Sensual Celibacy

ABSTINENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW STRONGER If you're single and in between relationships -- or just about to embark on a new one -- then you can't underestimate the importance of making the right choices when it comes to physical intimacy. When should it happen? If it's already a part of your relationship, is it meaningful to both of you? Is there a strong emotional foundation in place? Or did you jump right in -- and get hurt? And how can you preserve your self-respect the next time around? Donna Marie Williams wrestled with these questions for years until she discovered the empowering nature of celibacy: abstaining from sex for a self-determined time while embracing new opportunities for self-discovery, personal growth, and heightened self-esteem. Now she shares her knowledge in a simple but effective 10-step program that will help you lead a happier, healthier, and even sexier life. Sensual Celibacy reveals: * Why charting your relationship history can be a real eye opener * How celibacy can help you focus on what you really want out of life * Ways to stay true to your celibacy commitment, even if you're in a relationship * When to end your celibacy, with intelligence, confidence, and joy If you're ready to rethink your approach to relationships and reconnect with yourself, then let Sensual Celibacy guide you to a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Examines the significance that celibacy may hold in the modern millennium. This book considers the female body, how it has been used to underpin exploitative social systems, and how Christianity has tried to control the bodies of women through regulations about the female body.

Establishing balance in intimate relationships through temporary sexual abstinence

What does celibacy mean for individuals and for the people around them? What function does it serve? This is the first cross-cultural inquiry into the practice of celibacy around the world and through the ages, among groups as diverse as Kenyan villagers and U.S. prisoners, Mazatec Shamans and Buddhist nuns and monks, Shaker church members and anorexic women. The examples of celibacy described here illustrate the complex relationship between human sexuality and its particular sociocultural context. Ideas about the body, gender, family, work, religion, health, and other dimensions of life come sharply into focus as the contributors examine the many practices and institutions surrounding sexual abstinence. They show that, though celibacy is certainly sometimes a punishment or a deliberate ritual abstinence, it also serves many other social and material functions and in some cases contributes to kin-group survival and well-being. Celibacy, Culture, and Society represents a significant step toward understanding the functions and meanings of sexuality.

A Secret World is a valuable contribution to the field of Family Therapy. Looks at the history and origins of celibacy, discusses its role in the priesthood, and considers the psychological aspects of celibacy.

What causes people to give up sex? Abbott's provocative and entertaining exploration of celibacy through the ages debunks traditional notions about celibacy--a practice that reveals much about human sexual desires and drives.

Why was sex so important in early religions? Why have there been so many sexual scandals with priests? How and why did the practice of celibacy begin? Is being celibate psychologically helpful to monks, nuns, and others who must practice it? This book examines the role of sex in religion from the earliest known time of pre-Christian cults up into the modern day. It is the only book we know of that approaches the problem of sex and celibacy in religion in such a complete and thorough way. It describes an age-old struggle being waged by religious representatives between their own natural state of human sexuality and its complete suppression in the name of God.

Drawing on stories from diverse women who have been single for many years, Trimberger explodes the idea that fulfillment comes only through coupling with a soulmate. Instead she presents an exciting new identity for women in the twenty-first century: the new single woman--a woman who is content with her single life. These gripping personal accounts of how single women's lives evolve over time, combined with Trimberger's incisive analysis, blend to provide a much-needed cultural roadmap for every single woman who is striving to create a satisfying and meaningful life. Trimberger's all-inclusive, paradigm-shifting notion is one that ultimately strengthens and enriches both single women and couples.

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