Sharing the Man Experience we realise that basic knowledge of the mechanics can lead to improved sexual health. Recent surveys have found that men in static jobs have lower libido and sperm count than those in active work, and even lower for men who spend a lot of time on computers and computer games. This is perfectly normal because blood and energy flow need air and movement. Blood makes the chi go round and we need a good healthy supply, to move from perfectly normal to perfectly natural.
The deeper we breathe the more air we take in, and the more movement we generate, so more flow through the veins. Makes perfect sense. Massaging the lower belly can free up blockages in blood vessels and meridians leading to the genital area. Especially when you consider the erection is caused by increasing blood supply to the penis. The morning erection is a result of the bladder filling up as we sleep, so it expands and blocks the veins that take the blood away from the area. The veins there are more surface but the artery that brings blood into the genitals is deeper, so doesn’t get blocked. Notice how the erection wilts after urination.
We can give the whole complex that is our body a much better start by consciously taking opportunities to breathe really deeply, say when taking a walk, from house to car, train station or bus stop. Inhaled deep into the lungs, breath travels through bronchial tubes that subdivide rather like branches of a tree, until permeating the alveoli, tiny bubbles of tissue just one cell thick, where it crosses into the blood stream. This newly enriched blood goes to the heart, to be pumped out to nourish all our organs.
Then it has to get back to the heart through the venous system, which doesn’t have a heart of its own but relies on movement to pump. Of course we are moving all the time, even when asleep, as the respiratory system works quite happily without conscious thought. As muscles move they squeeze the veins, forcing the blood through the little valves that prevent it pooling around our ankles.
The more we move the muscles, the better the blood flow returning to the heart – where it doesn’t just get pumped round again but is sent to the lungs to exhale waste breath and toxins. Toxins accumulate in the lymphatic nodes, glands, ducts and nodules, and that system doesn’t have a heart either, so also relies on movement to cross into the cardiovascular. The blood returning to the heart carries the toxins from the lymphatic system to be breathed out in the normal way. It’s that detoxifying movement that gives the healthy glow after a workout at the gym.
By regular and conscious deep breathing, regular and conscious movement – ok, exercise! – and regular self-massage, energy and blood flow can be increased to the vital areas, so we don’t just have to wait for morning!
Kris Deva North 