What is Tantra?

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Tantra is a Hindu and Buddhist philosophy which affirms all aspects of the material world as infused with divine feminine power. It is rooted in sacred instructional texts, composed from around the sixth century onwards, called the Tantras. 

From its inception to the present day, Tantra has challenged religious, cultural and political norms around the world. The Tantric worldview sees all material reality as animated by Shakti – unlimited, divine feminine power. This inspired the dramatic rise of goddess worship in medieval India. Tantric goddesses challenged traditional models of womanhood as passive and docile in their intertwining of violent and erotic power.

The role of eroticism

Erotic imagery not only plays an important role in Tantra, but also in mainstream Hinduism. According to Hindu belief, the creation of the universe is believed to be a product of divine sexual union, and the goals of a fulfilling and righteous life are not only duty (dharma), prosperity (artha) and liberation (moksha), but also desire (kama).

Tantra introduced a different idea. Rather than seeking pleasure as an end in itself, Tantra taught practitioners to harness the body and sensuality in order to unite with divinity and attain transformational power.

It's about knowing yourself

Like yoga, tantra is all about physical and spiritual awareness.

When you learn and practice tantra, you become more in-tune with your body, what gives it pleasure, and the way it feels pleasure. This allows you to pay better attention to your body’s wants and needs and make sure they’re fulfilled.

And if you have a partner?

Tantra isn’t only focused on reaching a higher state of mind-body consciousness. It can also be about creating a deeper, more harmonious bond with your partner.

When you practice tantra, you and your partner learn to be physically aware and spiritually present, feeding each other energy that continues to grow well after you’ve finishing having sex.

Tantra also allows you both to explore and expand all aspects of your personalities, so that you begin to truly know the other person inside and out.