by Alex Haywood
I was already in my late 30s when I found the practice of Orgasmic Meditation. I met some people who were engaged in self-improvement and self-inquiry—people who were wanting to know what makes a difference in a person's life. One of those people had been introduced to Orgasmic Meditation, and they introduced me.
My upbringing was big on practical and functional support. But my family was in no way nurturing. As a result, I didn't grow up with models for intimacy. I had no sense of what it meant to engage with another person vulnerably and authentically. And I was beginning to see the impact of this in my dating life. I found it easy to date, but it was hard to care and go deeper.
I would ponder, “Am I being my authentic self in the relationship? Am I saying what I think they want to hear? Or am I saying what I truly feel? Do I believe them when they say they are being authentic?” I didn’t have a clue. All my models of intimacy came from books and movies. I hadn't really experienced it, so how could I recognize it?
I decided I needed to find people who knew how to explore intimacy and be with them. In my search, I was introduced to Orgasmic Meditation and felt an authenticity aspect to it. I saw a bunch of extraordinarily comfortable, free, and open people getting real in relationships, coming from that place of heart, not head. And I knew I needed to be in that conversation. That was my intention, my frame of mind when I got started -- a frame of mind that persisted throughout my whole time with the practice.
Going into my first Orgasmic Meditation, I assumed it was an intimate practice that would bring me into close communion with people, especially women. To my surprise, I learned there is no fixed concept called intimacy. I learned that touching a woman’s genitals could be extremely intimate or not intimate at all. I learned that engaging in a really in-depth conversation with someone could be as intimate as OMing if I let myself be vulnerable and honest.
I learned from Orgasmic Meditation - OM that intimacy and authenticity are negotiations between you and the person that you're engaged with—a negotiation that might mean something entirely different from someone else. I went into Orgasmic Meditation, wondering, “Well, what's the recipe? What are the things I'm supposed to do versus the things I’m not supposed to do?” And what I got from the whole experience was the understanding that there's no right way or wrong way to do it. Intimacy depends on the situation and the people involved.
What does it mean to ask someone to OM and they say “No!” Can I not take it personally? Should I take it personally? What does it mean if I’m having this extraordinary OMing relationship with someone and want to have a different type of relationship and they’re not interested? I worked with the practice for about three years, and it was eye-opening and brought up a lot that had me look deeper into myself and relationships.
I've left the whole experience notably broadened. Both the practice itself and interacting with other people who practiced Orgasmic Meditation unwound some things that had been wound pretty tight. I like to think that I now have a broader and deeper appreciation for all the women in my life and for people in general. Today, creating intimacy with someone is a joy available to me outside of a romantic relationship. I can have intimacy with women who are not family. I can have intimacy with friends.
Orgasmic Meditation opened me up as a person. Not long after I stopped OMing, I met the woman who had become my wife and stopped OMing. Yet, I have such fond memories of OMing and all the people I met through the practice. I wish I had found Orgasmic Meditation earlier in my life to have been able to go even more deeply into the practice. But I have no regrets, only appreciation.
