Posts Categorized: Tantra philosophy

  Breathing in Tantric Massage. Is it an erotic practice?   The breath is all important. When we stop breathing, we die. Yet how many of us are really aware of our breathing ?   A rapid, shallow “stress breath”, breathing from the chest, prepares us to fight or flee. It is part of the autonomic nervous system response to stress. It stops us from feeling, as our attention is directed towards the external threat.Our digestion stops and sexual response is inhibited. All our mental energy is directed towards the external environment – we disassociate, we feel shut down, frozen and numb.   Shallow breathing allows us to shut down our emotions so that we can fight or flee more effectively.   When we learn to breathe from the belly, or from the diaphragm, which is how we are meant to breathe, we also feel a fuller range of emotions   Deep full breathing can also release tears and laughter. Simply acknowledging and breathing into a feeling, can clear it.   Through deep breathing, we can learn to practice detachment, with mindful awareness of our emotions – and this is very empowering.   The practice of conscious breathing can alleviate… Read more »

Tantra is probably the one of India’s yoga traditions which has become the most sensational, exotic and dramatic. It has come to fascinate the mind of the modern western world and has been interpreted in the most bizarre and entertaining ways. Tantra seems to offer us everything – plenty of heightened pleasure in sex, money, healing, in fact there are tantra methods for achieving all human desires. And what is more, one doesn’t have to renounce anything or become an ascetic as in other yoga traditions, because tantra is supposed to encompass everything. However, as in all things, we need to learn discrimination. We need to find out the difference between real Tantra and the superficial distortions which have become the norm in popular culture and are easily found everywhere. But how to tell who is a genuine teacher? The ‘New Age’ has embraced Tantra. There are so-called spiritual teachers on every street corner nowadays.New Age approaches to massage, body work, pranic healing etc. may have health benefits, but they do not lead to the deeper understanding and experience which require intense spiritual practices of meditation, mantras, pranayama…. True Tantric teachings are extremely deep and profound and include some of… Read more »

  ‘A Search In Secret India’ by Paul Brunton – excerpts   Paul Brunton  (1898-1981) was a British philosopher, mystic and traveller. His ‘Search in Secret India’ and the other books he wrote, had a major influence on the spread of Eastern yoga and mysticism to the West. Here he is putting questions to Ramana Maharshi:   “You mean that it is perfectly possible to conduct such mental investigation into oneself?” “Assuredly! It is possible to go inwards until the last thought ‘I ‘ gradually vanishes.”     What is left?” I query. “Will a man then become quite unconscious, or will he become an idiot?” “Not so! On the contrary, he will attain that consciousness which is immortal, and he will become truly wise, when he has awakened to his true self, which is the real nature of man.”   “But surely the sense of ‘ I’ must also pertain to that?” I persist. “The sense of ‘ I’ pertains to the person, the body and brain,” replies the Maharishee calmly.   ” When a man knows his true self for the first time, something else arises from the depths of his being and takes possession of him. That… Read more »

                I thought about the above quote today, because we had a client who asked me about tantra practice.  When I asked him what he meant, his answer was that he didnt at present, have a partner. This answer didnt really make sense to me, and I told him that I thought he should think about what he was really trying to say. In my opinion, the majority of clients who come to us for a tantric massage really want a nice sensual massage. or erotic massage. And there is nothing wrong with that. But some of them dont like to admit it, and use all the tantric terminology, without really understanding it – maybe because they feel shy or embarrassed, and this is their way of covering up that uncomfortable feeling.  Very few are really interested in Tantra in the true sense. And that is also fine. But I do think that it is good to be honest with oneself. Because only then can we feel comfortable in our own skin. Here is a lovely quote from Ramana Maharshi, when he was questioned in his ashram: Visitor: What is the method to… Read more »

  Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj said : ‘As long as you identify yourself with body and mind, you are bound to suffer; realize your independence and remain happy. I tell you, this is the secret of happiness. To believe that you depend on things and people for happiness is due to ignorance of your true nature; to know that you need nothing to be happy, except self-knowledge, is wisdom.’ Nisargadatta Maharaj

  This being human is a guest house by Rumi Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all ! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out but some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rumi (13th Century Sufi Saint)

                        Maybe the majority of you who come and receive a tantric massage are not really concerned about the kundalini. You come to receive a relaxing and reviving tantric massage and you are more interested in the experience than all the theory But I have to set the record straight, from my point of view because I have  seen so many websites stating that the purpose of tantric massage is  to awaken the kundalini, align the chakras etc…. As always, there is a lot of nonsense  and half-truths spoken by people who have not really gone in depth into the subject,and have no real understanding. So to set the record straight, I would like to insert here a quotation from the great sage Ramana Maharshi, who is maybe the best known and respected master of the past 100 years. This is taken from one of the numerous question and answer sessions with Ramana: Q: The kundalini (primal conscious energy) is said to rise from the base of the spine. Maharshi: ‘That current is ourselves. Mind is the real kundalini. The representation of kundalini as a serpent is merely to assist duller… Read more »

This morning, I read that Steve Jobs has passed away. He was a true pioneer and  such an inspiration to so many people and to the world. He courageously fought his illness as well as the many obstacles which presented themselves along his path. I still remember my first Apple computer, back in California in the early 1980’s – he was a legend already back in those days. Little did I know then, how much I was learning, and how important the computer was to become  and how it would transform  all our lives. This reminds me  of a saying by another inspirational man of our times, Albert Einstein He said: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” And the wonderful saying by the Dalai Lama : “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” What better inspiration can we need. To my way of thinking, these men were living the true way of tantra on a practical level in their everyday lives (with thanks to Best Year Yet on Facebook)