Tantra helps us to see our self-created limitations, both conscious and unconscious, and then to expand beyond those limits.
Tantra, more than any other teaching is shrouded in myth and misunderstanding. In the West tantra is often misunderstood. This happened due to the fact that Tantra has traditionally been taught in secret thus its true essence was not understood by those without proper initiation. Over the years different theories and teachings about this path were formed. This article will aim to provide more clarity around what tantra is and isn’t.
Tantra Defined
Tantra is a philosophy, a science, an art, a way of life, and an ancient system of rituals and techniques that use the forces of creative and sexual energy to expand and raise consciousness.
Tantra is a Sanskrit word with several meanings, the most common ones being ‘to weave’ or a ‘technique or system’.
The word Tantra comes from the Sanskrit “tanoti” (to expand, extend, stretch) and “trayati” (to liberate or free).
Tantra is often interpreted as The Path of Transformation.
Tantra is the practice of self-realization that helps us evolve beyond our blockages and limiting beliefs. Tantra helps us to see our self-created limitations, both conscious and unconscious, and then expand beyond those limits.
Tantra is not a religion; it is a path to love and the awakening of consciousness.
Tantra, in its broadest form, has always existed, and elements of tantric exploration can be found in ancient cultures around the world, with varying forms and expressions of similar core concepts. Tantra as it is commonly discussed today is a weaving of various Eastern teachings, with deep roots in Indian Hinduism, Chinese Taoism, and Tibetan Buddhism. There are many forms and lineages today that stem from these ancient traditions.
Tantra seeks to balance polarities and to unionize body and mind, feminine and masculine, sexuality and spirituality. It largely focuses on presence, awareness, and connection to the breath — the bridge between body and mind, the unconscious and the conscious. Tantra is a holistic approach to life that involves yoga, breath work, mantra, yantra, sexuality, spirituality, and so much more.
What brings people to Tantra?
We can single out two main motives.
One of them is spiritual growth. Another, much more mundane and more common is the search for love, self-awareness, sexuality, relationship harmony.
It may seem strange that in our overly sexualized society, sexuality and freely expressed feelings remain one of the biggest prohibitions, fears, and taboos.
Still, for many people, sexuality is a scary thing, and tantra events are attended with both trepidation and curiosity. Even the very word “Tantra” provokes various ideas related to sex.
Although people desire to experience themselves, live freely, enjoy their sexuality, they are also afraid.
Sexuality is a delicate area and we often don’t even realize how many wounds we carry around sex. Instead of accepting our sexuality as a fact, as an energy from which we draw strength, we begin to either deny it (“sexuality doesn’t matter to me, it’s not in me at all and I don’t care!”) or overemphasize (“I don’t care about anything but sex!”).
In both cases, these are only poses, masks that hide deep pain. Often, what we feel (or rather, don’t feel) we don’t even directly associate with sexuality. It just seems that life is gray, tasteless and odorless, that it crawls by, and we only watch helplessly, without the strength to live, that we do not know what we would like to live for, where we have scattered our joy, vitality, creativity, that we cannot and do not want to live like this.
The way of Tantra is the way of Love. Lauren Tindall
When we can allow ourselves to be who we are. When can we taste Life without fear, shame and control. When we can feel joy just by holding a loved one’s hand. When we live without waiting for anything and without taking anything, without forcing or obliging anyone. When we are relaxed, calm, joyful and creative regardless of external circumstances. When a relationship provides spiritual, physical, mental and emotional satisfaction. All this we can call Tantra. Seems simple? Yes, but here lies the big secret. Being simple is not that simple at all…
Why choose Tantra?
To learn and benefit deeply from Tantra, we must practice being still, undistracted. When we are smelling the rose, we smell the rose and nothing else. Every moment in our lives can be shaped by Tantra, can be lived in fullness and acceptance. It is indeed a practice of growth and path of metamorphosis.
With Tantra we are taking the mind and body as cauldron, we add feeling, mind, elements and world as alchemical ingredients, our imagination informed by divine power as catalyst to create powerful transformation.
Tantra is a path of tremendous power. This power is not easy to use without getting burned by it. Yet at the same time it is a path of great joy.
As we reclaim our power learning to work with energy consciously and lovingly, we birth a whole new world into existence!
I am open to the fullness of who I am. This is Tantra.
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