Retrograde ejaculation in Daoism
Huanjing bunao (traditional Chinese: 還精補腦; simplified Chinese: 还精补脑; lit. 'returning the semen/essence to replenish the brain' or coitus reservatus) is a Daoist sexual practice and yangsheng ("nourishing life") method aimed at maintaining arousal for an extended plateau phase while avoiding orgasm. According to this practice, retaining unejaculated jing (精, "semen; [medical] essence of life") supposedly allows it to rise through the spine to nourish the brain and enhance overall well-being. Daoist adepts have been exploring various methods to avoid ejaculation for more than two thousand years. These range from meditative approaches involving breath-control or visualization to manual techniques such as pressing the perineum or squeezing the urethra.
In traditional Chinese medical theory, the shen (腎, "kidney") organ system was considered the reservoir for semen, bone marrow, brain matter, and other bodily fluids. However, in actual fact, huanjing bunao often leads to retrograde ejaculation, which redirects the semen into the bladder, from where it is expelled along with urine. Anatomically speaking, circulating seminal fluid or "seminal essence" throughout the body is impossible. While this ancient Chinese practice has historical and sexological significance, its physiological effects do not align with the traditional beliefs surrounding it.
On the other hand, in some more in-depth interpretations of Taoism, the idea that "the seed would travel up the spine" is to be understood allegorically. Sexual energy is transformed into a more subtle circulating form (from jing to chi). Chi, or vital energy, is then increased through abstinence or coitus reservatus. In Taoist sexuality or sexology manuals, this process is regularly described as follows: jing (the seed, raw and dense) is transformed into chi (vital energy, subtle and circulating).
