On your next inhale, I want you to picture your balls expanding. Imagine them filling with the rejuvenating energy of fresh air, revitalizing your sexual body and spirit. As you exhale, envision all the stagnant frustration you store in your nuts leaving, and contract your testicles as you picture the carbon dioxide escaping your body.
This, friends, is testicle breathing, and all different types of tantric sex gurus, NoFap devotees and even anti-ejaculation fringe political candidates want you to try it. But is there any reason for you, a guy who enjoys a frequent nut and doesn’t really believe in pseudoscience, to do so?
Maybe.
According to Tantric Academy, a site devoted to helping men explore tantric sex, testicular breathing encourages a flow of “energy” through the body via muscle contractions and is a practice rooted in ancient yogic knowledge. The benefits are, per the site, similar to the traditional benefits of diaphragmatic breathing exercises (where you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth), which are known to help ease anxiety through reduced heart rate and blood pressure. More than that, though, testicular breathing is thought by Tantric Academy to potentially aid in matters of sexual health, like erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation (there’s no scientific research to back up these claims, however).
Considering that you cannot actually breathe through your balls, testicular breathing seems to be more akin to doing kegels while taking meditative breaths. Essentially, you pull your testicles upward and inward as you inhale, and release downward as you exhale, all while visualizing an interconnected flow of energy from your testes to your brain.
It might seem a bit outlandish to claim that “breathing” through your balls can improve your mental or sexual health, but there may be some evidence to suggest that testicular breathing could be “good” for you — at least in the same way meditative breathing can be. After all, they’re essentially identical practices, except that with only one of them are you also thinking about your nuts. For example, all that deep breathing could help you chill out for a second when you’re stressed out. The ball-flexing required in testicular breathing could be beneficial, too. Again, by trying to squeeze your balls, you’re basically doing kegels, which in turn can strengthen your pelvic muscles and support your bladder, bowel and sexual function.
Many of the people who discuss their practice of testicular breathing online are in some way affiliated with NoFap, “semen retention” or other philosophies that have no real basis in science. That said, there appear to be plenty of others who have given it a whirl and shared positive experiences online. “When I first heard of ‘testicle breathing’ I was like ‘lol what a scam’ and then I tried it,” wrote a since-deleted user on r/SemenRetention a year ago. “I’m not fucking kidding guys — this is the most calm I’ve ever felt on my journey.” Some claim it’s turned them into a sexual God; others say it simply helped them become calmer and feel more focused.
One last time — testicular breathing probably won’t change your life any more than taking some deep breaths and doing some kegels will, but most of us could stand to practice more meditative breathing anyway. If getting your balls involved is what it takes to relax for a minute, it’s time to breathe in with your nuts out.
Magdalene Taylor
Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.
