When sincere seekers ask “What is Tantra?” we could answer “like Zen, Tao and Buddhism, Tantra is a path to enlightenment”. But many modern students are stubborn and insist on a mental response, even if it is a partial response, leading to the common assumption that Tantra is a kind of sexual yoga. (It is not like this?)

Our favorite textbook definition of Tantra points to its Sanskrit roots. The prefix “tan” implies expansion and “tra” means liberation. Therefore, Tantra can be interpreted to mean liberation through expansion. Sure, it’s poetic, but it’s too intellectual. Tantra does not occur between the ears. It also doesn’t happen between the legs.

types of tantras Tantra is like an old sage tree with a vast and deep root system. Some of its more developed branches include Tibetan, Hindu, Kashmiri, Shiviaism, Taoist, Kundalini, Lefty, Ipsalu, Quodoshka, Shamanic, Sex Magic, and more. Tantra, like yoga, is not a religion. It does not exclude any part of the human experience, it includes the entire spectrum of humanity. Tantra meets people wherever they are and offers them tools to expand. Different types of Tantra attract different types of people who have different needs.

tantra colors Tantra is subdivided in terms of color: white, pink, and red.

White Tantra is oriented around subtle practices and philosophies rather than physical contact and sexual practices. It can be meditations, visualizations, higher chakra concentrations, eye gazing, breath work, and sound to build sensual energy without sexual contact.

Pink Tantra (or in some cases, Violet) encompasses the spiritual and sexual aspects of the practice. This is the path where the heart is open and lovemaking is practiced with honor, reverence, and healing.

Red Tantra consists of many passionate sexual practices. Traditionally, the color red connotes femininity, power, passion and sex. This path can be liberating for the sexually repressed and may be of interest to the sexually obsessed.

sex magic Sexual energy must be preserved for spiritual advancement, not for material gain. In the ‘Shamanic Method of Sexual Magic’* system, practices cultivate the sexual life force for healing, pleasure and God-realization. This approach is not dualistic and frees judgment from material and sensual pleasures, but it is safe and heart-centered.

neo tantra Tantra may have deep roots in India and Tibet, but new seeds were planted in the West during the sexual revolution in the 1960s and ’70s. The message that sexual liberation can lead to spiritual liberation is often referred to as Neo- tantra. The most common Western tantra practices include chakra balancing, Kundalini raising, Goddess worship, and orgasmic energy expansion.

What is shamanism? The word shaman means “to know” and is the oldest known spirituality dating back 40,000 years. Shamanic practices have existed in all cultures throughout history. Shamans are known to:

• cure human suffering
• interpret dreams
• reverse disease
• exorcise spirits from other bodies
• channeling animal guides and spirit entities

Some of the basic tools of tantra and shamanism include breathing, sound, movement, prayer, chanting, sexual intercourse, and rituals. The correlation between Tantra and Shamanism is the use of ecstatic techniques to contemplate the whole regardless of religious philosophy.

Nonduality in a nutshell Have you ever had the mystical feeling that we are all one? Do you remember the last time you felt totally connected? That is the essence of Advaita, or non-dual tantric philosophy. Advaita is a Sanskrit word meaning “not two.” It holds that all matter, regardless of its distinctly different properties, may appear separate but is still connected to the whole of existence.

In Tantra we explore the polarities of masculine/feminine, give/receive, active/passive, self/other, mind/body, naughty/nice, duality/non-duality to bring us to higher levels of truth. In Tantra, instead of seeing the body as opposed to the spirit, the body is accepted as a spiritual vessel. Sexual arousal carries with it the divine impulse for two to become one.

Full attention Paying attention to every subtlety of every moment is mindfulness. Tantra is experiential, so ask yourself, what are you thinking right now? What part of your body are you aware of right now? What is happening to you right now?… and what about now? Each of these separate consciousnesses brings a greater connection to the abundance of creativity and love.

conclusion If you were to ask Baba Dez what Tantra is, she might extend her arms as if offering a big hug and reply, “Tantra encompasses all aspects of life. Tantra is about how we live, how we breathe, eat, sleep, work, play and love. It’s about everything. And the practice of Tantra is a practice of living life in a way that creates power, magic and divinity. It’s any practice that supports us in our divinity.”