...abstinence

Sex as the ‘act of connecting with another being with your body, etc.’ ... so in this context ‘no sex’ would be no act at all…
Do I mean simply ‘not having sex’ (for no particular reason or choice)… or do I mean actually choosing to abstain from sex (for some specific reason) – as a form of asceticism?

It makes a difference you see…

‘No sex’ could mean not feeling a desire to connect, or it could mean not being able to connect, or it could mean not feeling separate in any way and therefore not feeling that ‘sex’ will help to bring any greater feeling of joy or oneness or pleasure… which is rare, but it can happen.

Sometimes ‘saints’ manifest this state of natural and spontaneous abstinence (and then unfortunately people may try to copy this behaviour forcibly, believing that it will make them more saintly or pure – which sometimes happens with priesthoods and disciples – and this can be the source of much suffering)...

Abstinence can be part of the Tantric path too, and can be used to help channel the 'life force'/'kundalini' up through the body, transforming our nervous system and our consciousness... Abstinence is however unnecessary when we learn to either direct the sexual energy, sublimate it, or fully integrate it as 'Divine'/'Source' energy without struggle...

But still one may feel that it is appropriate at times. I do not consider ‘left-hand’
Tantra (sexual alchemy with a partner) to be better or inferior to ‘right-hand’ Tantra (which involves only internal sublimation of the energy)…
Liberation, or Peace, is not a result of a specific system or discipline. It is expressed/‘realised’ through being ‘true to one’s nature’ – it cannot be gained by effort or discipline alone. This is why some spiritual traditions consider Grace to be at least as important as spiritual discipline.

Peter Littlejohn Cook