What is tantric?
Tantric is a word that is derived from the word Tantra which means principle, doctrine or system. It is a branch of the Indian spiritual studies that dates back to the 5th to 9th century AD. It is also one of the branches that have been misunderstood and neglected for the longest time despite having a significant number of texts devoted to its study and practice. Tantra is considered to be full of obscenities and as such unsuitable for people with good morals and taste. Some people even think of it as a form of black magic. In trying to understand what tantric is, it is important to review and understand Tantra.
What is Tantra?
As aforementioned, Tantra is one of the Hindu religious braches and a very important one at that. It represents the Vedic tradition practical aspect such that tantriks follow the same religious doctrines as the Vedics. Hindu religion experts claim that Tantric originated from the main Vedic tree and advanced the radical parts of the Vedic religion further.
The word Tantra is a combination of two words which are Tattva and Mantra. Tattva is the science of cosmic principles while Mantra is the science of mystic vibrations and sounds. Combining the two definitions, Tantra means applying cosmic sciences with the objective of attaining spiritual dominance. Another definition also means the scripture via which the light of knowledge is transmitted. Committed tantrics however dispute the fact that tantrism has anything to do with Vedic religion. According to them, tantric practice is simply trying to harness the energy within the human microcosm using a ritual in order to become free and creative.
Tantric history
As noted above, tantric practice dates back to about 5th century AD. It originated in the early centuries and had evolved into a fully articulated religion by the Gupta period end. The tantric movements that emerged were responsible for the formation of very many esoteric schools of Buddhism and Hinduism. To date, tantric practice has influenced so many religions for example; Buddhist, Jain, Bon, Sikh and Hindu. It has also spread as part of Buddhism to East and South East Asia.
Tantric practice
Tantra is more of a collection of ideas and practices rather than a single consistent system. Its main characteristic as hinted above is the use of a ritual to access the supra ordinary via the ordinary. A tantric practitioner will use an energy purported to flow through the universe and one’s body called ‘prana’ in order to attain spiritual and material goals. Mystical experience makes an important part of tantric practice.
Tantric practice training is conducted by a guru and it usually takes a long time for the pupil to master the practice. Several Hindu practices are used to aid in meditation and achievement of magical and spiritual power. These include yoga, mantras, mudras, yantras and mandalas. Meditation involves identifying with the one or more of Hindu gods and goddesses and visualizing and internalizing them. Using visualizations of the deities enables one to become the meditational deity. Tantric practice identifies with the Hindu god and goddesses Shiva and Shakti and Kali. Worship of these deities is external by the use of flowers and offerings such as incense and singing and dancing. What is more, these deities are attributes of Ishta Devata meditations which are a basic tantric practice. The mantra, yantra and yoga are used to invoke these deities in an ordinary ritual called puja. There is also an advanced secret ritual called Vamamarga which departs from the conventional ritual by using other practices such as feasting, coitus, charnel grounds, defecation, urination and vomiting in addition to the ordinary ritual practices to achieve one’s goal.
The tantra way of tantric massage
As the name suggests, the tantra tantric massage has its roots in Tantra. Tantra is a religious branch of the Hindu religion. The word comes from two Sanskrit words which are ‘tanoti’ and ‘trayati’ which mean expansion and liberation respectively. Tantra is a means by which the human being achieves expansion of their consciousness and achieves creativity, liberation and total freedom with no limits such as a divine experience. Tantra tantric massage is just but one of the many practices of the tantriks. Tantra tantric massage approaches sexuality in a sacred way especially in the western world.
What does tantra tantric massage entail?
Tantra tantric massage is approached in a sexual way in the modern world and some people even confuse them with sensual or erotic massages. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Tantra tantric massage is an experience that goes beyond attaining sexual benefits and satisfaction. While sexual gratification is one of the benefits of the massage, the benefits go way beyond that. The massage will approach the body as a divine temple with the intent of focusing one more on their innermost being via sacred nurturing and touch.
Tantra tantric massage will unleash the energy within the energy centers (chakras) and also the Kundalini at the sacrum in the spine. This energy when released will have the potential to heal and transform someone. As a matter of fact, tantra tantric massage has the capability to heal intimacy, relationships and sexuality wounds and blockages. Both women and men receive life changing experiences especially regarding their sexuality. For women, it is all about receiving sensual touch from someone who has no ulterior motives while for the men, it is receiving intimacy without the pressure to perform. Overall, it is a life changing experience for both men and women.
The massage session
What exactly happens in a tantra tantric massage session; you may ask. The session involves active participation by both the giver and the receiver of the massage. The receiver must stay present to the sense of touch and breathe deep and slowly in order to open up to the energy of the universe. The giver on the other hand massages the receiver with long and fluid strokes similar to those of a Swedish massage. The strokes are light and highly sensual and they aim at distributing the released energy throughout the body. All the sensitive areas in the body are massaged in this way stimulating energy flow.
One of the major characteristics of tantra tantric massage is the fact that there are no goals. The massage takes place in a relaxed environment that makes you feel as if you are in trance where physical boundaries seem to dissolve and time limits are forgotten. In such a session, there is no subject or object and there is also no observer or something to be observed.
Tantra tantric massage recommendations
A tantra tantric massage session is a bit different from regular massage due to its focus on awakening energy and tapping into the energy of the universe. In this regard, it is important for someone to have background knowledge of tantra and tantric massage in order to derive the most out of the massage session. Most tantra tantric massage therapists will offer a brief session on the basics of the tantric massage. However, this may not be enough to create a good advantage for the client. In order to get the most out of the session, therapists recommend that you gather information about the tantric practices such as breathing techniques, body polarities and chakra balancing before the session. This makes it easier for the receiver to achieve maximum benefits in the massage session.
