the instant sexual gratification of one night stands and "sex with no strings attached," I find that my current libido is mostly induced by the reproductive triggers of hormones prior to my monthly menstrual cycle.
Related: Men Admit Period Sex Is Not A Turn-Off
So basically, the only time I find myself sexually aroused is when my period is approaching, and shortly thereafter. I don't usually get urges to self-pleasure outside of this biological window, besides a little feed creeping on IG. It seems this change in my appetite came about as my awareness of consciousness and spirituality increased. I used to be somebody who viewed sex solely as a fun and pleasurable activity with no deeper meaning than getting my rocks off. I used to subscribe to getting a "D-Recharge" whenever I had a vitamin D drought of a few months, but now, I cringe at the thought of hooking up with someone who is just physically attractive with a nice package.
Now I view random hookups as aura pollutants.
Past Sexual Experiences Have Turned Me Off To Casual Sex.
My first adult sexual experience, in retrospect, was quite traumatic. I remember being penetrated from behind. This is how I lost my virginity. Once I unpacked this hidden trauma, it revealed a revelation of my relationship to unhealthy and toxic sex. If sex is sacred and is considered a loving act between two people or self, it should in no way, shape, or form be carried out in a harmful way, physically, emotionally, or mentally.
As I introspectively reflected on past sexual experiences, I had to accept that I had subjected myself to being used as a sexual object, though I was unaware of this at the time. This kind of objectification can often be subtle and deceiving when you are under the belief that the person you are connecting with has your best interests at heart. A lot of my heartaches have been attached to sexual relationships that I mistakenly associated with deep emotional connection, which ultimately led to willfully engaging in shallow and misaligned sexual escapades with people who actually siphoned my energy and took advantage of my naivety.
The emotions of pain left over after experiencing these heartaches, tainted my own relationship with self-worth and ownership of my sexuality. These experiences disempowered me and left me in a heap of sexual confusion and anxiety. It wasn't until I healed these aspects of my experience, that I've come to this place.
I am happy to be here.
Sexual Desire Can Be Expressed Through Meditation and Creativity.
There is an unfortunate widespread misconception that someone who is not having sex often is either repressed or has an unhealthy relationship with their sexuality. The minute that you tell a homegirl that you ain't got none in a minute, sis might cry out to the Holy Father himself that you get some vitamin D!
For me, this couldn't be further from the truth. I have remained celibate since the end of 2017, and me and my vagina are doing just fine. Sexual desire can be expressed in other ways than physical copulation. As someone who is very active in meditation, I can bring myself to an incredible orgasm by infusing self-pleasure with chakra energy work and astral sex.
The sacral chakra is the energy center that deals with Kundalini release. By working with this energy, I have achieved wonderful sexual pleasure. Having astral sex is one of the most amazing out-of-body feelings I've ever experienced with my twin flame. The ecstasy you feel is out of this world - no pun intended. This type of sexual energy works by creating the orgasm in the mental and energetic plane, and transferring it to your physical sex organs.
Sexual desire can also be expressed through creativity. I love to express divine feminine energy through dance and movement. Not only do you release sexual energy, but you also ground yourself. I also love expressing this energy through poetry and songwriting.
I would rather express my sexuality in these ways than to taint my spirit with someone who doesn't vibrate the same.
I know it won't be long before the universe sends me someone who is deserving of this very special exchange of energy. Some people couldn't go too long without physical intimacy, but I'm good. I'm one-hundred-percent celibate, and I'm here for it.
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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