• What is Tantra
• The colors of Tantra
• What is Tantric Meditation
• The benefits of tantric meditation
• Tantric couple meditation

What is Tantra 

Tantra is a philosophical system that emerged around 2000 BC in India, within the matriarchal civilizations that inhabited the Indus valley.

Precisely from this origin we owe the importance given by Tantra to the figure of the woman and in general to the feminine principle of Shakti , linked to the lunar , intuitive, manifest and creative energy, and counterpart of Shiva, the masculine, solar , rational principle, renovator and absolute.

At the basis of ancient tantra there is the conception that the manifest world is nothing more than the physical and material expression of the unmanifest : the sense of loneliness, separation and emptiness that accompanies man in earthly life fades only when he succeeds. to unveil this reality, to recognize its own divine nature and to achieve union with the Whole.

The tantric technique therefore provides a rigid discipline to which the practitioner must adhere, so that he can ascend to an increasingly subtle state of awareness and consciousness, awakening or, better said, channeling the Kundalini energy appropriately .

One of the aspects that most characterize tantra yoga is the fact that it considers the body as a fundamental tool through which to know and experience the world : the senses are therefore not only withdrawn and turned internally ( prathyara ), but also expanded, stimulated and open towards the outside.

Here, then, that in the practice of Tantra yoga many tools are used , including:

• Asanas or tantra positions;
• pranayama or breath control techniques;
• tantric mantras;
• mandala and yantra;
• puja or purification ceremonies;
• mudra.

The colors of Tantra

When we talk about Tantra we immediately tend to emphasize the distinction between red tantra and white tantra .

1. The red tantra , also known as the ” path of the left hand “, is the oldest path and includes practices that include human contact, the expression of the senses and the energetic exchange between male and female forces, including through sexual union ( maithuna). This act, however, unlike what is commonly believed today, is experienced not as the ultimate goal of tantric practice, but as a sacred tool to transcend sensory consciousness and awaken the potential of the Kundalini.

   In this way there is no division between what is pure and what is impureand for this reason the adepts of the red tantra do not have rigid prescriptions on the behaviors and on the allowed foods and therefore they must not refrain from consuming foods prohibited in the orthodox traditions.

   It is the practice of panchamakaras , the five Ms : madya (wine), mamsa (meat), matsya (fish), mudra (roasted cereals) and maithuna (sexual union).

2. The white tantra , or ” path of the right hand “, derives from the previous one and develops following the transition to a patriarchal society and with a more monastic character, censoring all practices that could be considered unbecoming and immoral. In this vein, which has thus been able to develop in a more manifest way, the 5 Ms are sublimated and take on a more subtle and symbolic meaning and also the union between the male and female principles takes place on a metaphorical level and no longer literal and carnal. . 

   The practices , rather than being shared and carried out in a group, with an exchange towards the outside, are carried out individually and are based above all on meditation techniques, visualizations and movements of awareness that turn inward.

What is Tantric Meditation 

Tantric meditation is an active and fundamental part of tantric yoga : it includes different techniques and combines:

• Movement;
• breath;
• views and sounds

in order to channel the Kundalini energy and let it flow unhindered , allowing gradually to expand the states of awareness to a higher level.

The benefits of tantric meditation

The benefits and effects experienced concern all layers of the body, from the coarsest to the most subtle ones:

• Physical , by restoring the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which offers a feeling of general well-being;
• energetic , with the increase of vital energy levels and awareness of the subtle energies present;
• mental , with the development of superior mental abilities and a greater ability to concentrate;
• emotional , thanks to the control of thoughts and feelings, which guarantee an increase in emotional stability;
• spiritual , with the attainment of higher states of consciousness and the realization of the divine essence of the whole.

Tantric couple meditation 

Meditation for couples , as well as tantra massage , contrary to what we tend to believe, are not sexual practices and do not have the ultimate goal of improving performance with the partner, but rather sacralize this union and make it meaningful on many levels. .

As we have seen, Tantra is based on the awareness that everything is pervaded by a male force and a female force and that only the full union of Shiva and Shakti can help us to approach liberation and the state of bliss.

In couple tantric meditation , therefore, one tries to tune one’s energy with that of the other, for example with breath synchronization, conscious touch or gaze connection.

Through this reciprocal exchange, empathy increases , the energy charge and general well-being increase and also sexuality and couple intimacy can derive numerous advantages.