I'm not above using sensationalism to get people to read my blog entries. :) I say PG because this account is far from pornographic, though I do use the word "orgasm" many times, so if that bothers you you may not want to read further.  :)
        In late 2006 I entered a deep depression that changed my life in many ways, one of which was that it dampened my orgasms so that I was not able to experience the catharsis that I had used to feel with them. It was a depression that I feel like I probably needed to experience, and it served to guide me toward the spiritual journey that I am on today. As far as orgasm is concerned, everything came full circle a few weeks ago when I went to a Qigong workshop for the first time. My libido and my experience of sexual release had definitely already healed to a certain degree from the time when I had been in the darkest place of my depression, but for a few weeks before the Qigong workshop I had been lamenting the fact that I still could not have the kind of orgasms I had in my youth (teens to early twenties), which had been long and drawn-out--punctuated with crecendoes and valleys of pleasure--and honestly, very satisfying and cathartic. In contrast, my orgasms had become sort of one-note endings. No fan-fare. Where had these former orgasms gone? At the age of 30, and post-depression, were they gone forever?
        The Qigong workshop in itself was pleasantly sexual, but not orgasmic or anything like that. It simply felt safe to be a sexual being in the room: there was a lot of focus on breathwork, and in Qigong (at least as it was taught from this particular instructor) the aim was to draw in breathe (and thus chi energy) in through the nose for a count of 4, hold the chi/breathe in the sexual chakra center (the orange chakra) for a count of 4, and then release in a count of 8, visualizing the sexual chakra center distributing the energy throughout the body. Every movement then brings energy and healing to, and through, the sexual chakra. This chakra is and should be an energy powerhouse, a center for the distrubution of life-force energy, and since I have been energy deficient for pretty much my whole life it was a nice part of my auric self to get acquainted with in a very safe, nurturing, and healthy way.
        And yes, the next orgasm I had (on my own time! with privacy, of course) was the kind of orgasm I haven't had for at least 5 years, probably longer. It was an unexpected bonus on top of the relaxing/energizing experience of the Qigong routine itself. The last time I remember this kind of orgasm was when I was a teenager. It was great side effect! Beyond that, Qigong brings more energy and vitality to me in general. Waking up in the mornings following that first workshop was easier than it had been before. I felt more fully awake during the times that I was awake, and more in love with life. Though I hadn't done much with Qigong since then, for lack of the $funds to pay for this instructor's excellent classes, I have decided to strike out on my own--to do Qigong by myself in my own home. And there are plenty of great resources available for that.
        If you are reading this and are interested in trying Qigong for yourself, I've found an excellent video that guides you through a series of movement called "8 Pieces of Silk Brocade." There are many variations on this series, and these are not all the same movements or in the same order as what I encountered at my Qigong workshop, but that isn't what really matters. I have not been able to find a video that explains the sort of Sexual-Chakra breathing technique that I was taught either, but hopefully my explanation above will serve well enough. Four counts on the inward breathe, visualizing the chi going in through the nose, up through the head and then down into the Orange (or Sexual) Chakra, hold the breathe in for a count of 4, then release for a count of 8. The movements should follow your breathing. The goal is to eventually be able to marry the movement, the breathe, and the visualization. But it is a process. You shouldn't expect yourself to be perfect. My instructor took his breathes painstakingly slowly, and the movements were slowed down in time with his breathe. It was impossible for me to breathe as slowly or as deeply as he did--but I assume he didn't start there either. :)
        Another thing they don't talk about in this video is that when you lock a joint, such as the wrists, the point is to lock in the chi, and then when the movement is released the chi is also released. The movements are all aimed, in various ways, at controlling the movement of chi through the body. So in the "drawing the bow" movement in the following series, when the bow is drawn that moment of tension is also a time when chi is drawn and collected. When the bow is released, the chi is released to flow through the body.
        If you have your own thoughts about Qigong, this blog entry, or the following video, let me know! :)

Note: Although this video is called "8 Qigong Pt 1," it is still the complete video. The ones labelled Part 2 and Part 3 are still this very same video, just broken into 2 smaller parts. The complete series then is completed in this 27 minute video. Have fun!