What Is Tantra?

I had read many books, articles and spoke to numerous people about Tantra, but I was confused with contradictions.

I didn’t have a clear understanding of what is Tantra. It was too abstract and theoretical. I wanted to experience it, feel it, and immerse myself in it.

Most importantly, I wanted to know if there was a way I could combine love, meditation and sexuality. Intuitively, I felt these were all connected.

Personal experience is the best teacher. I decided to join 150 people from 22 countries in Thailand for a week long workshop which combined the teachings of Tao and Tantra.

Today, I am only going to share my Tantric experience.

I was pleased to discover actual methods of Tantric practices that included a variety of body works to better understand, “self”.

The body works included:

Learning how to breathe deeply from my belly to help connect with my physical sensations and learn how to amplify those sensations. The most immediate way to build up energy in the body is to increase the intake of oxygen by breathing more deeply and fully.

Learning how to circulate my breath through each chakra to create a harmonious balance.

Understanding blocks in my body (my block at the time was intimacy). I had a session with a Tantra therapist, and by placing his hands on each chakra he was able to tell my intimacy chakra was out of balance. He was right.

Learning the art of giving and receiving without any expectations. There were two evenings dedicated to giving and receiving.

The first evening I was receiving my partner’s sensual touch. The following evening I was giving by touching him slowly and sensually.

For the entire week, it wasn’t about having sex, in fact it was recommended, NOT to have sex and to simply enjoy the art of giving and receiving pleasure through manual (using our hands) stimulation.

There was also a live demonstration of a sacred spot massage, which included tears, laughter, and release of negative energy.

My biggest takeaways:

1) Touch With Awarness

I learned how to touch slowly and sensually. I learned how to receive his touch without analyzing it. I closed my eyes and released myself to his caress. This is when I felt each fiber of my body awaken to pleasure.

2) Quiet the Mind

I learned how to “quiet” the left hemisphere of my brain (the logical side). Instead, I allowed myself to feel how my body responded to my breath, my energy flow and my partners’ touch.

3) Sexual Energy

I learned how to feel my sexual energy throughout my body rather than only in my genitals. Having sexual energy is a function of being alive.

By just laying there, breathing and relaxing, my body felt so light after a few minutes. My senses were amplified. I started to smell the candles, the oil, and everything else around me.

The sharp intensity in my genitals turned into a feeling of relaxing into pleasure. My body started to enjoy the smallest tingles.

Tantra means technique. Everything we learned were techniques to go deeper with awareness. Tantra allows us to relax the body, open our heart and bring our mind into clear focus.

True surrender is a conscious choice made from free will. I learned how to embrace every situation whether pleasant or unpleasant as an opportunity to learn more about my self.

The practice of Tantra does involve sexuality but the ultimate goal isn’t to become a great performer in bed, instead it’s a way of expanding inwards and gaining a deeper understanding of ones “self.” It taught me to listen to my body instead of ignoring it.

As with each experience, I take what I feel comfortable practicing and what works for me, but always staying open to learning and expanding.

These week-long workshops only offer a small glimpse to vast possibilities for those who want to go deeper. When I returned home, I bought this book to learn more about Classical Tantra.