Tantra:Sex

tantra                          

Question:What is Tantra?

Answer:Tantra is a beautiful, practical spiritual approach that seeks to see the divine in every aspect of the world. Rather than attempting to find God by withdrawing from the senses, Tantric practices are designed to raise the practitioner’s level of consciousness so the universal can be realized in every individual expression of life. The beauty of Tantra is its lack of dogmatism. Rather than preaching one way to enlightenment, Tantra draws on wisdom from many branches of Eastern spiritual traditions including yoga, Ayurveda and mantra chanting.

The sexual aspect of Tantra has received the most attention in the West. With its emphasis on the power of the feminine creative force, known as Shakti, Tantric practices are designed to raise sexual energy to higher levels. Although some Western teachers have focused on Tantric techniques to prolong lovemaking, the real purpose of Tantra is to channel the life force energy to accelerate emotional and spiritual unfoldment.
In Tantric lovemaking, partners focus on seeing the other as an expression of divinity. Particularly for the man, the goal of Tantra shifts from achieving sexual organism to directly experiencing the
power of the feminine force. Visualizing primordial energy (kundalini) moving through the seven major energy centers (chakras) allows partners to connect emotionally and spiritually as well as sexually. Whenever the man feels that he is about to reach a climax, the couple stops all movement, and waits for the energy to settle down. Tantric lovemaking uses all the senses to stay conscious of the process. Partners should regularly connect in each other’s eyes and practice playing with sexual energy, without wasting it. For Western men, learning to move sexual energy out of the genitals and into higher levels of the physiology is a new experience. At first, it will seem difficult to change the usual pattern of arousal quickly leading to ejaculation, but with a little practice, most men feel empowered by the developing ability to more consciously choose how to use their sexual energy.

Tantra will enhance any relationship, for it keeps passion at a simmering level. Men find themselves continuously attracted to their partners and women enjoy the honoring and attention they receive. When practiced with genuine commitment, Tantra can help create a relationship that is making love all the time, even if sex is only engaged in occasionally. For more information on sexual Tantra, check
out Margo Anand’s books, The Art of Sexual Ecstasy and The Art of Sexual Magic (published by Tarcher/Putnam). For insight into the profound spiritual approaches of the Tantric tradition, read Harish Johari’s book, Tools for Tantra (published by Destiny Books). Have fun, expand your awareness and practice safe sex.