TANTRIC SEXUALITY

Tantra is a spiritual science originating in India. It is a branch of Yoga and aims to cultivate sexual energy. As in Chinese Dao, Tantra presents various breathing, meditation and movement practices through which a person can activate, develop and cultivate their sexual energy in a healthy way. These practices can be performed as a couple as well as alone. At first, tantra practice was performed alone, and then couple exercises were introduced.

Today in our society tantra is seen only as a form of having sex. Although there are sexual practices in Tantra, they are only a small part of what Tantra really is. Tantra does not focus on sex itself, it focuses on awakening and cultivating sexual energy. This can be cultivated by oneself without entering into a sexual act, both individually and with a partner.

In Tantra, sexual energy is called Kundalini energy. This energy is located in hip area in a latent form. As in the practices of Dao and Tantra, this Kundalini energy is desired to be awakened and raised up the spine into the head.

Tantra also introduces the notion of chakra, which represents an internal energy centre. The human being has an internal energy system composed of seven main chakras. Each chakra represents a certain expression of human functionality and experience.

The seven chakras are:

1) Muladhara located in the perineum and represents Survival.

2) Swadhisthana located below the navel and represents Creativity and Sexuality.

3) Manipura located in the solar plexus and represents Will.

4) Anahata located in the centre of the chest and represents Love.

5) Vishuddha located in the throat and represents Communication.

6) Ajna located in the forehead and represents Inspiration and the Third Eye.

7) Sahasrara located on the top of the head and represents the Crown and Connection with the Divine.

Through tantric practice, man wants to activate his Kundalini energy and raise it through all seven chakras. In this way he activates and opens each individual chakra and, in this way, improves his life in all its aspects. Sexual energy is the best fuel to activate and open the seven chakras. Also, sexual energy is the necessary fuel for man to be able to tighten his connection with the Divine.

Sexuality is an interesting method of raising the Kundalini energy in the head. It is a more recent method of Tantra that has gained a lot in popularity. The reason is simple, the human being is biologically programmed to be sexual. No matter how much you want to inhibit your sexual desire, you’ll still wake up once with a bonner, if you’re a man, and with your pussy tingling, if you’re a woman.

In Tantra, the body is considered divine and a vehicle or instrument to achieve Divine Communion, to be one with the Spiritual Universe. Followers of Tantra understood that Kundalini energy is most strongly stimulated during sexual arousal. Sexuality provides a large amount of Kundalini energy to work with, but at the same time it is much harder to work with because it can easily get out of control. Through sex, man has the most intense physical, emotional and spiritual experiences. Normally, this energy is lost through discharge during sexual intercourse and does not pass above the second chakra. Continuous loss of Kundalini energy shortens life and degrades vitality and health.

Tantra offers a different view of sexuality. It is not an act of physical pleasure between two people, but a union between the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine. There is no emphasis on orgasm and ejaculation in men and ejaculation in women are prohibited. It is desired that the emphasis be placed on the state of communion, of unification with the other. The pair form a united team and help each other raise the sexual energy generated in the body. Attention is always kept on the spiritual and emotional level. Feelings of love are essential in Tantra. You cannot practice Tantra without love. It’s like driving a car without gas. In Tantra, there are various love practices that can be done during intercourse and before intercourse.

The most important aspect between partners is their degree of closeness, how comfortable and open they feel with each other. The intensity of love between them is the determining factor. Intimacy is the first step to being able to harmonize properly during intercourse. The freer and more natural they feel with each other, the more open their channels of sexual energy will be and the more powerful and transformative they will be able to experience their sexual energy. There are various meditative practices of love in which eye gazing, breathing, touching, movement, speaking and honouring the partner are used. In these practices, awakening, growth and exchange of feelings of love between the two partners are desired.

There is a practice called Heart to Heart, where partners sit down on their bottoms facing each other and place their right hand on their partner’s chest. With the left hand they receive the right hand on the chest and continuously look into each other’s eyes. With the right hand one gives and with the left hand one receives. Looking intensely into each other’s eyes, they both turn their attention to their hearts and focus on the feeling of love they feel for each other. They begin to move this feeling of love from one heart to another. With their intention, the feeling of love comes out of the heart and goes through the right hand to the partner’s heart. Through the right, love is given to the partner and through the left, love is received from the partner. This flow of love is created between the two hearts, which charge each other. The purpose of the exercise is to harmonize the two hearts, to increase the love between the partners and to bring them closer in sexuality.

After intimacy practices are foreplay practices. Here, in the same way, the creation of greater sexual openness and energization is desired. The foreplay involves a lot of kissing, licking and sucking various parts of the body including the sexual organs. Partners are aware that their partner’s body is sacred, and they revere it and treat it with a lot of love and respect. The man (Shiva) is a source of Divine Masculine Energy and has the Lingam (Wand of Light) as his sexual instrument. Woman (Shakti) is a source of Divine Feminine Energy and has the Yoni (Sacred Space) as her sexual instrument. Through these divine sexual instruments and through the rest of the body, one can drink from the partner’s sexual energy. During oral sex and foreplay there is a strong exchange of sexual energy. The man is charged with feminine energy and the woman with masculine energy. In this way, the partners polarize and balance each other, which will make it very easy for them to have sexual intercourse through penetration.

Tantra provides guidance during penetration in raising the generated sexual energy to the head. Basically, it’s the same as solo practice. It is desired that the energy from the basin be moved up the spine into the head. In this way, the Kundalini Sexual Energy reaches the Crown Chakra and unites with the Divine Universe. Continence (retention of ejaculation) is essential. It takes a long time to generate a lot of sexual energy and raise it in the head to achieve Spiritual Communion. Through continence one can reach many hours in a sexual act. The intention of the partners is also very important. During sexual intercourse, they cultivate more and more the feeling of love towards each other. Through this love, they want to unite with each other and then with the Universe.

There is a lot to talk about the practices of Tantra, both sexual and non-sexual. I wish to offer my general view of these practices, so that anyone reading this article can get some idea of what some of the tantric teachings mean. Those who feel attracted by what I have presented above, can look for more detailed information and even start a certain practice, or take a Tantra course or go to a Tantra retreat.

I will present some Tantra teachings and practices in my online sexuality course, which can be found in the Courses section.