From Power to Presence: Rethinking Sexual Harassment at it’s Root

At this time, there exists a growing and disturbing trend regarding the attitudes of young men and boys toward women and girls. The absorption of stronger messages—from violent pornography, online influencers, and cultural norms—that suggest sexual domination is a man’s right. This is not simply an issue of individual misconduct; it reflects a deepening gap in society exposing a lack of guidance about respect, equality, and self awareness.

Much of the conversation around harassment focuses on power, portraying men as seeking control. And while there is truth in this, it does not address the core issue. Behind the desire of gender dominance lies the natural human force that is rarely addressed: our common sexual energy. Most every person feels it, yet few are taught how to understand or channel it in ways that are healthy and constructive.

Boys are often told simply to control their urges. But control too often becomes suppression, and suppression is not an effective approach when it comes to understanding deeper realities. Unacknowledged energy surfaces in subtle and damaging ways—from casual disrespect, to manipulation, and often aggression. Sexual energy itself is not the problem; the problem is a lack of awareness and guidance in navigating it. This is a conversation that is crucial to parenting as well as schooling, yet is rarely addressed in most young men’s lives.

Similar to emotional energy, sexual energy can be consciously felt, observed, and redirected. In yoga philosophy, this redirection is described as moving energy “up the spine” rather than merely releasing it through carnal activity. The Yoga Sutras, ancient yoga philosophy text/how-to guide, refer to this energy as Brahmacharya, the fourth Yama (restraint).

Because boys rarely take up such practices on their own, this is why the lived example set by fathers, father-figures, patriarchs, teachers, coaches, and all male authority figures is essential. How men speak, how they move through the world, and how they respectfully relate to their own energy can quietly teach boys not only what is possible, but what is humane. When men sincerely embrace conscious practices themselves, they offer living guidance: a model of self-awareness, responsibility, and care that words alone cannot convey.

Sexual energy is a wonderfully profound human force. When shared with another, it must be realized as privilege, rather than entitlement. By approaching it with awareness and respect, and by showing our young men how to do the same, we can begin to shift our culture toward one that is safer, more compassionate, and attentive to the well-being of women and girls. And when this happens, our planet and all its people benefit.

See you in the practice room,

Don

How to Work With This On Your Mat:

• Becoming acutely aware of our urges and their source in the body, and literally consciously encouraging this powerful energy up through our energetic center, enabling us to transform it into expressions of creativity, clarity, and even compassion. (Such practice is not to be confused with abstinence, which is arguably unhealthy for several reasons. It is about noticing impulses, pausing, and choosing how to act in ways that honours oneself and others, and our yoga can be pivotal in working with this sacred gift.
• Set an intention/mantra centered on brahmacharya (the wise use of sexual energy) 
• Dedicate your practice to your child/nephew/mentee/supervisee/any young male who looks up to you
• Bring a wallet-sized photograph of your female loved one and place at the head of your mat as a reminder of who you are embracing this internal work for
• Bring a wallet sized photograph of any young male you care about as a source of strength for your intention

Live Your Yoga > Call to Action:

• Share this editorial post: https://thehummingbirdfield.com/from-power-to-presence-rethinking-sexual-harassment-at-its-root/
• Reflect/journal/process/bring to therapy any experience from your life of a time when your energy was used dishonourably
• Watch The Mask You Live In documentary for free via kanopy (Toronto Public Library)
• Jackson Katz: TED Talk, Tough Guise & Tough Guise 2: Documentaries
• Dr. Michael Flood: Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention – Presentation and Book
• Healthy Masculinity Tip Sheet for Parents
• XY Online – XY is a website focused on men, masculinities, and gender politics. XY is a space for the exploration of issues of gender and sexuality, the daily issues of men’s and women’s lives, and practical discussion of personal and social change.

Note: the word “men” in this editorial refers to all humans who identify as male/men.