Well-sex also depends upon the integrated flow of all the energies discussed in the preceding chapters. For adults, sex is a complex activity involving much more than the genital organs and the physical act of intercourse; it is bound up with feelings and emotions; it involves free use of all the senses; it may be a form of play or recreation. And, importantly, it is influenced by your thinking, as well as by your ability to communicate with yourself and with your partner.

In sexual exchange, we experience the dynamic presence of another human being. At least temporarily we are assuaged of our isolation; we are touched, sometimes held securely; we are excited; we feel energy moving more powerfully; sometimes we feel unified; sometimes we sense that we have transcended our usual limitations and self-definitions. Consequently, we look to sex for affection, or attention, or confirmation of aliveness, and, often, for integration. On one hand, lovemaking in general, and the moments of orgasm in particular, can allow us a temporary respite from the judging, anticipating, and questioning of our rational minds; such moments seem to transport us into another realm. On the other hand, sex can also provide us with a powerful experience of nowness - a full-bodied awareness of all that is happening at the moment, rather than any type of departure.

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