Written by Desmond Olubunmi · Founder of Sunya
A contraction at the base of the body that seals energy in and turns it upward. It is the most direct means of conserving the life force, and the ground the other conservation practices stand on.
Left alone, the life force tends to settle at the base of the body and pool there. When it does, two things happen: it leaks away gradually, and it stagnates. Anyone who has felt sexual energy sitting heavily and going nowhere knows this sensation directly.
The root lock changes both. The contraction seals the base, so the energy stops draining outward, and it gives that energy a floor to rise from rather than a place to collect. What was pooling begins to move upward through the system.
This is why it belongs to conservation. It is not generating anything new — it is stopping a loss and redirecting what is already there.
It also works at the level of the body itself. The contraction creates stability and grounding, a felt sense of being rooted, which is the physical counterpart of the energetic sealing. And for anyone working with sexual conservation, this is what makes it possible in the body rather than only in the will.
Sit with the spine erect: Cross-legged on the floor or upright in a chair. The spine needs to be straight for the energy to have a clear path upward.
Find the muscles: The pelvic floor — specifically the muscles between the genitals and the anus. The same ones you would use to stop the flow of urine. Contract them gently once or twice to locate them.
Breathe in and squeeze: Take a full breath in, then contract the pelvic floor muscles upward. Everything else stays relaxed — shoulders, jaw, abdomen.
Hold for a few seconds: Keep the breath and the contraction together, without strain. If you are gripping hard or the jaw is tightening, ease off. The lock should be firm and quiet.
Release and exhale: Let the contraction go completely as you breathe out. Sit for a breath or two.
Repeat: Continue for several rounds. Over time it becomes subtler and more available, until you can hold a light version of it while sitting in meditation, or at any point in the day.
Occasional writing on the levers, the practices, and how to actually work with them.
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