The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Tantra Yoga

The more you learn about any kind of Yoga, the more there is to know. A wise teacher once said, “Every day I wake up to find out I know less than I did the day before.” This is even more true of Tantra Yoga - about which there is much misinformation and distortion of truth. The history of Tantra Yoga is long and a bit of a mystery as it migrated throughout Asia. The methodology of Tantra Yoga is too complex for a mere generalization.Tantra Yoga is a vast subject that cannot be practiced to its full potential by reading books. Tantra Yoga does require formal guidance from a Tantra Yoga teacher. There are a few myths about Tantra Yoga, which are false or partial truths. Below I will cover a few of them.Ritualized sex is not a common practice within Tantra Yoga schools. Most Tantra Yoga practitioners follow the Dakshinachara path, which is often called, “The right-handed path,” within western culture. This is a deeply spiritual form of Yoga where deities, such as Shiva, are worshipped. Tantra Yoga is an integration of Bhakti Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Mantra Yoga, and Yantra Yoga. The Tantric who follows the Dakshinachara path is usually a good example of tolerance and lives a constructive life.The Tantric who follows the Vamachara path, which is sometimes referred to as, “The left-handed path,” is the Tantra Yoga practitioner who participates in sex rituals, drinks alcohol, consumes other intoxicants, eats meat, and sacrifices animals.

Keep in mind, this is the minority, but most of the contemporary Tantra Yogis and Yoginis, who follow the Vamachara path, are practicing a form of “New Age Tantra Yoga,” without any direction or guidance from a Guru. They blindly search for a higher spiritual plane of existence, by trying their best to incorporate magic and witchcraft into this blend of New Age Tantra Yoga, without a Yoga teacher.Is this New Age Tantra really Tantra Yoga? This is a subject for debate, but most of those that follow the Vamachara path, with a lineage, are not going public. On the other hand, the New Age Tantra Yogis and Yoginis, who post their pictures up on the Internet, in pursuit of many different sex partners, are doing their best to go public.A Tantra Yoga teacher is not usually a sex therapist. If a person, or a couple, is experiencing sexual problems, or difficulties, due to trauma, infidelity, levels of sexual interest in each other – that person, or couple, should seek professional help with a qualified sex therapist. It only makes sense that you get counseling from the most professional source.A sex therapist is not usually a Tantra Yoga teacher. This is just another way to market and re-package sex therapy. If you happen upon a sex therapist, who also claims to be a Tantra Yoga teacher, do a little research first, and you may find the deeper truth about marketing.Finally, most Orthodox Hindus do not look favorably upon the Vamachara path. For religious fundamentalists, who are not Hindus, the Vamachara path of Tantra Yoga is the “smoking gun” of Yoga, but ironically they point the finger of suspicion toward Hatha Yoga (union by physical mastery) because of its global popularity. By Paul Jerard

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Tantric Yoga

It is a well-known fact that Yoga, as a generalized art, is the practice of perfecting some aspect of an individual's existence. This could comprise the physical well being, spiritual formation, or mental ability or mental perfection. The distinction between forms of yoga, though each one is practiced in a different manner, is not so much as the format that you utilize but the source, which you seek to alter or perfect. Some Yoga techniques are for mental reasons, some for physical, and some for spiritual. However, some techniques actually are meant for more than one of these aspects, some for three. The variety of Yoga techniques is truly endless. Nevertheless, there is one form that is likely sought after more than the rest. Though prized and desirable, this technique is also the most difficult to learn and master. This particular format is known as Tantric Yoga. Some early documents actually trace the roots of the practice of Tantric Yoga as far back as time of the Indus Valley civilization. This era was synonymous with that of the early Egyptian dynasty. There has been a progression over the centuries, an occurrence that seems to happen in most traditional arts, of the practice and true meaning behind the concept of Yoga. To say that Tantric is not what it used to be would be a very extreme understatement.

If one studied the art in depth, focusing on the original archaeologically found documents, he or she would find that Tantric Yoga is on a scale above most other forms of Yoga. The focus is on such a broad scale, such a massive possible format, that it surpasses all other forms in its point of purpose. Though actually putting the purpose of this age old art in words is difficult, it could possibly be summed up best as "The ways and Means for solution of all forms of conflict from two viewpoints, on all scales." In non-technical language, the focus is to destroy any non-duality, be it from the focal point of the inner psyche, a wife and a husband, or even a parent and a child. Though it is a hard concept to truly grasp, it can be made simpler by a look at how we phrase things. In one aspect, you have a man with a wife and two children. In the sought after teachings of Tantric Yoga, if successfully performed, this group of people is "A family." Are you beginning to see the overall picture here? Instead of individuals (Plural) living together, you have A (singular) family. It is the process of making more than one into one. To actually conceive of the purpose of this practice beyond the family, we must look at the modern world as the place of duality that it is. The teachings of modern times are those of individuality. "Be yourself." "I believe in me." You get the point. These days, it is all about three people, me, myself, and I. Perhaps if we could truly delve into the Tantric teachings, we could become one family, one company, one people, one country, one continent, and yes, even one world. By Sarah Freeland

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Tantra Yoga Secrets

Tantra Yoga is unity by controlling sexual energy. When you consider the main Indian Yoga styles, Tantra Yoga is probably the most controversial of them all. So what is the problem? Is it our “sexual hang-ups” or is it something more? What is the origin of Tantra Yoga? Is it all linked to the Kama Sutra or is there more to it? Since Tantra Yoga uses many components of the classical Yoga styles such as mudras, pranayama, asanas, meditation, Bhakti, Yantra,and Kundalini, there are many similarities to other forms of Yoga practice. Some Yogis say that Tantra Yoga is the hardest Yoga to define, but there is a fundamental difference. The major difference is Tantra Yoga accepts and embraces the power of “desire.” Tantra Yogis are not trained to avoid desires that arouse the senses. This is a stark contrast from the many other forms of Yoga, which train their students to renounce desire. This is the foundation of the division between Tantra Yoga and the other classical Indian styles. The origins of Tantra Yoga and the Kama Sutra date back to the Fourth Century A.D. The author of the Kama Sutra was Vatsyayana Mallanaga, who is somewhat of a mystery in the history books. There are no other traces of him to be found. He did write the world’s most famous sex manual to date. Northern India seems to be the birth place of Tantra Yoga and it appears to have migrated further north to Tibet, and China, before going global. Many contemporary Tantra Yogis practice Tantra Yoga of Tibetan or Indian origin. Tantra Yoga practitioners focus on the opposites and dualities within the universe such as, male and female, Shiva and Shakti, or Yin and Yang.

At different points in time, ritual Tantric sex has been considered common place within certain Tantra followings. However, it is not as common place as some might think. There is also a common belief that Tantric sex is always intentionally prolonged. This is not always the case and sometimes Tantric sex takes it own natural course. Lastly, it should be noted that the Kama Sutra might have been considered a “racy classic” at the time of its writing, and during conservative points in history. However, by today’s standards, the Kama Sutra would offend the masses much less. Some of the entertainment, at this point in time, has managed to make the public more callous than we should naturally be. Entertainment of the present day is sometimes comparable to that of the Roman coliseums in the past. Tantra Yoga is a good example of the cycles and evolutions of morality within human history. Whether we think Tantra Yoga and the Kama Sutra are right or wrong, the current moral code will change with time, but we may not live long enough to see it. By Paul Jerard

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