What is tantric yoga?
Tantra is often associated withtantric sex, which is the a sensual, spiritual form of sex.
This traditional understanding of tantra is the heart of tantric yoga.
What happens during traditional tantra yoga.
They simply spoke the wordsmany of them unfamiliar to me.
At first I was confused and a little angry because I didnt know what was going on.
I had to look at the other students to see what some of the asanas were.
Over time I began to find peace in the voice resonating from the back of the room.
Tantric yoga vs. mainstream yoga.
Upon returning to mainstream yoga classes, I was confronted by how much emphasis is placed on the teacher.
There is nothing wrong with this kind of practice.
But having experienced another kind of yoga, I found myself asking, Is this reallymypractice?
When I lead tantra yoga classes, I am there to support and gently guide my students.
I help them rediscover their personal power and freedom and receive all the pleasure that yoga has to offer.
That is exactly the point.
In tantra classes, the teacher urges you to relax and simply listen.
As the teacher, I will lead you into a yogic statemoving body and breath.
From that point, there is no right or wrong.
The true purpose of yoga, at its core, is to facilitate meditation.
Traditional Tantra is a moving meditation.
How to practice tantric yoga.
Quiet the mental chatter.
Tantric yoga will lead to the dissolution of any mental and physical barriers to growth.
What are you thinking about before going into a backbend?
My wrists hurt; Im not strong enough; Im too old.
What are you feeling?
Tantric yoga is about quieting this mental chatter to allow students to flow into challenging asanas with ease.
Personal empowerment is one of tantric yogas greatest gifts.
If we can help our students trust their own intuition, they will become their own greatest teacher.
Learn to be comfortable with silence.
Traditional tantra yoga classes are not taught with music.
We believe in the importance of being at ease in the sounds of silence.
In a world with endless distractions, the yoga studio should be a sanctuary of contemplation and relaxation.
Ive been practicing yoga for 20 years and teaching for 10.
Put aside flexibility or physical fitness as the end goal.
One of my teachers says that our bodies can do everything they have ever learned.
We just need to get out of their way.
We have evolved to keep our bodies in flight-or-fight mode, because we throw stressor after stressor at them.
Weve gotten to the point where we feel like we have to justify or apologize for relaxing.
Forcing ourselves to keep running on empty means our bodies start to use up our reserves.
Thats what makes us tense, stiff, depressed, and anxious.
Traditional tantra yoga classes are designed to facilitate total relaxation.
Tantric yoga will prime your mind and body to receive and experience pleasure.
But note, we’re not talking about sexual pleasure here.
Pleasure is often associated with sex, because pleasure is a feeling of enjoyable sensation in the body.
But tantric principles state that all things in life should give you pleasure.
Everything you do should give you pleasure.
And if you are not in control of your reality, who is?
Tantric yoga will help you unlearn the conditioning you’ve faced all your life.
We are taught to color within the lines, not to deviate from the rest of the group.
Traditional tantra yoga helps us reach the strength within us to follow our own paths.
By tapping into the subconscious we can rediscover our true selves.
When we know our true selves, we can live our best lives.
We must breathe and release the conditioning that keeps us from our true pleasure.
We must learn to stand on our own and take back our lives.
