Tantra
What is Tantra?
Saiva Tantra or Kashmiri Saivism is a profound spiritual system that was practiced in India in the Classical period.
The fundamental belief in Tantra is that enlightenment is possible in one's current lifetime irrespective of one's caste, profession or status in society. Also, one need not become a monk for achieving it.
Many spiritual systems flourished in India. But kinship and access to their practices were limited only to some castes considered privileged and people with social status. Tantra evolved as a sociopolitical revolt of the middle class which was excluded from access to such kinship.
There are many traditions of Tantra. Central to most of them is the concept of Shiva, the God of pure unmanifest Consciousness and Shakti, the Goddess with the creative potential. The Tantric view is that the world was created out of the love and sexual union of Shiva and Shakti.
The Tantric theory of creation is erotic. But sexual practices were only a small part of Tantra.
The Victorians who stumbled across Tantra in India were more intrigued by its erotic aspects and also mistakenly connected it with the Kama Sutra (Kama Sutra was not a Tantric Text). This led to Tantra being popular mainly as a system of sexual practices.
Since then, the Western world has combined Tantra with other philosophies and cultures, through which different flavors of Tantra have emerged. It continues to evolve based on the times, teachers and practitioners.
Tantra is primarily a practice of personal liberation. It considers the human body and life on earth as a concrete manifestation of divine energy.
Tantra is a unique spiritual system that can be credited with social and gender equality. The divine feminine is worshiped as the ultimate and all creation is seen as different manifestations of her desires and the same as her(Read Christopher Wallis).
Saiva Tantra relies elaborately on rituals, mantra, yantra, meditation, karanas(postures), visualization and breathing practices. Practicing or working with a Tantrik teacher can elevate your experience of life while giving it meaning as well as making it joyful.
Modern Tantra is different from Classical Saiva Tantra. It is also popularly known as Sacred Sexuality. If you can pursue sex without guilt and also use it as a vehicle for spirituality, why not?
The sensual experience of sex can be magnified through the Tantric practices of mindfulness, connection, slowing down, rhythmic breathing etc. (Read Barbara Carrellas)
Modern Tantra recognizes that we live in the body and sexuality is a fundamental part of human existence. Sensual experiences of the body are an effective and legitimate path to enlightenment.
The application of Tantric sex techniques can greatly improve other areas of one's life and can open the path to spirituality. Modern Tantra is an embodied spiritual practice with the most common entry point being sex.
It can be an orgasmic path to fulfillment, practical spirituality where people need it most.
The principles and practices of Tantra are used to heal trauma, shame, guilt, the negative effects of suppression and help people of all genders to experience the full pleasure and potential of life.
The practices include purifying energy centers through a combination of breathing/energy practices, rituals, dialogue, bodywork, visualization and meditation.
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