THE STAGES OF ERECTION

 Most men believe they are either horny or they’re not, that they either have an erection or they don't. When we are young, we get directions so often and so quickly that it is hard to distinguish levels of arousal. The Taoists, however, noticed that there are actually four stages of erection – four attainments, as they called them. The first is firmness (also referred to as lengthening). The second is swelling. The third is hardness. The fourth is hea . Your erection is not then just a static appendage, but undergoes a process that reflects your level of arousal. Western physicians have recently confirmed these four stages of erection, although describing them in somewhat more technical terms. Healing Tao instructor Walter Beckley described the four stages like this: "In the first stage, your penis starts to move and become erect. In the second stage, it’s irm, but not bard – not really hard enough to penetrate (unless you use the Soft Entry technique). In the third stage, it is erect and hard. In the fourth stage, it is stiff and really hot. This last stage is also when your testicles draw into your body. It is much easier to avoid ejaculating when you can remain in the erect and hard third stage. Pulling the sexual energy up helps keep the penis from getting to the final, stiff and hot stage. Relaxing is also essential, as is trying to be aware of when you move into that anxious, explosive fourth stage when ejaculation is imminent.