Earth, Water, Fire and Air: the four elements that make up not only the natural world but every human being, body and mind.
According to yoga, these elements are at play in all of the manifestation. The stability of the Earth, the fluidity of Water, the transformative power of Fire and the expansiveness of Air… They are constantly dancing in all of us. We all have all of them, but your own balance of the four elements is uniquely your own.
There may be as many answers to this question as there are tantrikas! Sacred sexuality doesn’t have to look or even feel a certain way for it to be meaningful and authentic. But in our experience as teachers and practitioners, we’ve found that sexual tantra–if it’s going to be a real spiritual path and not just a game of pleasure–rests on three pillars: consecration, sublimation, transfiguration…
The “thousand-petaled lotus” blossoming from the crown of the head represents the pinnacle of the journey through the chakra system, yet sahasrara itself is not a chakra.
If we look at the chakras in the traditional yogic system, each one represents a level of consciousness and a world in itself, each one a very particular flavor of reality.
The mysterious third eye, blinking open in the forehead of Shiva or Buddha. The unforeseen intuition and deeper understanding that seems to arise out of nowhere like a flash of lightning. What is the reality of the ajna chakra, the sixth and highest chakra, that gateway to mystical experience reflected in the middle of the forehead?
Welcome to the world of vishuddha chakra!
Located at the throat, the fifth chakra is the point in the chakra system where things start to get a little trippy. It is the first of the upper chakras, representing a level of consciousness beyond the ordinary reality of personal limitations. This can make it a little more difficult to understand and relate with than the lower chakras, but an absolutely fascinating domain to explore.
Behind any great accomplishment in this world, you’ll find the power of manipura. It’s the spark that gets you moving to embark on new plans and visions, and the courage to carry forward despite difficulties. “Where there’s a will there’s a way,” and manipura is the very manifestation of willpower.
This is true for spiritual accomplishments just as much as for success in business or whatever else.
Svadhisthana: that mysterious energetic center of sex and sensuality, emotions and creativity, known sometimes as the “black sheep of the chakra family” or even just the “secret chakra.”
What’s really the deal with the second chakra?
Svadhisthana is a portal to the infinite, to the sacred dimension of your being, just like all the other chakras. However, it has its own particularities and often requires a special approach.
Svadhisthana is the home of the Water element and everything associated with it. Sexuality, yes, but also emotionality, artistic expression, social connectivity and much more. It’s an intense energy, not always the easiest to deal with, and one that we’re all living closely with on a daily basis…
Stability. Vitality. Connection to nature, to the essential life force that enables our existence in this physical form.
That slowness and steadiness that wins the race.
These are the key qualities of the Earth element, and in a human being such as yourself, they’re expressed through the energy of muladhara chakra, the first chakra or “root chakra” located at the base of the spine.
Muladhara may be the “lowest” chakra but it’s extremely important, both in your daily life and yoga practice. Think of it as your base of support, or like your battery that powers your whole system…
I’m 46! Everyone says I look less, maybe that’s true. Anyway, every day I look in the mirror and see a few more wrinkles.
My hormones are starting to dance and my body is probably preparing for menopause. This can be a really strong step for a woman, especially in this society where youth and beauty are almost the fundamental values on which femininity is based. Old age is something to hide, to be ashamed of. Girl, you are out of the game, you are aging, you are no longer sexually attractive to the average modern man with a mind bound by stereotypes, and then you’re not worth so much…
You are a woman and for this you are powerful! Nature created you to be powerful.
This is why you are so connected to mother earth.
For this you have a cycle of 28 days like the moon, which rises and falls like the tides.
You can create life, you can give birth.
Tantra gives great importance to sexuality. Whether practicing with a human partner, as in left-hand tantra, or in the more ritualistic right-hand path. A huge part of tantric practice is learning to work with sexual energy: to direct it, sublimate it, harmonize it and express it in a sacred way. With this practice, sexuality can become an incredible catalyst for…
What is “authentic tantra?” What does it really mean to say that something is (or isn’t) “authentic tantra?” Or “authentic spirituality” more generally? Before we can call a path or practice “authentic,” we should look at its source and its goal. This isn’t to say that everything old is good and everything new is bad. After all, the most venerable…
Tantra is truly a unique form of spirituality, one of the most fascinating and also most misunderstood. There are many myths and misconceptions about tantra. Let’s take a look at some of the most common and discover the truth about this beautiful, paradigm-shifting path to the Truth. Myth: Tantra is all about sex Fact: Tantra is only a little bit…
Tantra is a path of spiritual growth that embraces life in all its forms and colors. In this sense, everything we find ourselves experiencing in this earthly existence can become an opportunity to evolve.
Although, ultimately spiritual evolution ultimately is extremely individual and personal, the intimate confrontation with another person—that is, the relationship in a couple—can really be an incredible opportunity for growth…
You’ve seen this image before. In statues, icons or paintings, it is representative of tantra itself. A god and goddess sitting together in intimate union, the goddess on the lap of her masculine counterpart with arms and legs intertwined.
To the Western religious eye, it can look surprising or even inappropriate. Is this a form of body-worship or glorified hedonism?
Far from it, in reality. The yab-yum image represents the most profound non-dual teachings of tantra, as well as the highest potential of sexual tantric practice.
Do you often feel tired, dull or weak? Do you often get sick? Do you have enough energy for long lovemaking or tend to lose your drive early on?
These are all signs that your vitality, your basic life energy, is low.
Since tantra is a path of energy, it’s extremely important to run on full power. Vitality is important to feel good and stay healthy, but also so you can practice tantric lovemaking and powerful sublimation.
The yogic tradition provides a clear understanding of where this raw vital force comes from and how we can amplify it. Keep reading to learn cultivate your vitality and enjoy more energy, health and spiritual power.
The spiritual relationship: what a thing of beauty! Two people on the path together, practicing together, loving and supporting each other in their journey towards realization…
Many people dream of this, especially in the world of tantra, where there is so much emphasis on sexuality. However, it’s not a reality for everyone. What happens when someone who is already in a relationship discovers spirituality on their own?
Sex is wonderful and you are absolutely right for loving it! However, so many women even now feel shame around loving, enjoying and seeking sex, or fear that they might love it too much.
If this is the case for you, I recommend let’s take a look at the roots of this shame and how to overcome it to enjoy the glorious, powerful, divine sexuality that is the birthright of every woman.
Although people often talk about them as if they were three separate things, in fact there is no practicing tantra without hatha yoga and meditation. Divide them is like trying to split fire from heat, to borrow an old tantric analogy.
Hatha yoga is actually a tantric science, developed from a worldview and understanding unique to the path of energy…
Tantra is something you practice with your lover, right? Isn’t it a dance for two?
So now that many of us are quarantined away from our partners, it might seem like our tantric practice has been put on hold.
Don’t despair, solitary tantrikas! Now is actually an amazing time to practice tantra on a deeper level. We can come out of isolation as an overflowing cup, ready to pour our love and high energy on a world that will need it so much.
Shiva and Shakti. Sacred union between God and Goddess. Divine Feminine, Divine Masculine. Beautiful concepts, but modern people embarking on the tantric path often report some resistance to these terms. The words may seem to point back to the same tired, restrictive gender norms that many would-be tantrikas are hoping to be free from! Let’s be clear: tantra didn’t pop…
Relations between men and women should be a dance, not a battle. So why do interactions between the genders seem so fraught with pain, mistrust and misunderstanding? Often it feels like we can’t see eye to eye because in fact we are interacting shadow to shadow. Every human being contains a part of their personality which is conscious – the…
While teaching tantra workshops around the world, we see clearly that women are leading the way, both in numbers attending our courses and that the men are often come led by their girlfriend’s hand! However, so many stories of abusive teachers and toxic communities have rocked the tantra world in the last few years. This can leave many women wondering,…
“Yoni” is the Sanskrit word for the vagina. Also meaning “source” or “origin,” the warm syllables carry with them an overtone of reverence. In English, by contrast, all the words we have for female genitalia are either derogatory or coldly clinical. It’s hard to even speak about our own intimate parts without shame, feeling like we are talking about something…
During our seminars around the world, we often meet homosexuals, both men and women, who ask us if it is possible to apply the principles of tantric sexuality even between two partners of the same gender. To meet this need, we have undertaken research in the context of the ancient tantric tradition but, neither in ancient texts nor in consulting…
The responsibility of teaching tantra and the question of “open relationships” Teaching tantra is no simple job. Contributing to spread this ancient knowledge that has led to the liberation so many human beings over the centuries must be considered a real mission. This requires exemplary preparation, both theoretical and in the direct experience of what is taught, with a complete…
The tantric relationship: being together to evolve 16 years together, it seems like an eternity! In the times in which marriages often end in the third year of living together, our relationship seems like an ancient Egyptian pyramid that resists time and atmospheric phenomena, unwavering and stable. The storm passes, sometimes real cyclones, yet Marco and Amita still come out…
If the man had a remote control for pleasure it would have only two buttons, switching on and off, while the remote control for a woman would be equipped with several buttons that vary depending on the emotional state, the moment, the situation etc… The experience of orgasm in women can be profound and satisfying and leave behind a real…
The perineum area, also referred to as the pelvic floor, is for many women a part of the body that is still a mystery, and given its relationship with sexuality but also urination and defecation, it is often loaded with the sense of modesty and cultural taboos. The pelvic floor is the muscular area between the anus and the vagina…
The frantic life of modern society forces us to live at a sustained condition in which the mind is constantly agitated, the brain increases the production of cortisol while decreasing the level of oxytocin (a fundamental hormone for sexual life) creating a vicious circle of stress and tension. The perception of the body decreases considerably, we live too much in…
The female libido is not as obvious as the male libido, it is subject to multiple hormonal, psychological and emotional factors. Sometimes it is revealed while other times it is hidden, and if it is not nourished it can end up lost in oblivion. Addressing the issue of decreased libido, it is imperative to mention that 40% of women experience pain during penetration and for this reason associate the relationship with something unpleasant and move away from sex…