What You Should Know About Tantra

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Here are some things you should know about tantra!

There is a great deal of mystery surrounding tantra, the mystical path originated by Shiva more than 12,000 years ago in India. In fact, tantra has been relegated to be nothing more than marathon sex, group sex, pornography and other deviant practices that feed the ego and make dysfunctions appear “spiritual”. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

To become a master of tantra, the path of the “householder”, requires tenacity and an indomitable spirit. This is an arduous path not for the faint of heart, but for those who have enough courage to face the inner demons that lurk within. Many of those who live, study and work in a world shrouded in maya, may meet with resistance, ignorance and criticism when they begin the path of tantra.

It would be a lot easier to live in an ashram where there are fewer distractions, where we can live amongst like-minded individuals who are seeking the same inner fulfillment that we seek. Tantra, however, does not insist upon any of us giving up our worldly desires, loved ones, modern conveniences and comforts.  Rather, the sages show us that we can literally have it all. Nothing in life is construed as being anti spirituality, including sex and money.

It has been well established that living in this world is far more challenging than living in the safety haven of an ashram. The world is the best university! We just need to maintain harmony and balance between the worldly and the spiritual, the inner and the outer, the yin and yang, Shiva and Shakti.

Tantra yoga supports this chemistry of opposite polarities, as long as it done with pure consciousness and awareness.

The practices of this ancient path are designed to build intimacy and trust, not to take away from it. Tantra is best practiced with one partner, not multiple partners. Although polyamory may become your lifestyle when you are single, we do not recommend it and you are admonished to practice safe sex.

You cannot really experience tantric sex when you are experimenting with different partners because tantric sex develops through consistency with one partner over a period of time.

Sexual energy spread around and mixed with others is not purified energy. It is a form of Russian Roulette to mix with different karmic energies. You do not know what you are getting. Karma alone should be enough to dissuade anyone from getting involved hastily with another or many others. Although many people are unaware of the law of action and reaction, or simply choose to ignore it, karma can wreak havoc on people’s lives. The proof is everywhere. You read and hear about this everyday, everywhere.

Tantra is a force that makes good things better, and bad things worse. So it is important to take heed.

In a relationship, when the energies between two people become very strong, the partners feel and know everything about each other, and negative vibrations in one of the partner’s energy field is felt, seen and known by the other. This is terrific when they are sharing positive, bright energy, but can have the opposite affect when the energy transmuted is stagnant or dark. Hence, the importance of being with someone whose goal is similar to yours–to evolve and transform mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

 Tantra is best when practiced over a period of at least two years with one partner, because it takes that long to build a reservoir of energy between two people. It is not just a matter of two bodies rubbing against each other. All of your chakras must be purified. All of your partner’s chakras must be purified. Then you must work on the union of each of your chakras, with each of your partner’s chakras. Your seven realms of consciousness must be in harmony with your partner’s seven realms of consciousness. This might be actually what is meant by “group sex”—the union of gods and goddesses that are within you.

Some will argue that they have built energy after one or two sessions of hot sex, but these experiences are not enough to change your reality and they really do not have any impact on you spiritually. Once you go your separate ways, the energy dissipates, and the next time you have sex, it may go up a notch, then it will dissolve again, so the energy becomes like a see saw–unstable. And there is nothing worse than unstable energy. Instability and stagnation are anti-tantra. Tantra is about stability and growth, an upward spiral.

For the soul who can attain spiritual evolvement with someone who is his or her equal, tantric practices are truly a magical and mystifying process that is not likely to be abandoned for any reason!