Tantra is a system that comes from India and developed around the 5th century, reaching its peak around 1200. Some point to the 4th Buddha, Saraha, as the enlightened human who first learned Tantra from a female arrowsmith. She shared the incredible magic and wisdom of Shiva and Shakti’s teachings. Tantra seeks to find balance in opposites. The merging of masculine and feminine, light and dark, and fierce and graceful aspects of nature. Tantra supports the liberation of the mind and body as they merge. It seeks to remove the divisions that keep us from our full magnificence.
Tantra is a holistic approach to living life and finding union in communication, emotions, spirituality, psychology, sexuality, psychic ability, self-healing relationships, and material success. It includes sacred art (Yantra), music (Mantra or Japa), movement (yoga or mudra), advanced breathing (pranayama), and so much more. This sacred practice is vast in scope. Those first learning Tantra may be confused due to its rich history of mysticism and ritual.
The more one explores learning Tantra, the more one can find libraries of ancient texts, scriptures, and sutras. It’s deeply rooted in (now known as) Hindu deities and tradition, ancient aboriginal practices, and yogic approaches. The teachings of Mahamudra Tantra release many from the need to put Tantra into a specific box. It offers the freedom to explore and experience life in full awareness, bliss, and ecstasy while succeeding in all areas of life. To witness, we are not ruled by karma but rather allow karma to be our teacher as we learn each footstep on this planet creates a ripple effect.
Living in blissful moments of awareness allows less karmic debt to be gathered, as our eyes are more open to seeing both the inner and outer universe. Seeing all that life offers a powerful insight that guides us towards simple joy and bliss. The simplest things in life can seem so complicated. Moving out of our way is key to fully unlocking the secrets of Tantra. You have most likely already experienced the beautiful nature this life has to offer.
Tantra gives us the roadmap to experience this more often, and with the practice of total awareness, we can obtain life in a constant state of ecstatic nature. A significant movement in the West over the past 40 years has illuminated Tantra after years of being kept in great secrecy. Social norms have created a population that has repressed the natural and sacred aspects of sexuality. Tantra offers clear wisdom for using sexual energy in all aspects of life. As social transformation occurs, more and more people look to be educated in higher sexual energy arts. As this information becomes more available, the context of Tantric wisdom has been somewhat diluted, and techniques of advanced sexual union have come to the forefront.
Most Western beginning students of Tantra are looking to receive sexual techniques that will allow them to become better lovers or experience more sexual pleasure. Although this is a wonderful residual effect of practicing Tantra, the totality of Tantra is often overlooked. Connecting to and using sexual energy is like tapping into an endless source of electricity. Keeping this electricity at the source wastes the full potential of using this energy across the
body. Nevertheless, Tantra allows us to create and move this energy and look at things that might limit it to correct it. Using this same metaphor, Tantra’s full practice allows us to transform and grow as we can produce more positive electricity.
Tantra FAQ’s
The answer is yes, and so much more. Sex is a minimal aspect of Tantra, yet it is potent all the same. To understand why Tantra and sex are related, a new definition of sex is needed. Tantra explores sex far beyond the act. Tantra rarely speaks about the act; it’s more the meditative, magical, and energetic aspects to speak to. Sex is often a way to reach no-mindedness and enter into the place of all creation.
Yes, but why limit yourself to just great sex when you can have a great life? Pleasure is just a part of it. Tantra has three levels of experience: pleasure, joy, and bliss. Pleasure is external, Joy is internal, and bliss is spiritual. This is an essential part of understanding sexual teaching in Tantra. Not all pleasure brings us joy. Not all joy leads us to bliss. So, one increases pleasure and stays aware of what brings us joy. Being mindful of the state of joy unlocks bliss. I know it sounds overly simple; that’s because it is simple.
There are practices of Tantra that do not include sexual teachings, as many might think. Even in celibate Tantric practices, the use of sexual energy is still taught. It is just used for your own spiritual growth. Today, there are three main areas of teaching…
White Tantra– a very spiritual approach that includes ritual, pure, self-practice, yoga, breathing, Mudra, chanting, and esoteric studies. More internal and very Zen-like.
Red Tantra- tribal, sexual, hedonistic, heavily emphasizing ritual, esoteric, and earthly. Takes more of an external, natural perspective.
Pink Tantra- A more modern, western hybrid of white and red Tantra. It has become very popular with a New Age movement as it attempts to merge spiritual and sexual practices in a seamless form. Seen as taking the best of both worlds Tantra has to offer.
The life path of Tantra is not for everyone. I like to think of it this way… if you go to martial arts class for one month, you will not come away with a black belt; however, you may learn a few techniques you could use for the rest of your life. Tantra is the same; you can explore multiple lifetimes of lessons, but there are also straightforward and practical techniques that will support your life today. So the answer is no, you don’t have to commit to anything. However, you might find it fun to commit to a practice that supports every aspect of your well-being.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary lists five different meanings of the word “cult”:
1. formal religious veneration. Worship.
2. system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents
3. a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents
4. a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5. a great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially: such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
Similarly, the Random House dictionary lists: 1. a particular system of religion, especially with referring to its rites and ceremonies 2. a group that devotes itself or venerates a person, ideal, fad, etc. 3. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist 4. the members of such a religion or sect
So sure, you could say that Tantra is a cult, but most people don’t use Cult in this way. It is usually about anything that is counterculture to Orthodox Christian-type beliefs or those who are psychologically and more financially exploited by a group or an individual. Tantra can be perceived by many as a negative type of cult due to their lack of knowledge or education. Most people who practice Tantra are very empowered individuals who seek to connect deeper with other Tantricas because of the profound experiences one can have with one on the Tantric path. Some take this to extremes; like any extreme, it can become extremist. Many modern Tantricas seek to experience the middle path, the path of non-duality.
Yes! Tantra is very much about the inner journey. The more one begins to identify with the internal, the more one offers in a relationship. The idea here is learning to love yourself more gives you a greater ability to love others. Clearing the path and having a deep personal relationship with yourself has huge benefits. Very much of the Tantric wisdom available supports Tantra without a partner. Self-practice is still a significant part of Tantra, even if you are in a relationship.
Yes! Tantra works on the principle of polarity, and most same-sex relationships follow polarity. One of the wonderful aspects that appeals to many about Tantra is that it offers great wisdom for maintaining healthy relationships. That starts with a relationship with you. The truth is relationships are relationships. Tantra is beneficial for all people.
Nothing and everything. Normal sex is great. It feels good and allows us to connect deeply to who we are with. It’s pleasurable, passionate, and exciting. Tantric sex expands on more than just the pleasurable aspects of sex and takes it more to an intense and rich level. It merges spirituality and sexuality as one. It allows you to have profound experiences that are more constant. It heightens your awareness beyond the normal levels and enhances overall well-being. It takes pleasure to a whole new place. It offers extreme healing, deep integration, and huge awakenings. The more one experiences Tantric sex, the more possibilities of releasing limitations that are decades old, maybe even centuries old. It provides an opportunity for core issues in our psychology to be eliminated so that we may be in our full God/Goddess state. Physically speaking, Tantric sex allows us to extend lovemaking and interpersonal connections. It’s a deeper way to communicate. The teachings go into detail about the benefits of surrendering and flowing your energy, relaxing your body, breathing, and using sound while moving your body in sexual union while having greater awareness and non-judgment. It offers people a greater possibility to become multi-orgasmic and explore the esoteric nature of sexuality. It calls for greater intuition as a lover and releases us from limiting goals. It is also an opportunity to explore spirituality in a rich, organic way.
No. Tantra offers excellent wisdom and techniques to support you in maintaining high orgasmic states found just before ejaculation. It means being able to ride the orgasmic wave rather than having the wave crash on you. Extending this area of orgasmic peaks becomes just as addictive as the feeling of ejaculation release. Allowing yourself to master the moment of ejaculation is beneficial to yourself and your partner. In your ability to extend their pleasure, a sharing is created. Ejaculation is a sacred offering. Becoming more aware and mastering your ability to decide when to ejaculate is a skill that offers benefits on many levels. This is called ejaculation mastery. It’s your choice.
