Yoga and Sex Addiction

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have been a sex addict for over 8 years. This is no laughing matter. My addiction has interfered with my life. I have a wife and 2 daughters and it has come to the point where my marriage is in shambles because I neglect them. I love my wife but it is hard for her to understand this is an addiction like any other. Unfortunately we live in a society where there is not much support, medical or otherwise, for this kind of illness.

That is what got me thinking about Yoga. Its medicinal powers are proven and have helped numerous people to find a more stable mental balance. I was wondering if this is true also for sex addiction. If so then what assanas should I look into? Any help is appreciated.

#2

If it has come to the point where your marriage “is in shambles” and you are affecting loved ones around you… have you not considered counseling of some sort? There are clearly issues in play here, and a few asana’s are not going to be the magic solution for you.

That said, professional support/help combined with a healthy and appropriate yoga practice is probably not a bad path to look into.

#3

Hi Richard,

First of all, I applaud the fact that you are reaching out for help. That is really the first step with any addiction. A year ago, I came out of a very bad time of addiction with online gaming. This sounds silly but it had many of the same elements you are talking about as in developing relationships that were not appropriate for a married person to have.

Having said that, there is a site called www.meditation.au.org that has free classes in meditation. This may help you to get some control over your thought life. Also there is a support group called sex addicts anonymous which follows the same principles as AA. I think yoga can definitely be a tool for you and you can find a class to teach you or look up poses online too. There are dvd’s you can get also. But I would definitely look into the support group. It is an addiction, just as difficult to deal with as any alcohol or drug addiction would be. You need support and help to overcome this.

I wish you all the best and I pray that you will come through this to save yourself and those you love most.

Namaste,
Robin

#4

Prof,
yoga can help if you apply yourself. There is a number of asanas in nearly all styles of yoga which calm the mind, reduce the stress and unwanted desires and promote the general sense of well-being, all of which is helpful in battling any kind of addiction. Yet, the same is true about any physical exercise. What matters is not what asanas you do but how serious you are and how well you understand the roots of your addiction. Speaking of which, if you have not been to

http://lightwave.proboards48.com/index.cgi#general

yet, I highly recommend that you pay a visit. Good luck and best wishes,

Aleksei

#5

Hello Prof,

I just wanted to say thanks for being so open and honest about yourself. And thank you to everyone for contributing to this thread.

I do have a question for you, Prof. How often do you do Yoga and are you currently doing it alone as a treatment option for sex addiction, or have you also supplemented your wellness plan with other things such as counseling from a licensed pracitioner or an SAA group in your area?

love,
pH

#6

Endless pursuit of sense objects is an obstacle to Self-Realization. Yoga is a discipline which can help to reduce and overcome the tendencies which keep us in a state of suffering. Self-study, the Yamas, Niyamas, Detachment, Meditation etc are offerred as aids to evolving one’s consciousness. Like a rider on an undisciplined horse, the Self is pulled from one experience to another when the mind roves the field of external reality, pursuing endless pleasures. These provide a momentary experience of fulfillment. Once over, the human condition of longing again appears. Ultimately, this innate urge is the desire to experience the Wholeness of one’s own essential being. This is the path of Yoga - Union with one’s own True Self.

The many obstacles which must be overcome are outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, along with guidelines for disciplining the mind an body with practices which purify the physical and subtle bodies as well as the thoughts. Remember that negative thoughts are violent, whether they are acted upon or not; the effects of joining with these negative thoughts sustain the suffering; and the path of Yoga provides guideposts which lead from suffering to liberation. True freedom emerges when the rider of the horse is in control. When we are ruled by our thoughts, we are in a state of reaction, there is no choice, and we are chained to the cycle of reenactment by our attachment to them.

The definition of Yoga is “Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodha” - “Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness” (Iyengar) - “Yoga is experienced in that mind which has ceased to identify itself with it’s vascillating waves of perception” (Stiles). We learn that we are not our thoughts, but that the thoughts which we choose to make guests in our bodily home affect our perception of the world, and are formative in what is manifest in our reality.

Seriously admitting to one’s starting point, seeking help, and taking proactive steps to reduce, then eliminate the tendencies which afflict us is essential for progress, whether the obstacle is a sexual addiction, anger, depression, illness, etc etc. The path can be shown to us, but we must take the steps with our own feet.

Several thoughtful posts have been presented here. Several inappropriate posts including sexually suggestive material have been deleted. If additional discussion is opened, the content will remain “clean”.

Namaste,
Chandra