Can sex and spirituality mix?

If you’ve watched the documentary Wild Wild Country about Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh or the one on yoga guru Bikram Choudhury, you’ll know badly sex and spirituality can mix.
But rather than sex specifically, the problem area is often the misuse of power and trust.
There is a common taboo (often backed by the law) against those in positions of power, such as teachers, having sexual relationships with students.
But does that mean that spiritual teachers should take vows of celibacy and avoid sex completely?
That was one of the questions that came up in the recent Vedic Conversation episode What is Spirituality?
• What is spirituality?
There’s certainly a question of hypocrisy if any spiritual leader claims to be celibate while acting differently.
But Vedic Meditation is what we call a “householder” technique, rather than a monastic practice.
That means it’s designed for and aimed at people who, like me, have jobs, relationships and worldly ambitions.
There are plenty of techniques aimed at monks and nuns, which tend to require more discipline and perhaps abstinence.
But as householders we’re not subject to any prohibitions. Instead, we practice an effortless technique that fits in with our existing lives.
What many meditators find, however, is that their behaviours around things like sex, drinking and other often compulsive behaviours tends to change over time, without any conscious effort on their part.
They find that with expanded consciousness, they naturally move away from behaviours that are harmful - either to themselves or others.
Watch the clip below for more.