Sacred sex harnesses the power of sexuality for the purposes of accelerating personal transformation and enhancing spiritual growth. Sensualism suggests that we are here in the physical world to learn certain lessons, and that we learn those lessons through our experience of the physical world, which is also the world of the Divine. Sensualism contrasts with the philosophy of asceticism, which postulates that the spiritual world is separate from the physical world, and that one must turn one's attention away from the physical in order to perceive the spiritual. Tantra was eventually incorporated into Buddhism to form Tantric Buddhism, but in most cases the ritual sex was eliminated, and only the symbolism of sexual union as a metaphor for union with the Divine was retained. Taoist alchemy is a combination of Taoism and Tantric sexual practices, many of which have been modified and added to by Chinese practitioners throughout the centuries.
Today there are many different schools of sacred sexuality.
How you incorporate sacred sexual technique into your own spiritual path is a personal choice, and you are free to practice in whatever manner you are most comfortable. You may also have some mental conditioning around the subject of sex which will make your practice of sacred sexuality more difficult. Sacred sex will encourage you to re-evaluate what you have been taught about sex in the past, and will lead you to a new understanding of the relationship between sexuality and spirituality. Many of the techniques can be performed just as effectively by a single individual, using self-stimulation as a means for generating and raising sexual energy. Individual practice allows you to learn new techniques more quickly, without the distraction of a partner.