Understanding The Chakras For Tantra Practice

When practicing tantra, understanding the chakras and what each of them represents is very important. The chakras are basically the centres of core energies that direct everything we do in our lives. A tantra master must help his students understand the significance of each of these centres and how they come into play in the course of tantra instructions and practice.

The chakras are aligned along the spinal column, and the kundalini energy that you so often hear of flows along and between them. When you look at a chakra chart, you will see that each chakra are defined by a specific symbol and colour.

Every chakra is also the seat of certain drives or responses within our bodies. In the life of an uninitiated person, the flow of energy invariably gets road-blocked at one of the chakras, leading to strife in relationships and a disrupted inner and also physical existence.

The first is the Muladhara chakra, located at the perineum in the pelvic area. Depicted in red, it represents all our basic physical drives and quests for nourishment, shelter and overall security. When this centre is clear and grounded, we are able to take care of all our basic needs and are basically stable in the physical realm.

The second is the Svadhishthana chakra, located in the genitals. No prizes for guessing that it is the centre of the human sexual drive. Given the colour orange, it is responsible for procreation and the continuance of our race, but also for the bliss we derive from sexual union. With sufficient tantra practice under a qualified tantra teacher, this chakra – which is often subverted and blocked by insecurities and wrong impressions – opens up and becomes clear. This leads to more balanced emotions.

The third is the Manapura chakra and is situated in the navel. Assigned the colour yellow, this is the centre of power and energy and is also closely linked with how long we survive in the physical realm. From this centre comes self-confidence to achieve things, to progress and to attain independence in most things.

The fourth is called Anahata chakra, and is seated in the heart. From here emanates everything that is normally understood as ‘heart-felt’ – generosity, love, empathy for others and worshipfulness. Given the colour green, this chakra can be blocked by negative impressions, experiences and conditioning. When this happens, we tend to live small, superficial and selfish lives and are prone to die soon of diseases of the heart. In the course of your tantra instructions, your tantra teacher will guide you in specific tantric techniques that will open up this centre and align it with all the others.

The fifth is the Vishuddha chakra, located in the throat and assigned the colour violet. It is from here that we speak the truths we have learned. When this centre is blocked, we can actually feel it as a physical sensation commonly known as a lump in the throat. In such a situation, we are afraid to speak because we are not certain of what we know. Tantric practice opens up this chakra because what we have suspected or known only intellectually becomes experiential truth backed by full conviction.

The sixth is named Ajna chakra and is seated in the pineal gland. Often called the ‘third eye’, this is the seat of spiritual awakening, growth and self-realization. Given the colour of light blue, this is the seat of our intuition, meditation and self-awareness.

The seventh is called Sahasrara chakra and is located in our cranium. It is the seat of mindfulness and knowledge of the workings of the world and the worlds beyond. In the most spiritually advanced people, this chakra is an empty space that is open to the secrets of the cosmos. Represented by a golden white colour, this is the nexus of enlightenment and supreme consciousness.

As you learn tantra from your tantra teacher, these chakras become unblocked and allow spiritual energy and awareness to flow without obstruction. It cannot happen overnight and requires much practice, but it is possible for every genuine seeker to attain perfectly aligned and connected chakras, which is a pre-requisite to spiritual progress.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

The Dangers Of Raising Kundalini Prematurely

You may have heard from your tantra teacher about the dangers of raising your kundalini before you have been ‘prepped’ for it. Or else, you may have read about it and are therefore wondering if there is any truth to it. I have often been asked this question in my tantra for couples sessions and would like to clarify here on this point.

Kundalini energy is a powerful force, and it needs your chakras to be completely open for it to move freely. The hearts and minds of those not initiated into tantra – specifically, those who have not followed prescribed tantra techniques – are closed. In such people, moving kundalini energy up from the first chakra through blocked channels can certainly cause problems.

Kundalini requires free movement of energy from the first chakra at the base of the spine through to the crown chakra at the top of the head. As kundalini energy makes this journey, it awakens the mind and body and along the way and thereby exercises its transformative tantra powers. However, if it hits a blockage along its path, it will exert pressure on the bottleneck.

I do not want to dwell on what the results of such a situation can be. Much has already been written and said about it, and I do not think that every tantra teacher needs to add to the noise. All I want to say is that there have certainly been cases where people who practice kundalini tantra without guidance from an expert tantra teacher have suffered serious mental and physical setbacks.

Be aware that before you can practice and benefit from kundalini tantra, you must first have learned about the dynamics of raising psychic energy. Doing so without first practicing the specific tantric techniques that prepare the physical body sufficiently is a huge mistake – a mistake with often irreversible consequences.

There is yet another danger in practicing kundalini tantra without proper preparation and initiation. This is the danger of unleashing contaminated (impure) energy through the chakras. It is must be clearly understood that not all psychic energy is good, beneficial energy. False, perverted beliefs and desires are harmful, but they are still energy in the technical sense of the term. If they are unleashed in an impure form, they can wreak havoc.

This brings me to the whole purpose of practicing tantra is a prescribed format under a qualified tantric teacher. We all come to the path of path of enlightenment as dim or even snuffed-out candles. We come to the path of truth because we are confused by lies. We seek purification because our senses have been contaminated. The process of attaining enlightenment, truth and purification requires us to be cleansed first.

If you are keen to be learn the secrets of kundalini tantra and are willing to invest time, patience and energy in practicing the prescribed techniques, be sure to find a genuine tantric master who can guide your path. You can indeed be transformed by this wonderful mystical science – but be aware of the dangers of trying to do this on your own.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

Following The Path Of Tantra Sadhana

When most people think of tantra, they usually imagine that it is all about advanced sex. While sex is certainly a component of the tantric science, there is a lot more to it than that. Let me tell you what tantra sadhana involves.

Sadhana is a term that describes a spiritual path which has a specific objective or goal. A sadhu or sadhika is a man or woman pursuing a spiritual path that leads to a higher degree of spiritual realization. Since tantra is such a spiritual path, one who pursues it can expect to encounter enlightenment and liberation from earthly constraints of mind and body.

Tantra sadhana is therefore a spiritual pursuit in the classic sense of the tradition of ‘Bhakti’. Sexual techniques are certainly involved, but only in the context of liberation from physical and spiritual repression. Overcoming these repressions plays a big role in tantra sadhana so that complete self-realization becomes possible.

A person embarked on the path of tantra sadhana under an acknowledged tantra teacher practices specific meditation techniques, learns and recites prescribed tantra mantras (chants) and engages in tantra deity worship (puja). In the tantric arts, the quintessential deities are the tantra goddess Shakti and the traditional tantric god Shiva. The power, love and passion that these two deities embody are the basis of all tantric practices.

Learning tantra under a gifted tantra master is therefore not a trivial pursuit of sexual thrills, but involves understanding a whole philosophy, science and life path. Ancient tantra was conceived by Indian sadhus who studied humans and how they fit into both Nature and the cosmic scheme of things. The techniques they formulated are geared towards helping men and women to get body, mind and soul in perfect synch with Nature and the cosmos.

A student of tantra can be said to be on the path of tantra sadhana when he or she begins to practice the various rituals and techniques prescribed by their tantra master. This is the spirit of bhakti and sadhana, which requires the relinquishing of the ego and an attitude of worship in order to achieve spiritual awakening. In tantra, this worshipful attitude manifests in tantra puja, which is a system of ritualistic worship of the deities.

In tantra for couples sessions, the students gain a better understanding of the tantric deities Shiva and Shakti. As the couple progresses in their instructions under their tantra teacher, these deities themselves become the subjects and objects of intimacy – including sexual intimacy. Only when the couple reaches this level of awareness does tantric sex begin to have real meaning.

In short, the glories and joys of tantric sex are a gift that those who are on the path of tantra sadhana. This gift does not come apart from tantra sadhana. This is why this ancient science of life and love must essentially be learned under the expert tutelage of an experienced tantra teacher, or guru.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons, kriyas and mudras from this young Tantra Master.