TANTRA
Originating in what is now modern India; Tantra is at least 5000-7000 or more years old, pre-dating and influencing both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Many religions believe you can have either physical pleasure or spiritual growth, but not both.
Tantra flatly disagrees, believing that physical and sensual pleasure are themselves the key to our spiritual growth; without one, you can’t have the other.
Tantra teaches us that we are here on this planet to have joy! A fullness of joy. However, many people misinterpret that. It is not hedonistic, selfish pleasure that brings us joy. Happiness is achieved through a fidelity to a worthy purpose in life. The great enduring qualities are love and compassionate service.
Tantrics believe working on our bodies can clear them of accumulated rubbish, enabling healing and re-integration with the surrounding spirit energy. Central to Tantra is its belief in this spirit or energy force, and that the universe – and us individually - are all filled with the same energy. Crucially, Tantrics believe that any repression of this energy leaves us unbalanced and damaged.
Tantra rejects the repressive, moralistic, self-denying code of living propounded by many religions, where our body’s sexual or sensual needs are met with guilt, more guilt, repression, denial and punishment. Where, when attention is paid to bodily needs, it’s usually aimed at avoidance, for example of disease or pregnancy. Little attention is paid to the development and expansion of our body’s sensuality; no teaching us how to embrace it, value it.
Tantrics believe that to grow as complete beings, blockages need clearing from both our physical and psychic systems. Most people accept the idea of physical systems. We all know we have a Liver, Heart, and Stomach for example - but psychic systems? Controversial - but nevertheless, most major religions, do believe that we are more than our physical body.
Tantrics believe that a powerful spirit energy, lives in our Base Chakra, situated between our legs. Once released, it rises through our system. If dormant, our knowledge is limited; aroused it allows the natural spiritual growth we should be experiencing.
This vital energy- Kundalini - is ‘fed’ along channels called Meridians. Any obstruction lessens energy flow, much as a kinked hose-pipe produces only a reduced water supply.
Many believe that one manifestation of the ‘Life Energy’ is the Aura. Whether it is actually an aura, with its quasi-religious overtones or ‘only’ electricity’ is, hotly debated. Some recent scientific research however confirms a generalised electromagnetic current around our body and that all tissue and each individual organ, such as the Heart and the Brain also generates an individual impulse. Is there a link between this comparatively recent research and the Tantric belief in the Chakra system - spinning wheels of energy, spiralling throughout our body, where the various aspects and levels of our ‘being’ are merged? When these energy centres function properly, Tantrics believe, so do we. As with the Meridians, however, factors such as lifestyle, conditioning, guilt, diet, prevent them from fully functioning. Once they’re ‘clogged’ we become sluggish, under-performing.
Tantrics, and some modern therapies, believe we have many such blockages and that trauma, such as remembered grief, pain, embarrassment, physical or emotional abuse, remains stored in our body. The effects of this early blocking continue throughout our life, reducing our well-being, our energy; we may, perhaps, constrict our throats because of childhood conditioning to ‘don’t cry,’ or ‘don’t shout’. Our pelvis may be rigid through our attempts to stifle our genital urges. Our anal sphincter may have tightened, and remain tight as the result of our early – and long forgotten- attempts to repress anger.
Tantra is a letting go, a sensual journey that can lead to astounding joy. Striving to be open and honest, it is an uplifting but disciplined approach to the body. It permits - encourages - a freedom to experience, experiment, enjoy and openly delight in our body in a way that we in the West can find in turns, alarming, exhilarating, shaming and - perhaps - ultimately liberating. The results of this openness, allied to it’s emphasis on the journey not the destination being important can be astounding for those used to concentrating on the journey’s end. It allows time for us to focus on our partner and their body’s varied sensations. Tantra has, few, if any, taboos, provided –and it is a big proviso – that whatever is done is done with mutual respect and unforced agreement. Power, coercion, emotional blackmail or exploitation is not acceptable in Tantra.
