There is really not much to SR. You just abstain from ejaculating, although the “pure” form of SR is limiting lust in mind and body as much as possible. I have only very rarely been able to achieve this, and never for long, but it always brings the most salient benefits.

With the basic retention practice comes a decrease in lower moods and emotions which result from ejaculation. You may have noticed that ejaculation causes you to have a lower drive, energy, or bad mood. Pay attention next time you do ejaculate, and see if there are any unpleasant changes. Personally, after noticing this pattern the effects were pronounced, and I noticed heightened social anxiety, less confidence and more depression after ejaculating for at least a couple of days. (Note: in this post, I’m speaking to people who I’m assuming are new to SR. Ejaculation, at the very least, should no longer be a concern for those with experience with SR.)

For those who are skeptical about this increased energy - or rather, the lack of energy drainage - and don’t want to change their habits, there is something that you could try to dip your toe in the water, so to speak.

There is a process called “injaculation” in which you orgasm normally, but you press down on the perineum, which prevents the semen from leaving your body. If you press down on the right spot, it literally blocks the normal exit pathway, rerouting semen to your bladder where it can be safely reabsorbed by the body. This includes the many valuable nutrients and minerals contained in the semen, which take a long time to regenerate after ejaculation.

See section 3 onwards in the attached web page for some more detailed instructions on the practice.

If you practice injaculation, you will almost certainly notice a more consistent energy and sexual drive even immediately after orgasm. There will not be as large an energy depletion. Eventually you can get to the point where you just use your muscles to injaculate and don’t need to press down on that spot with your fingers. Doing this does not require you to change any of your habits, and it doesn’t do any harm, it only offers a potential benefit.

For those who are still slightly skeptical about SR “benefits” (i.e. a return to normal levels of energy and hormone balance), this may be a good starting practice to see whether you notice any difference in feeling after ejaculating vs. working to retain some of your body’s important substances. Please let me know if you have any questions.