what is tantra? how can I experience it in a session?

Tantra is one of the most important secrets ever discovered. But it is very delicate because it is the greatest art

To paint is easy, to create poetry is easy, but to create a communion with the energy of the other, a dancing communion, is the greatest and the most difficult art to learn

― Osho

TANTRA IS... KNOWN ONLY THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Tantra cannot be described to you with words.

You can only know Tantra through experiencing it - known as 'initiation'.

You can only know Tantra when you drop all you think that you already know - about yourself and the world around you - and surrender to what is.

This means coming to a session open to uncertainties.

Let go of any expectations about what the experience should be - be receptive to the touch, devour the sensations, receive whole-heartedly.

TANTRA IS... A SCIENCE

Tantra is not a religion. Tantra is a science - a series of investigations and observations where the body is the place of worship, the sacred temple.

This Tantra vision is one of the greatest visions ever dreamed by man: a religion without the priest, a religion without the temple, a religion without the organization; a religion which does not destroy the individual but respects individuality tremendously, a religion which trusts in the ordinary man and woman. And this trust goes very deep. Tantra trusts in your body; no other religion trusts in your body. And when religions don't trust in your body, they create a split between you and your body. They make you enemies of your bodies, they start destroying the wisdom of the body. Tantra trusts in your body. Tantra trusts in your senses. Tantra trusts in your energy. Tantra trusts in you – in toto. Tantra does not deny anything but transforms everything. ― Osho

The tantric view is that spirit can be experienced through the senses.

Tantra has no concept of morality - what is, simply is.

All is a part of the whole, light can only exist against darkness.

In Tantra, the lotus grows from the mud. All beauty has it's roots in the mud.

That is not to say the body is in any way 'filthy', but to explain Tantra's acceptance of all that is by many religions considered taboo. Tantra takes what the major religions don't want to deal with, the crude, the gross, the perverted... and offers them all as simply a part of existence, as much so as the holy, the beautiful, the saintly. It is all a part of one whole in tantric view, and through exploring and accepting the shadow side of yourself, you may rise authentically into your light.

Tantra says to know yourself... know all of yourself. Accept yourself - don't reject the parts that you don't like the look of thinking it will make you more holy... it will not.

Morality is concerned with ideals — how you should be, what you should be. Tantra says truth can happen to you only if you are grounded in the real. But to be grounded in the real you have to be very courageous with yourself.

― Osho

Tantra says... The lotus grows out of the mud. Let's plant the seeds we wish to see grow.

Let us transform fears and limitations around sexuality into something empowered and free, dissolving our shame and neediness, our tensions and obsessions.

Let us reclaim our bodies for ourselves along with our pleasures, our creativity, our joy...

TANTRA IS... A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE SEXUAL SELF

Tantra offers to bring a freedom from the constant pressure to release sexual tensions by learning to use sexual energy to charge your body with life and vitality using breath, pelvic floor muscles and inner visualizations. It is an experience built around mastering your inner realm. This can be very powerful internal technology.

Find ecstasy within yourself. It is not out there. It is in your innermost flowering.

The one you are looking for is you. ― Osho

TANTRA IS... THE ENERGETIC AS WELL AS THE PHYSICAL

A tantra massage opens an awareness of an energetic power source within -

allowing you to become aware of and sense your energy body as well as your physical body.

There is a lot of potential within these sessions - there is a possibility of an intitiation into Tantra.

Tantra massage is trying to show you something you don't already know - to expand you outside of the world you take for granted as being simply so... Tantra travels beyond the physical into a world of ENERGY. This is a new place, it works differently!

In your body, there exists a subtle current of electricity, very subtle. But the subtler it is, the deeper it goes. It is not very visible. Scientists say that all the electricity that is in your body, if put together, can be used to light a five-candle bulb. It is not much. Quantitatively it is not much, quantitatively the atom is not much, but qualitatively… If it explodes, it has tremendous energy in it. ― Osho

TANTRA IS... WEAVING

Tantra comes form the verb tantori, "to weave".

Tantra is actually about weaving... weaving together your darkness and your light, making yourself a whole being rather than a split - an iceberg with just part of it showing and the rest hidden... covered up... feared.

The specific idea in a tantra massage is to weave together the inner man with the inner woman - the YANG and the YIN - two halves of one whole.

The presence of a channeled sacred feminine on the outside of you can inspire this inner melding.

TANTRA IS... PRAYER

We are honouring the God and Goddess in each other - stepping up from our physical forms and into an all knowing respect for another part of spirit showing itself before us.

A tantra massage is a form of prayer,

TANTRA IS... WHEN EARTH MEETS HEAVEN

The human being is the connection between heaven and earth.

You will always be linking the sky surrounding you (those air molecules you barely notice constantly surrounding your physical form) with the earth beneath you (or it's pull of gravity if you are not literally touching it).

You are the possibility of the EARTH (yin) and SKY (yang) combining.

Within you is the melding, the alchemy...

TANTRA IS... SURRENDERING TO THE MOMENT

I will act as your guide as we fall into deep meditative bliss, as you open yourself to the intensity of the moment. I will stay grounded and stable within myself and my own energy, holding a healing space for you to express yourself however you need to.

TANTRA IS... CONNECTING WITH YOUR BODY

Come out of the head and into the body - being fully aware of what is being felt physically and emotionally. It won't always be joy and pleasure, often dark feelings can emerge as we become more and more self-aware. This is also welcome in a tantra massage, it is a part of growing into freedom . Becoming ecstatic means letting go of the more difficult parts of ourselves holding us back from such heights. I can accompany you outside of your comfort zone and into the shadow as well as the light within yourself.

TANTRA IS... LOVING YOURSELF THE WAY THAT YOU ARE

In a Tantra massage, there is the freedom to allow all parts of the body to be honored and touched with a loving energy.

The massage is particularly suited to those with fears around their body shape or their sexuality.

I will hold a safe and protective space for you to feel into yourself, and notice any shame or guilt that might come up around being seen in this way.

All types of bodies are lovingly welcomed in my sessions.

I particularly would like to invite anyone with a physical disability to let me know about any special requirements they may have to enjoy a session with me.

TANTRA IS... JOINING THE HEART AND THE SEX

The heart and sex are connected in the massage through energetic techniques.

A warmth to the sexual energy can be felt, a softness.

Through spending time opening up the flow of energy from the LINGAM (sanskrit for the male sex) or YONI (sanskrit for the female sex) out to the hands, the feet, the head, the heart - an intensity and aliveness can be felt within the body.

Sexual energy may travel further than it might normally thanks to the long preparation and the special attention in the tantra massage ritual to continually spreading out energy as it builds. This charges the whole body rather than limiting energy build-up only to the pelvic area. The idea here is to find and ride the PLEASURE WAVE.

TANTRA IS... RELAXATION AND EXCITEMENT - THE EBB AND FLOW

In Tantra there is a deep and intense connection between giver and receiver - they sway gently together in the same sea, dancing to the same tune, in harmony with all that is. It can be a beautiful feeling of bliss, no need to go anywhere, achieve anything - just being together in that moment is enough.

You may find yourself feeling aroused while also wonderfully relaxed and meditative.

The inner woman and man (yin and yang) ignite as you let go of control and just be. In the middle.

Then the Kundalini may rise.

This is the tantric definition of our sexuality: the return to absolute innocence, absolute oneness. The greatest sexual thrill of all is not a search for thrills, but a silent waiting – utterly relaxed, utterly mindless. One is conscious, conscious only of being conscious. One is consciousness. One is contented but there is no content to it. And then there is great beauty, great benediction. ― Osho

TANTRA IS... A JOURNEY

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Inspiration for parts of this article were taken from:

John Hawken's Tantra Massage Training Group Discussion (4th year)