The Essence of Tantric Sexuality

[HORIZONS]

I noticed that I have reached my second year here on this forum, and I thought I might post something to commemorate this membership milestone. :p

I have been reading a couple of new books by Michaels & Johnson – the first one being The Essence of Tantric Sexuality – and the second is Tantra For Erotic Empowerment.

These two books are based upon Kriya Yoga and what is called Vama Marga Tantra as taught by Dr. John Mumford – Swami Anandakapila Saraswati.

I am curious if anyone else has studied this, and/or studying this, and to what extent?

I am halfway through the first book, and it is very well written and full of detailed knowledge on the subject and its history. I have read a little of the second and it seems to be more of an actual practice manual.

This path of Tantra is more about the path than the outcome – it is about the energy, not about the method. At least that is my take thus far. This work is a very spiritual approach to this subject.

I also researched some of the Taoist secrets and rituals on this subject and found that I have known and practiced most of this on my own, through my own intuition and insights. Most of this knowledge is not known in the West – what a shame.

Here are the books-
http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Tantric-Sexuality-Mark-Michaels/dp/073870900X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332188166&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Tantra-Erotic-Empowerment-Enriching-Sexual/dp/0738711977/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

Well worth the read ;)

[TargeT]

I have "tantric sex for men" but have yet to read it... I can't seem to read books anymore :(

I agree, this is a very important subject to study espeicaly since Orgone seems to be directly tied to this topic (and is a very powerful energy apparently)

[greybeard]

Try Mantak Chia search Horizon.
Also Margo Anad "The heart of Sexual Ecstasy" great book--- best on the subject I have read.
But yes it valid.
Chris

[HORIZONS]

Try Mantak Chia search Horizon.
Also Margo Anad "The heart of Sexual Ecstasy" great book--- best on the subject I have read.
But yes it valid.
Chris

Thanks Chris - she now goes by Margot Anand and here is her web site: http://www.margotanand.com/

I see you have passed the two year mark as well :cool:

[HORIZONS]

Here is an mp3 audio of Margot Anand - this is a very good interview, and goes into the true nature of Tantra.
http://webtalkradio.net/Shows/SexAndHappiness/sah030512.mp3

[minkton]

Hi Horizons. I am interested in tantra and have studied mantak chia and taoist approach to sexuality as a practice and like you, felt that intuitively I was headed in that direction already. I feel that working with our sexual energy is an obvious, easy way to enrich our lives beyond measure. I get very saddened by 'mainstream sexuality' and it's recurring issues of boredom between couples and the search for novelty and feel that tantra is the depth approach which rules out such issues which drive people apart or make us benumbed. Working with sexual energy is a great way into internal alchemy and stilling the mind.

[HORIZONS]

Hi Horizons. I am interested in tantra and have studied mantak chia and taoist approach to sexuality as a practice and like you, felt that intuitively I was headed in that direction already. I feel that working with our sexual energy is an obvious, easy way to enrich our lives beyond measure. I get very saddened by 'mainstream sexuality' and it's recurring issues of boredom between couples and the search for novelty and feel that tantra is the depth approach which rules out such issues which drive people apart or make us benumbed. Working with sexual energy is a great way into internal alchemy and stilling the mind.

Hi minkton, and thank you for your post. I fully agree with you and your pov. IMHO sex has become so low in its vibratory state between individuals that it has lost all its spiritual implications. Sex should be, and can be, of a high spiritual vibration where all the chakras are connected between partners, not just the lower ones. I, for one, feel that the porn industry has played a big part in ruining sex between individuals and lovers in our modern age, and ruined many lives as well in the process. This is where most of our young get their sex education from - what a major shame that is. Sex is regarded as animalistic in its nature, but it can be so much more, it is just a matter of learning and educating oneself, and coming out from the programing that has been instilled in us. I post this so that others may take a look - without bias I hope - into what Tantra and Tantric sexuality is all about. I always knew there was more, and when the student was ready the teacher did appear ;)

Yes, women have been exploited in this area, as have children and some men, but we can learn and grow out of these mindsets - if we are willing to learn and grow.

[greybeard]

I have had the experience of sending and receiving Tantric energy at some distance and it felt very real for both of us.
Its a question of strong focus using breathing and felt body movement to project the energy in a meditative state
With strong imagination you can feel your body moving as though it was but its quite stationary.
There has to be receptive energy between the couple.
Best to surrender to the Divine before attempting this.
Chris

[christian]

I noticed that I have reached my second year here on this forum, and I thought I might post something to commemorate this membership milestone. :p

Congratulations :party:

To really set a milestone I find you could go into more depth considering your knowledge and experiences in that matter, "The Essence of Tantric Sexuality" is a pretty bold title ;)

From my perspective, the essence is to reverse the sperm/energy flow, to refine and cultivate it while it moves through the body instead of ejaculating. During that process the sperm/energy is breaking up and reassembling, this is why it's called inner alchemy. This does not mean holding back, as this is painful and creates an unhealthy energy imbalance, it's really about redirecting. One still experiences the 'muscle spasm' that would usually indicate an orgasm, but it is somewhat more controlled and internally it's accompanied by a pulling up of that energy from the lower chakras. Because there is no ejaculation, the erection can sustain longer and this can be experienced often times during intercourse, multiple orgasms. From what I read in Mantak Chia's "Tao Yoga of Love", a certain percentage of people practices this approach to sexuality intuitively. His book is a classic, straight to the point with lots of useful exercises, he also got a special version for women. - I practice this since many years and found most important was simply the unbending intention to do it, then curiosity, flexibility and perseverence, I mean when you have no one looking over your shoulder in the sense of correcting possible "mistakes", you gotta do it with the try and error method probably.

Developing a more refined understanding and practice of sexuality goes hand in hand with spiritual development and so it is easy to understand, why TPTW made a huge effort to portray sex as coarse as possible, putting the focus on the 'quick fix' and supporting all kinds of perversities, while using sexual energy especially of children in their satanic rituals.

[HORIZONS]

I have had the experience of sending and receiving Tantric energy at some distance and it felt very real for both of us.
Its a question of strong focus using breathing and felt body movement to project the energy in a meditative state
With strong imagination you can feel your body moving as though it was but its quite stationary.
There has to be receptive energy between the couple.
Best to surrender to the Divine before attempting this.
Chris

Thank you Chris for your contribution, as I find this experience you've shared incredibly fascinating. I realize that there is no distance to energy, but to experience it in this fashion must have been a very special experience for you - one not soon forgotten I'm sure.

[HORIZONS]

I noticed that I have reached my second year here on this forum, and I thought I might post something to commemorate this membership milestone. :p

Congratulations :party:

To really set a milestone I find you could go into more depth considering your knowledge and experiences in that matter, "The Essence of Tantric Sexuality" is a pretty bold title ;)

From my perspective, the essence is to reverse the sperm/energy flow, to refine and cultivate it while it moves through the body instead of ejaculating. During that process the sperm/energy is breaking up and reassembling, this is why it's called inner alchemy. This does not mean holding back, as this is painful and creates an unhealthy energy imbalance, it's really about redirecting. One still experiences the 'muscle spasm' that would usually indicate an orgasm, but it is somewhat more controlled and internally it's accompanied by a pulling up of that energy from the lower chakras. Because there is no ejaculation, the erection can sustain longer and this can be experienced often times during intercourse, multiple orgasms. From what I read in Mantak Chia's "Tao Yoga of Love", a certain percentage of people practices this approach to sexuality intuitively. His book is a classic, straight to the point with lots of useful exercises, he also got a special version for women. - I practice this since many years and found most important was simply the unbending intention to do it, then curiosity, flexibility and perseverence, I mean when you have no one looking over your shoulder in the sense of correcting possible "mistakes", you gotta do it with the try and error method probably.

Developing a more refined understanding and practice of sexuality goes hand in hand with spiritual development and so it is easy to understand, why TPTW made a huge effort to portray sex as coarse as possible, putting the focus on the 'quick fix' and supporting all kinds of perversities, while using sexual energy especially of children in their satanic rituals.


"The Essence of Tantric Sexuality" is a pretty bold title -- and is the actual title of the book I am reading and referencing here in this thread - hence the title reflects that.
My experience thus far has been mostly intuitive through my desire for a spiritual sexual experience, which I have always felt is possible, and so I have recently begun to study Tantra as a spiritual practice - although I have heard about it for several years, and exposed myself to it before in a minimal way. It fits in to my understanding based on my personal experiences, but I find that the topic is very broad, and there are many approaches to this practice. This is why I started this thread - so that others, like you, might share in their experiences and thus we can all grow in our collective understanding of this subject. Which is the right way (?), or whatever, is not what this thread is about - but more of an introduction and a place to share and explore one's thoughts on this subject.
Thank you for your insights~

[greybeard]

Yes it really about containing the energy--- non ejaculation.
This can be uses as a micro cosmic orbit while intimate.
The breathing important.
Bernie Prior claimed he became enlightened through this.
The late Barry Long also worth investigating.

I dont know if Avalon is a appropriate place to discuss the ins and outs of the subject--- smiling.

Chris

[HORIZONS]

Yes it really about containing the energy--- non ejaculation.
This can be uses as a micro cosmic orbit while intimate.
The breathing important.
Bernie Prior claimed he became enlightened through this.
The late Barry Long also worth investigating.

I dont know if Avalon is a appropriate place to discuss the ins and outs of the subject--- smiling.

Chris

Yes, I agree with you, and as long as we keep it clean we should be OK. But for instance, the teacher I am studying taeches that Tantra is more about the Path than the destination. This incorporates a very spiritual approach, as it is not about the actual act of sex, as it is about the sharing of energy that can, but not always, involves sex. In fact the results of this practice go way beyond sex according to what I have been studying, and is a way of life, and not just for a better sexual experience.

[greybeard]

Yes it really about containing the energy--- non ejaculation.
This can be uses as a micro cosmic orbit while intimate.
The breathing important.
Bernie Prior claimed he became enlightened through this.
The late Barry Long also worth investigating.

I dont know if Avalon is a appropriate place to discuss the ins and outs of the subject--- smiling.



Chris

Yes, I agree with you, and as long as we keep it clean we should be OK. But for instance, the teacher I am studying taeches that Tantra is more about the Path than the destination. This incorporates a very spiritual approach, as it is not about the actual act of sex, as it is about the sharing of energy that can, but not always, involves sex. In fact the results of this practice go way beyond sex according to what I have been studying, and is a way of life, and not just for a better sexual experience.

Hi Horizons
Simply its all about learning how to move energy/Chi
It spiritual and very life supporting.
Tantric practitioners live healthy and long--- they tend to look much younger than their years
It is also helpful to do something like Qui Gong or Tai Chi.
I had a head start as I trained as a Bio-energy practitioner.
Once you learn how to feel energy, you can move it at will.
Best wishes
Chris

[DeDukshyn]

Quoted from Chiquetet above:



Developing a more refined understanding and practice of sexuality goes hand in hand with spiritual development

Very true - the two are linked. Even Inelia recommends finding a "partner" if you don't have a regular, when going through periods of advanced spiritual training (As stated somewhere on her website). As your spirituality develops, your sexuality (from an energy perspective) will naturally start to develop as well. Might as well work with them both at once! ;)

Great thread - thanks to Chris and others for the resources!

[christian]

I dont know if Avalon is a appropriate place to discuss the ins and outs of the subject--- smiling.

I find discussing this is only interesting if it's free and as long it is not profane pornography. For example in the daoistic text "The Medicine of the Yellow Emperor" certain positions with a certain amount of thrusts are recommended as remedies for this and that. I find that curious.

The guidelines (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/faq.php?faq=avalonguidelines#faq_membershipguidelines) say: "[no] pornography (including nude art), racial / sexual / national intolerance". This is not intolerant towards anybody, is it? The guidelines go on, that one shouldn't post a message that is "sexually-oriented", but I guess that doesn't mean, that having a cultured conversation about it is taboo.

[minkton]

I have had the experience of sending and receiving Tantric energy at some distance and it felt very real for both of us.
Its a question of strong focus using breathing and felt body movement to project the energy in a meditative state
With strong imagination you can feel your body moving as though it was but its quite stationary.
There has to be receptive energy between the couple.
Best to surrender to the Divine before attempting this.
Chris

Yes, Me too. Having such experience of space not mattering between two people is life changing. Ime it's to do with affinity and deep resonance between two people, and then it pretty much is like a rock rolling down a hill.. the force is there, you just have to go with it.

[Sabrina]

Have been looking at David Deida's work recently - http://www.deida.info/ - 'David Deida continues to revolutionize the way that men and women grow spiritually and sexually. His teaching and writing on a radically practical spirituality for our time have been hailed as among the most original and authentic contributions to personal and spiritual growth currently available'.

Tho' like TargeT finding it hard to get thru' any book at the moment - energies and all of that...

'The Way of the Superior Man' and 'Dear Lover' are interesting ones and don't even offend my feminist side (too much ...apart from women being apparently confused....). Some amusingly irate reviews on Amazon tho'.

[minkton]

LOVE David deida. Really recommend his work very highly indeed especially for couples wanting to take intimacy to the next level, way beyond the now mainstream idea of an " evolved relationship" which is actually just two people dancing around avoiding codependency. Deida is as all about ****ing your way to God, with your partner of depth. It's beautiful, inspiring stuff.

[HORIZONS]

HERE (http://www.tantrapm.com/index.html) is the website for the author's of the books in my OP, if you are interested. Their books are very well researched, and they speak from their experience as well.

This is not just about how to have better sex, as they themselves state:
http://www.tantrapm.com/images/tantrahome.gif

Part of short bio:

Mark A. Michaels (Swami Umeshanand Saraswati) and Patricia Johnson (Devi Veenanand) are a devoted married couple and have been teaching Tantra together since 1999. Their approach combines traditional lineage-based Tantra with the best contemporary methods so that students can bring heightened awareness and an expanded capacity for pleasure into all aspects of everyday life. Michaels and Johnson are the authors of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality (Llewellyn, 2006), which won the USA Book News National Best Books 2007 Award in Health: Sexuality. Their second book, Tantra for Erotic Empowerment: The Key to Enriching Your Sexual Life (Llewellyn 2008) won the 2008 USA Book News Award, also in Health: Sexuality, was selected as an Indie Excellence Awards finalist in New Age Non-Fiction, and was a ForeWord Magazine Books of the Year Award finalist in the Body, Mind and Spirit category.

Here is a short video
H3mkoqTCnqE

[Arrowwind]

My sons received "The Way of The Superior Man" from their mom when they turned 21.

[HORIZONS]

My sons received "The Way of The Superior Man" from their mom when they turned 21.

Very cool! :cool: TV, Movies and the School Yard is where I received most of my sex Ed, and it took me a long time before I knew any better than that mind programing.
Eventually I did learn, but what a long hard road I had to travel.

[Arrowwind]

My sons received "The Way of The Superior Man" from their mom when they turned 21.

Very cool! :cool: TV, Movies and the School Yard is where I received most of my sex Ed, and it took me a long time before I knew any better than that mind programing.
Eventually I did learn, but what a long hard road I had to travel.

And before that book, in junior highschool, they had been given my university level text on everything you could know about the physical and conventional viewpoints on sex, 4 inches thick. And before that an age appropriate book in 4th or 5th grade

[gripreaper]

My understanding, is that the flame, or "pilot light" sits in the root chakra, and is ignited by the second chakra, which is the chakra which generates life force. In the ancient texts, there was no distinction between life force and sexual energy, as they are the same. What distinguishes them, is how this energy is generated, magnified, focused and emanated, which in sexual union is called "tantra". When two souls in bodies are fully self realized and have done their work clearing all of their chakras of old beliefs and stagnant energy, and they are in alignment with their twin flame who is also fully self realized, then all of the chakras become fully charged, magnified, and the expansion of both KA bodies gives them the opportunity to experience the fullness of spirit, in a body, on all levels, dimensions, and fields.

Imagine being able to be out of linear time and experience the fullness of all that is IN A BODY. This is tantra, and this is enlightenment. The age of the twin flame reunions is upon us and I'm excited to do the work and experience that one day. Can't wait for my twin flame to come along.

Two books, which helped me understand, was "The Magdalene Manuscript" by Tom Kenyon and "Understanding Twin Flame Union" by Claire Heartsong.

In the Magdalene Manuscript Magdalene talks about her tantric relationship with Yeshua and how to magnify the life force, which they did in sacred union the night of the last supper, and bore a child named Sarah. Very gripping and moving how beautiful and sacred holding the fulness of spirit in a body can be.

[HORIZONS]

My understanding, is that the flame, or "pilot light" sits in the root chakra, and is ignited by the second chakra, which is the chakra which generates life force. In the ancient texts, there was no distinction between life force and sexual energy, as they are the same. What distinguishes them, is how this energy is generated, magnified, focused and emanated, which in sexual union is called "tantra". When two souls in bodies are fully self realized and have done their work clearing all of their chakras of old beliefs and stagnant energy, and they are in alignment with their twin flame who is also fully self realized, then all of the chakras become fully charged, magnified, and the expansion of both KA bodies gives them the opportunity to experience the fullness of spirit, in a body, on all levels, dimensions, and fields.

Imagine being able to be out of linear time and experience the fullness of all that is IN A BODY. This is tantra, and this is enlightenment. The age of the twin flame reunions is upon us and I'm excited to do the work and experience that one day. Can't wait for my twin flame to come along.

Two books, which helped me understand, was "The Magdalene Manuscript" by Tom Kenyon and "Understanding Twin Flame Union" by Claire Heartsong.

In the Magdalene Manuscript Magdalene talks about her tantric relationship with Yeshua and how to magnify the life force, which they did in sacred union the night of the last supper, and bore a child named Sarah. Very gripping and moving how beautiful and sacred holding the fulness of spirit in a body can be.

Thanks for your post gripreaper - as this is how I see/understand the spiritual relationship unfolding between individuals - this is what my spiritual intuition envisions, and where my energy is flowing.

[HORIZONS]

Another good book to add to your reading list is "The Tao Of Sexology" The Book Of Infinite Wisdom by Dr. Stephen T. Chang.

[HORIZONS]

Two others in my library that are well worth the read are...

The Tao of Health, Sex And Longevity, A Modern Practical Guide To The Ancient Way, by Daniel Reid.

The Tao Of Sexual Massage, by Stephen Russell and Jurgen Kolb.