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Upon reading Miranda Shaw's
wonderful book, Passionate Enlightenment, I felt inspired
to to write about the meaning of tantra. Throughout
the course of my work with clients, I have found
that there a number of common misconceptions
that limit people's exploration of tantra and
prevent them from experiencing the joy and ecstasy
that are possible.
Some of
the common myths are:
- Tantra
is simply a collection of sexual techniques
to heighten pleasure.
- It
is possible to learn tantra without exploring
the psyche and healing emotional wounds.
- You
need a sexual partner to practice tantra.
- Tantric
practices are mostly for men.
The
truth is that tantra is a practice for heightening
sexual energy so that it can be utilized for
spiritual growth and healing. For practitioners,
passion becomes the "fuel" for the
cultivation of compassion and non-attachment,
as higher states of awareness are achieved.
As you cultivate these qualities, you experience
longer and more intense ecstatic states because
you are connecting to universal energy.
In
order to experience this kind of ecstasy it
is important to clear the path in your body
- and that means healing emotional wounds stored
in your cellular memory. With the guidance of
an instructor, you can dissolve the barriers
that limit you and find a whole new level of
freedom in your body and mind.
Tantric practices can be done
alone or with a partner, whatever is most appropriate
for you. Some practices are designed specifically
for men and others are specifically for women.
The idea is to gain mastery of your energy so
that you become an empowered individual capable
of creating conscious loving relationships.
In addition, tantra places an emphasis on igniting
the woman's shakti (female sexual energy) which
is seen as the creative doorway to the divine
and therefore a sacred gift to men.
For tantra practitioners every
day is Valentine's Day – whether or not
you have a lover. The practice of tantra is about celebrating
love and cherishing sexual energy as divine.
Imagine how your life would change if you could
embrace this view!
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