Tantric+Sex

** Tantra ** Tantra translates roughly as “to manifest, to expand, to show, and to weave,” and can be traced back over 6,000 years ago to India as part of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. At the time, Tantra challenged strict religious beliefs of that time because of its teachings that sex, among other earthly pleasures, was a sacred act that lead to divinity, (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). The teachings and practices of Tantra aim to help one feel more by increasing “our awareness of our own energy and the energy around us.” The practices of Tantra work to keep one’s energy flowing through him or her freely and not letting the energy get stuck or depleted in any part of the system, (Silverberg, 2009). This involves living a life of “mediation” through spiritual training achieved by committing every aspect of one’s life to their spiritual enlightenment. This enlightenment is achieved through a variety of tantric practices all focusing on the spiritual-erotic sides of ourselves and our existence as humans, (Marsha & Rand, 2007). One of these practices is sex. Sex is believed to “weave” together the differences of men and women into one unified whole being. In Tantra texts the male is represented by the Hindu god Shiva, and the female is represented by the Hindu goddess Shakti, (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). ** Principles of Tantric Sex **  In the Western world, sex has come to be seen as a recreational activity that’s goal is centered mostly on one’s individual achievement of orgasm. Tantric sex, on the other hand looks at sex as a means of transformation performed in order to pleasure one’s lover more fully by connecting with him or her fully. Tantric practices do this by teaching one to prolong sexual activity in order to most effectively use the energies that emerge from orgasms. (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). Unlike Western ideas of sex, sex has no beginning, middle, or end. The only objective is to “not focus on our external body, or orgasm, or anything outside of our experience of the moment,” (Silverberg, 2009). With the focus of orgasm eliminated, one is thought to be able to understand themselves and his or her partner which eventually leads to enlightenment. Orgasms still exist in Tantric sex, but they are not the end of the experience. The positive feelings of multiple orgasms intertwine with the spiritual experience, lead to each other, and improve the other (Silverberg, 2009). Those who practice Tantric sex describe it as an experience opening up new places in relationships through the increased intimacy, exchanges of passion, and multiple orgasms (for men and women) that can last for hours and hours (Welteroth, 2010).  In Tantric sex, the experience of sex moves beyond what people see as the traditional sexual parts of the body and expands the experience to a whole body and mind experience. Tantric sex moves beyond the penile, vaginal, anal, and oral ideas of sex to allow one to experience each and every individual body part as a sexual organ. The principles of this holistic experience allow practitioners to experience themselves and their partners in new ways through touch and communication which is said to produce increased emotional and spiritual connectedness. This allows practitioners to look past dissatisfactions with his or hers body’s appearance or performance by becoming more at one with themselves and understanding the body and mind’s connection (Marsha & Rand, 2007).  According to Vaughn (2005), Tantric sex was originally broken down into three types- white, gray and black. In white Tantric sex there is never ejaculation and orgasm is never reached to awaken consciousness. Gray Tantric sex sometimes ends in orgasm or ejaculation after the lengthened sexual experience, but there is no desire towards awakening consciousness. Lastly, black Tantric sex always ends with orgasm or ejaculation in order to awaken consciousness. ** Tantric Sex Practice ** With Tantric sex focusing on the sexual experience as a whole and the giving and getting of pleasure through the shared connection between two partners much communication is needed between partners in order to discover what the other finds to be the most arousing. This communication can be verbal, physical responses, or even physical guidance. The idea is to become one during the experience. In order to establish this communication, partners should make sure, especially while first beginning to practice Tantric sex, to make time for each other and create an atmosphere and environment that is comfortable and inviting for both partners. The key is preparation. By doing so partners are able to exchange pleasures and awaken each other’s senses to allow for communication on deeper emotional and physical levels. (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). One should also go into the experience with a clear mind to fully connect with his or her partner (Welteroth, 2010).  With no end involved in Tantric sex, a maintained state of ecstasy for both partners for as long as possible is the only goal. Intimacy is maintained through the constant expression of love and communication through eye contact, kisses, and exchanges of words. Partners are also encouraged to breathe long, slow, deep breaths that are either in unison with his or her partner, or alternatively to move energy back and forth from partner to partner. In order to further prolong the Tantric sex experience the pace is to be kept slow allowing each partner to focus on each other and the moment at hand while the sexual energy slowly builds (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). ** Tantric Sex Today ** The old art of Tantric sex is expanding beyond its Indian roots and becoming more and more popular in Western cultures. In addition to many websites, books, and videos focused on sharing the art of Tantric sex with society, group Tantric sex workshops are sprouting up across the country more and more for those wishing to gain more firsthand experience. These workshops allow those curious to the art of Tantric sex to experience and learn Tantric sex techniques from experts (Welteroth, 2010).  Notable celebrity advocates of Tantric sex include musician Sting. Sting attributes his self-proclaimed extremely fulfilling sex life and peace of mind to the ancient art of Tantric sex (DiscoveryHealth.com writers, 2005). ** Works Cited ** Barratt, B. B., & Rand, M. A. (2007). On the Relevance of Tantric Practices for Clinical and Educational Sexology. //Contemporary Sexuality//, 41(2), 7-12.  DiscoveryHealth.com writers. 2005. Discovery Health "Tantric Sex Techniques to Reinvigorate Lovemaking". //Discovery Health "Health Guides"//. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 40.3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -40.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 40.3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -40.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Silverberg, C. (2009, January 19). Tantra Sex â€“ A Tantric Sex Primer. //Sexuality - About Sexual Pleasure and Sexual Health//. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://sexuality.about.com/od/spiritualsex/a/tantra101.htm <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 40.3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -40.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 40.3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -40.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 40.3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -40.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Vaughn, B. (2005, January 7). Tantra - Sex and Yoga. //Alternative and Complementary Medicine//. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://alternativecomplementarymedicine.com/article.php/Tantra <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Welteroth, E. (2010). The Pursuit of Passion. //Ebony//, 65(4), 82-85.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Tantric Sex **