The Book of Ecstasy: Opening Yourself Up to Erotic Energy--In All Its Forms

A bold and healing guide to rediscovering ecstasy through sex, spirit, and radical self-acceptance

A fully revised and expanded edition of the cult classic Ecstasy Is Necessary

From Barbara Carrellas, trailblazing author of the beloved Urban Tantra, comes The Book of Ecstasy, a fully revised and expanded edition of her cult classic Ecstasy Is Necessary. With warmth, clarity, and compassion, Carrellas reclaims ecstasy as a deeply personal and accessible experience of joy, aliveness, and connection--not something reserved for mystics or perfect bodies, but available to anyone willing to listen to their own truth. This is a book for anyone who has ever felt left out of mainstream conversations about sex, pleasure, or identity--especially those seeking "something more" beyond the norm.

Addressing vital topics such as boundaries, consent, and neurodiversity, The Book of Ecstasy also explores what happens when ecstasy feels impossible--or too overwhelming to manage. Carrellas writes for those who are healing from trauma, navigating illness, or mourning the loss of their old sexual selves, while also naming and normalizing powerful energetic and emotional states that are often misunderstood.

Blending practical tools, spirituality, and decades of embodied experience, this book offers a fiercely inclusive and radically affirming path to ecstasy--for every body, in every season of life.

Author: Barbara Carrellas
Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials
Published: 08/11/2026
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781250396839

About the Author

Barbara Carrellas is the founder of Urban Tantra(R), an approach to conscious sexuality that adapts and blends a wide variety of sacred sexuality practices from Tantra to BDSM. She is the author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-first Century--the world's first LGBTQ+-inclusive Tantric sex book, Ecstasy is Necessary: A Practical Guide to Sex, Relationships and Oh So Much More, and Luxurious Loving. Her books, workshops, and lectures are an eclectic mix of sexual and spiritual practices designed to encourage readers and participants of all genders and sexual preferences to expand their capacity for both pleasure and spiritual fulfillment.

Urban Tantra(R) is an international community, a philosophy, and an inclusive conscious sexuality practice that supports both personal and professional goals. Barbara is also the founder of the Urban Tantra(R) Professional Training Program, a comprehensive training program in the practice and application of conscious sexuality. She is also the co-founder of Erotic Awakening, a pioneering series of workshops focusing on the physical, spiritual and healing powers of sex. She was named Best Tantric Sex Seminar Leader in New York City by Time Out/NY Magazine, and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sexual Freedom Awards in London. Barbara is a proud graduate of the Coney Island Sideshow School with a double major in fire eating and snake handling.