By Justin Patrick Pierce

Originally published September 28, 2020 · Updated February 2026

A long, long time ago in ancient China, emperors, sages, physicians, and aristocrats alike rubbed elbows in secrecy to devise a way to achieve immortality. Other religions speak about immortality like a place some go after they die, or after many lifetimes. But what is unique about Taoism, is that there is no afterlife. The belief is that any sort of immortality to be found is only to be found here on Earth and in this body — no second shot. Because of this core belief, longevity, health, and living in harmony with all things have become the Taoist's primary objectives in life. It is the very heart of their practice.

While many Taoists accept death as a part of nature, others have sought out ways to defy it. They aimed to achieve this radical goal of physical immortality through alchemy. There are two types of alchemy in the Taoist tradition. The first being "outer alchemy," which dealt with the experimentation of dangerous elixirs made primarily of cinnabar — a mineral containing mercury sulfide — along with compounds of arsenic, lead, and sulfur, which when consumed were intended to keep the body alive forever. Today, we know that cinnabar and arsenic are among the most toxic substances on the planet. At least six Tang dynasty emperors are believed to have died from ingesting these elixirs. Needless to say, the experiments didn't go so hot.

The second means was a process known as "inner alchemy," where the body itself became the laboratory. It was thought that the secret to immortality existed in the conservation and transformation of the "three treasures" of the human body: qi (vital energy), jing (sexual essence), and shen (spirit). And as it turns out, no one has gone on public record for achieving physical immortality yet, but the concept of Immortality that the Taoists speak of becomes much more palpable when it is seen as a kind of ultimate spiritual awakening — or as we might call it in the West, Enlightenment.

To achieve this goal, the spiritual masters, namely men, would seek to conserve their sexual energy (jing) and transform it into spirit (shen). While this elaborate spiritual process has many moving parts, one of its most popular practices is seminal retention and the achievement of multiple orgasms for men. I wrote about the deeper history of seminal retention in a separate article, and if you want a practical starting point, here's my Beginner's Guide to Bypassing Ejaculation and Prolonging Lovemaking.

Rather than allowing the precious seed to spill out, the body and breath would be manipulated in such a way that not only retained the semen but also recirculated its life-giving force back into the body, shooting it up the spine and into the head, transforming jing into shen and storing it in the vital organs for the sake of good health and prolonging life.

But the path of the true Taoist practitioner doesn't stop here. It requires another step. Conservation and transformation were just the first two. The third being the balancing between the polar principle forces of Yin and Yang (the Feminine and the Masculine). This is where "dual cultivation" comes into place. A formal sexual engagement between lovers with the intention of balancing, sharing, and harmonizing their reciprocal and life-giving subtle energies is the key. This very conscious, harmonious exchange serves both partners individually and their relationship at large. If you're interested in how this principle of polarity applies to modern intimate relationships, I wrote about it in the context of the Spiritual Path of Intimate Relationship.

While the entire ritual of seminal retention is something only a man can perform, this practice isn't just for men. The joining of the essences being described here is intended to serve both the man and woman. And because of this, its technology and teachings are still very much relevant and useful for Westerners today, if we know how to apply them intelligently.

Michael Winn, coauthor and general editor of Mantak Chia's books, explains why esoteric Taoism has stood out amongst the other traditions as one of the primary influences on sacred sexuality in the West:

Esoteric Taoist Sexual Kung Fu can be found throughout the world today. Teachers like Mantak Chia have worked hard to preserve the teachings and make them accessible to Westerners. The wisdom and practices it has to offer are invaluable to all men and women seeking to develop a serious intimate practice with a partner they love. And whether or not Sexual Kung Fu is for you, no matter which form of sacred sexuality you do study, chances are, much of what you will learn has its roots in esoteric Taoism.

Londin and I explore how these Taoist principles — conservation, transformation, and the balancing of polarity — are integrated into a modern path of intimate relationship in our book Playing With Fire: The Spiritual Path of Intimate Relationship. And if you want to practice with us, we lead monthly live calls for men, women, and couples through our Yoga of Intimacy Patreon.

Summary of Esoteric Taoism

Problem Taoism aims to solve: Man is corrupted by convention (customary ways of thinking and acting) which drains vital life force and compromises the quality of our lives and relationships.

Solution: "The highest value is life, so the highest practice is the art of nurturing life" (Prothero, God Is Not One) through the pursuit of vitality, living in harmony, and, for some, attaining immortality.

Purpose: "The goal of human life is to merge with the Tao, to mimic its flourishing, and thereby to flourish ourselves." — Prothero

Polarity: Yin (Feminine) & Yang (Masculine)

Key Principles of Taoist Cultivation of Sexual Energy

• The conservation of sexual energy (jing).

• The transformation of sexual energy in order to open and harmonize the body's primary energy centers (tan tiens).

• The balancing of polarity (yin-yang, female-male) within self and relationship.

FAQs: Sexual Kung Fu and Esoteric Taoism

Q: What is Sexual Kung Fu?

A: Sexual Kung Fu is the Taoist practice of conserving, transforming, and circulating sexual energy (jing) for the purposes of health, longevity, and spiritual development. "Kung Fu" means skill developed through disciplined practice. The term was popularized in the West by Mantak Chia through his book Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy (1984).

Q: How does Taoist Sexual Kung Fu differ from Tantra?

A: While both traditions use sexual energy as a vehicle for spiritual growth, they come from different lineages with different goals. Taoist Sexual Kung Fu emphasizes conservation of vital energy, inner alchemy, and the pursuit of flourishing and longevity. Tantric traditions from India (Hindu and Buddhist) emphasize devotion, liberation from suffering, and the recognition of the divine in all experience. As Michael Winn notes, Taoism approaches sex more as medicine and natural path to balance, without the religious ceremonial framework that characterizes tantra.

Q: Is Sexual Kung Fu only for men?

A: No. While seminal retention is a male-specific practice, the broader framework of Sexual Kung Fu — including dual cultivation, polarity balancing, and the transformation of sexual energy — is practiced by and benefits both men and women. Mantak Chia wrote a companion volume, Healing Love Through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy, specifically addressing women's practices.

Q: How does Sexual Kung Fu relate to the Yoga of Intimacy?

A: Esoteric Taoism is one of five major influences on Western sacred sexuality as taught by Justin Patrick Pierce and Londin Angel Winters. In their book Playing With Fire: The Spiritual Path of Intimate Relationship, they integrate Taoist principles of conservation, transformation, and polarity with insights from Tantric Hinduism, Buddhism, Western esotericism, and Western psychology into a complete path for modern couples.