Tantra is a spiritual path, which unlike most, teaches us to embrace and unify all aspects of who we are including the ordinary, the sexual and erotic, and the sacred dimensions of life which are all rooted in the essence of Spirit. The beauty and wisdom of Tantra is that it embraces sexuality as a doorway to enlightenment.
Sexual energy is extremely potent. In Ayurveda,the ancient Vedic Medicine of India, it is considered as the most refined energy in the body and the sexual organs as the most high in frequency. With it we have the power to create another human being, the most creative human act. But channelled differently, sexual energy can unlock our blocks and free our energy so we can unite conscioulsy with the Divine.
Tantra thus challenges the belief, promoted by most spiritual and religious paths that we must suppress our sexuality to practice meditation or awaken to our Spirit.
Tantra teaches us that we master desires not by avoiding them but by immersing ourself in them. It is only through the full embracing, deep living and experiencing of our desires that we can transcend them. In fact, Tantra teaches that nothing is to be excluded from our understanding of reality. It is a path which is inclusive as opposed to exclusive. It teaches us to embrace every moment in our totality, to respond bodily, to feel fully with the heart, to perceive with clarity and to be fully present to ourself, to others and to life.
Tantra, as a spiritual path can be traced back to over 5000 years ago in India. It seems that it was also practised in the west by the Gnostics, Shamans and Alchemists.
Click here for a video introduction to tantra