Beyond Tantra: Healing Through Taoist Sacred Sex
Review in the Library Journal  Amid the bewildering bounty of Tantra- and Taoist-based sex books, 'Beyond Tantra' stands out as an engagingly simple, friendly, and motivating resource for Westerners. The Wiks are a European couple who turned to Eastern spirituality to reawaken their love life and direct energy toward healing physical problems. First they explain the differences between Tantra and Taoist schools and sources, the disciplines' relationship to Western medicine, and how their own research and practice of Taoist-based "Dual Cultivation" - a couple's conscious use of sexual energy for health and spiritual development - affected their lives. The remainder of the book walks readers through a series of exercises that includes an explanation of the approach, historical references and background, personal stories from the Wiks, and a hands-on presentation of technique: goals, time needed, components/supplies, and description. Sidebars offer sample dialogs and sporadic drawings of an older couple illustrate difficult-to-describe concepts. A concluding chapter reviews related Taoist disciplines. What's not to like? An excellent "Taoist Sex 101" for wary beginners; recommended for all public libraries. - Martha Cornog, Philadelphia