Tantric Info

Once again, I go back to the topic of sex because it’s what the west pressumes about Tantra.  I’ve been searching the web looking for other people’s interpretations of Tantra and how it relates to sex.  I came across two blogs that touched on both subjects.

Check out the website Touch SA, and read this blog where the person writing says that “people generally associate the word tantra with massage”, she goes on to say  “In many ways I think it’s a term that’s become more of a hindrance than a help. But we’re stuck with needing words to communicate, and so I’ll try to clarify a little more.”

It is unclear what services this person actually does offer, but she states that she gets asked if she offers Tantric Massage.  I think this is a perfect example of the word is being misused, to such a degree that it puts people, who don’t identify with the practice, on the spot because of what the word implies.

On the other hand, I found this blog that offers a more concise explanation of what “Tantric Sex” is.  The author goes on to explain the differences between regular sex and “Tantric Sex”, which by the way sounds very intense and intimate.  This article is worth reading in order to gain perspective on the subject.

My question remains: is the word Tantra misused?  If so, by who?  Does this rob Tantra of any credibility as a spiritual practice?

That should grab your attention. I think it is important to discuss the matter of sex as it pertains to Tantra.

As I mentioned in the previous post, sex is what most westerners think about when the word Tantra is mentioned. Sex and kinky yoga positions is what I’ve heard most people say they associate Tantra with. But sex is just one part of the tantric experience.

In the tantric belief system, which is very similar to that of the Vedic and Hindu traditions, the Kundalini chakra or root chakra as it is commonly known, is the gateway to cosmic union. Kundalini sits at the bottom of the spine and is accessible via the sex organs. This is the portal to opening up, to enlightenment, the energy travels up the spine, through all the other chakras and up to the crown chakra where our energy connects with that of the universe.

This is just one of many facets of this complex system which is not specific to religion or morality. Tantra is not about the ritualization of sex, it is the ritualization of life itself. It teaches people to give meaning and attention to all aspects of experience, not just the sexual.

It’s very unfortunate how hung-up the West is on sex. And it’s even more unfortunate how Tantra has been appropriated by the sex industry. These days Tantra is usually code for prostitution, not with ritual, meditation, correct diet, etc.

We’ll be exploring the paths that Tantra took before making to the West. We’ll explore Taoist Tantra, Buddhist Tantra, and this thing called Neo-Tantra.

I have heard it said by some observers of Tantra in the West that we view and practice Tantra as the ritualization of sexual activity where as in the East, Tantra is the sexualization of ritual. Are we using Tantra as a way to assuaging our Christian guilt regarding our libido? Isn’t it ironic that we need to use religion to justify our need for sexuality and connect with ourselves and others in that manner, when in fact it is religion that is keeping us from doing so? Has this been your thinking as well? What is your understanding of Tantra, especially in your personal experience?