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Tantra
Tantra,
like yoga or Zen, is a path to enlightenment, which has its roots in
India. It is nicknamed the "science of ecstasy" and focuses on
heightening and prolonging the special awareness and rapport that exists
between lovers during lovemaking. This view holds that the greatest
source of energy in the universe is sexual, and places high value on
ritualized intercourse. Sexual orgasm is seen as a cosmic and divine
experience.
Tantric philosophy also
teaches that everything is to be experienced playfully, yet with
awareness and a sense of sacredness in every gesture, every sensory
perception, and every action. The path of Tantra is a spiritual one,
which includes and appreciates the experience of our sexuality and
sensuality as a conscious meditation, as a flowing together of the
physical, erotic and cosmic energies.
If you were a devoted
student of tantric philosophy, you would go through an extensive program
of physical, sexual and mental exercises to heighten your sensory
awareness. Through slow and thoughtful practice in lovemaking techniques
you would learn to comfortably extend the time of lovemaking. In this
way you would train yourself to be aware of not only your own feelings
but also those of your partner. The spiritual part of tantra is to use
your sexual energy to merge ecstatically with your partner and through
him or her to become one with the cosmos or god.
A heterosexual couple
practicing tantric intercourse seeks to prolong their sexual arousal.
Following slow sensual touching a couple might move to having very slow
intercourse. The man might place his penis just an inch or so inside his
partner's vagina and without thrusting allow it to remain in this
position for a full minute. Then he may gently withdraw from her vagina
and rest his penis softly on her clitoral
area. Usually the clitoris is the most sensitive part of a female's
genitals and it is located just above the vaginal opening. After resting
in this position for another minute the couple may decide to have him
again slide his penis back in. During subsequent cycles of resting and
entering the vagina, the male would rest outside the vagina and then
eventually rest just inside the vagina. During the rest times, the
couple might just lie silently together, or gently caress each other as
they focus on the experience of their union. Throughout this experience
both partners may be highly aroused, hovering close to the point of
reaching orgasm on several occasions.
The art of prolonging the
pleasures of lovemaking without reaching orgasm is described in the Kama
Sutra, the Hindu sex manual written in the 4th century, (and
available in many bookstores). "Karezza" is the term used to
define a male's practice of pleasuring his partner and prolonging their
intercourse by perpetuating his state of climax without actually
ejaculating. These so called "dry orgasms", orgasms without
ejaculation, are pleasurable, and still allow the sexual act to
continue. The art of Karezza incorporates breathing control, meditation,
work with postures, and finger pressure into the sexual act. Though
sexually biased in its description as written (remember it was the 4th
Century), the original focus of Karezza, prolonging the state of climax
for a couple's mutual enjoyment, easily translates to both partners
actively participating in learning to prolong their enjoyment before
reaching orgasm. For more information visit:
On-line bookstores with
books, audio and videos on Tantric Sexual Practices
(http://www.tantra.com)
(http://www.tantra.org)
An 8 day workshop and seminar on Tantric sexual practices in Hawaii (http://www.oceanictantra.com)
Read an interview with Tantric Master Prem Pranama on the history of
Tantra.
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Sex
