Tantra Yoga – Benefits and Prerequisites For Practice

Tantra Yoga is a much talked-about term, but what is it and what does it take to practice tantra yoga? Quite simply, it is a set of tantra exercises that harnesses extremely potent power for spiritual regeneration.

Because of this power, it lies at the fundaments of ancient tantra practice.Tantra yoga lays special emphasis on the development of the powers latent in our six chakras, from Muladhara to Ajna. It should be clarified here that tantra yoga is not concerned with sexuality, but with creative force and transmuting the energy of this force into higher channels.

This revered and highly efficacious form of tantra practice involves deep meditation, in which the student of tantra sits calmly and purifies the mind and heart of wayward thoughts and desires.Tantra yoga is a ritual path, and is often grossly misunderstood and wrongly practiced. The fact is that its practitioners must have purity, humility, devotion, courage, dedication to their tantra teacher, a deep understanding of cosmic love, faithfulness, contentment, dispassion, non-covetousness and honesty. This form of yoga is a process that can unfold one’s spiritual nature through the constant worship of the energy within, collectively known as Shakti.

Practiced diligently under the guidance of an accomplished tantra master, it brings about an awakening of the self.Tantra yoga does not limit itself to a particular branch of study – rather, it incorporates in it diverse elements which are linked by a unifying rule of Tantra Dharma. It aims to bring about consciousness in all states of human life – the conscious state, the waking state and the dream state. It is a path and practice that teaches the methods and ways by which we can discard intolerance, ignorance, selfishness and the animal instinct that lives in all of us.Tantra believes teaches us that the primary driving force behind the Universe isnothing but desire, and that desires are very natural for a soul residing in a human body.

Tantra yoga brings physical and mental cleansing through Pranayama (tantra breathing exercises) the visualization of energized energy vortexes (yantra) and deities, the repetition of mantras (energized sounds/words) etc. It is a holistic means of studying of the macrocosm from microcosmic point of view.When a student of tantra practices tantra yoga under a tantra teacher, he or she will soon be able to identify a wide range of factors that impact our thoughts and feelings. Regular practice of this most basic – and yet most powerful – manifestation of ancient tantra inculcates the contentedness, concentration and focus which are needed to release our consciousness from its inherent limitations.

In short – tantra states that desires are natural, and tantra yoga provides practical means and devices to reprogram our minds and desires so that they serve us, rather than the other way round.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide to read more about Tantra Yoga, learn tantra exercises and tantric techniques from this young Tantra Master.

Tantra Meditation To Re-Establish Inner Connection

Tantra meditation can help bring us back in touch with ourselves – and with what truly matters in our lives. The art of tantra is all about transcending the superfluous and reconnecting with our elemental core. Never has there been a greater need to practice tantra mediation than today…

Mankind has strayed far from the elements that ancient Tantra upholds as holy and paramount. We are chronically obsessed with the development and acquisition of sleeker cell phones, smaller Ipods, faster Internet connections and smarter refrigerators. The human race continuously strives to improve its own situation better – unfortunately, in the constant search for something that is smaller, bigger, faster and jazzier, we have forgotten how to appreciate what we already have, or rather, had – the soul connection.

Is sitting in America and video-chat with friends or relatives in India real connection? We have adopted a false ideal – that of instant gratification, money, mechanical partying and mechanical loving. We think we are making things easier, but something as basic is being lost. We are experiencing a slow degradation of the soul. Bodies come together, but a tantra master will point out that this conjoining is incomplete to the point of unwholesomeness. Minds exchange ideas, but there is no common meeting ground of the spirit. Ideas, thoughts and emotions remain disjointed, dry and bereft of true life.

Those who learn tantra must choose not to be blind to the fact that relationships are at their worst point ever, and that the soul-to-soul connection –the very crux of interactions – is being steadily eroded. While the most basic tantra lessons lie ignored by the wayside, relationship fixers, marriage counsellors and lawyers mint money from the disconnect.

No one recognizes this as a serious problem. We are contend with coping as best as we can, either by ourselves or by paying for services that are ultimately useless. Modern science does not acknowledge a mind-body-soul connection and treats bodily ailments in isolation, cutting off its connection to the soul and mind. However, ancient tantra hold the key to this problem – a problem that arises when we lose the connection with our mind and thereby fail to connect with others. When you practice tantra meditation, you open the portal to your soul.

In this context, here are two simple Tantra meditation techniques:

1) Watching-The-Breath Tantra Meditation:

Pay close attention to your breath for a few minutes. Relax, close your eyes and focus on inhaling and exhaling slowly and comfortably. In this tantra breathing technique, you must breathe through your nose, involve the diaphragm and allow oxygen all the way to the inner core of your lungs. Visualize a energy-cord from the bottom of your feet to the main energy-cord attached to your spine.

If your mind starts wandering during this tantra exercise, re-focus your attention on breathing in and out. Keep doing this for 10 minutes without a break, and you will feel energy well up within yourself. This energy will draw only those people who love and appreciate you.

2) Zero-Mind Tantra Meditation:

Visualize a garbage dump and empty all thoughts your mind conjures up into it. Sit still in a tantric cross-legged position and let your mind go silent. The root cause of disconnect within ourselves stems from negative foreign energy being stuck in the body. When this virulent energy overshadows your real energy, it results in inner disconnect and disharmony.

A word of caution: Tantra influences mind, body and soul simultaneously. One must therefore practice tantra only under the vigilant guidance of an experienced tantra teacher. Amateur instructions or unguided practice will not yield in any benefits.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide to read about tantra meditation, learn tantra exercises and tantric techniques from this young Tantra Master.

Can Tantra Healing Cure Cancer?

A cure for cancer exists in the healing methods of tantra. This is corroborated by the tantric scriptures and the citations in it.

Cytology is a diagnostic branch of modern practice of medicine that pinpoint early stages of cancer. However, it doesn’t explain the reasons why cancer originates in the body. Tantra practitioners believe they have the answer. Under the guidance of a genuine tantra master, tantra and meditation can indeed heal chronic arthritis, headaches – and yes, cancer as well.

The ancient art of tantra teaches that most of cases of cancer are psychosomatic in nature and origin. Tantra healing methods combine intense chanting and beej mantra hymns at varied vibrations and speeds. They are exhaustively based on tantric scriptures.

Tantric healing has nothing to do with black magic or black arts. Healing through the tantric scriptures is a comprehensive system that gives a detailed understanding of why cancer develops in the body, and what are its specific points of origin are in individual cases. A genuine instructor can train your mind in an integrated manner to lend the power to heal your body.

The word ‘psychosomatic’ implies that the origin of a specific physical condition is a combination of insufficiencies in the mind, body and soul of the sufferer. Tantra believes that the psyche creates the disease, and that the body suffers. Since it is the psyche that is responsible for creating the disease, the only way to cure it is through the psyche. Tantra can cure any disease without having to resort to extended medical treatment, merely by treating through the psyche…. the root of the problem that induced the disease.

As a tantra master, I teach tantric healing so that my students may realize the answers to some of the most thought-provoking questions of life – where do we come from, and why do we have diseases at all in this world? Why can we not be completely free of all diseases? The answers lie within tantra. Students of tantra are aware of the specific roles stress, family and lifestyle play in developing the most life-threatening diseases in the world.

Copyright (C) Subhojit Dasgupta.

Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra teacher and offers Tantra lessons to select pupils.

Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Shakti

In my role as a tantra instructor, I have spoken extensively of kundalini tantra to those I instruct in this ancient tantric art. Kundalini tantra, which gives rise to Kundalini shakti, is the superpower that lies inactive within the uninstructed in the form of a coiled-serpent.

Specifically, the power of kundalini tantra dwells in the Muladhara Chakra, which is the first of the seven chakras. (The other six are Svadhishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara, in order of magnitude of higher consciousness.)

Together with the Vedas, the Agama Shastras are the origins of the ancient tantric arts, and they offer elaborate descriptions of tantric life. One must familiarize oneself with these to gain a proper comprehension of kundalini tantra.

The original Agama shastras/sastras are twenty-eight in number, and are acknowledged as Saiva Agamas. Their primary focus is on building a relationship with (and finally realizing) the superior devotee Shiva, or Siva. There are some other names such as Vira signifying Hero, Siddha implying Perfected and Swayambhuva implying naturally revealed.

The Agamas have four parts known as padas or lessons. The first two padas address Chariya (or good demeanor) and Kriya (or external worship of Goddesses) and includes all details of personal life, home planning, city planning, personal worship in temples, the architectural designs for temples and sculpture in addition to the elaborateness of temple puja.

The final two padas – Yoga (or internalized worship and union) and Jnana (or enlightened wisdom) give elaborate descriptions of the techniques and phases of kundalini tantra yoga, and the super high consciousness experienced while Tantric Samadhi is attained. In the actual shastras, the padas are sequential with Jnana first, Yoga second, and then Kriya and Chariya.

The Agamas comprise tens of thousands of verses, so much more prolific than the Vedas. Especially the Yoga and Jnana Padas are indeed advanced and omnipotent. Any student should strive to peruse and understand them. They can be complicated, so be sure to avail of the guidance of an accomplished tantra master.

Do not attempt any Tantra techniques without the close guidance and supervision of an experienced Tantra teacher if you wish to derive optimum benefits. Without proper guidance and supervision, most Tantra exercises can cause physical and emotional harm as they influence our mind, body and soul simultaneously.

Copyright (C) Subhojit Dasgupta.

Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra teacher and offers Tantra lessons to select pupils.

Three Hindu Tantra Positions

This article describes a number of Hindu tantra positions, including the Tantra Cobra Position, Tantra Stretch Position and Tantra Extreme Stretch Position.

Tantra Cobra Position:

1) To begin this tantra technique, lie down in a prostrate position, keeping your legs tightly together and stretched to the rear.

2) Position your hands under your shoulders, palms facing down.

3) Inhale and raise your head, stretching your neck to the rear and using your hands to stretch your trunk upwards until you form a graceful arc from the lower back to the back of your neck. Do not proceed beyond this if you experience strain; however, if you have the flexibility, straighten out your arms altogether, bending the legs at the knees and dropping your head back to touch your feet. If your head does not reach feet, drop it back as far as you can and maintain the position with deep breathing.

4) Emerge from this tantra posture gradually, returning to the prostrate posture.

5) Relax with your head to one side, then repeat the exercise.

Tantra Stretch Position:

1) Lie down prostrate on your exercise mat. Ensure that the mat is properly cushioned if you are very lean.

3) Inhale deeply, bending your knees upward. Stretch your arms to the rear and grab your ankles, keeping fingers and thumbs together.

4) Breathe in and simultaneously raise your head and chest, pulling in at your ankles and lifting your knees and thighs. Breathe normally and try to lift your legs higher upwards, simultaneously lifting your head as if to meet them. You will wind up in a bent bow position, focusing the weight of your body on your belly. You can stop at this stage if you cannot proceed further, but can also stretch further and slide your hands down your legs, lifting them higher. Keep the knees together and pull back as much as you can.

5) Maintain this tantra posture for the duration of a couple of deep breaths, then return to the prostrate position with head to one side.

Tantra Extreme Stretch Position:

1) Sit down with both legs stretched out in front, keeping your back straight.

2) Reach forward with both hands and hold your feet, grabbing the right foot with the left hand and the left foot with the right hand.

3) Breathe in, bending the left knee and drawing your foot across your body and around your chest, maneuvering the elbow up and twisting your body slightly to the right. The left hand continues to firmly hold the right foot. Maintain this tantra position with normal breathing, the release it slowly and relax

4) Repeat the posture. Initially, it is adequate to clasp the bent left leg with the right hand. When this is comfortably achieved, stretch down and clasp the left foot with the right hand. Continue pulling the left foot, lifting it higher as you breathe out in sequence.

Do not attempt these Tantra techniques without the close guidance and supervision of an experienced Tantra teacher if you wish to derive the optimum benefits. Without proper guidance and supervision, many Tantra exercises can cause harm.

Copyright (C) Subhojit Dasgupta.

Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra teacher and offers Tantra lessons to select pupils.

Tantra Prana Darshana: The Swerving Tantric Technique Of Prana-Vayu, Or Life-Breath

In a Tantra workshop, the Tantra teacher’s first purpose of teaching his pupil the intricacies of Tantra Prana Darshana is to help him or her understand that the act of inhalation and exhalation creates a circle of breath within. The second purpose of this tantra exercise is to help the pupil comprehend that inhalation and exhalation do not constitute two but one single breath. The breath that comes in also goes out, creating a single internal curve – the incoming breath becomes outgoing. Your Tantra teacher will place great emphasis on this fact.

For this Tantra exercise, you must sit in Padmasana (Lotus position) with your back straight. As you close your eyes, start by inhaling and exhaling effortlessly, feeling the breath entering and exiting your being. As you continue this Tantra exercise for nine cycles, you will feel the sensation of a circle of breath created within your body.

If you stop your breath for a brief moment during this Tantra exercise, you will find that your mind stops suddenly – it cannot function. Your breath is now in intricate symbiosis with your mind, and the connection between the mind and body is snapped for this moment. Only a breath-in-motion is joined with the mind and body… a motionless breath is disconnected, and this is when breath curves. You are not joined with the breath and that is the moment you actually become aware of who you really are. You realize the ‘I’.

During my Tantra workshops, I often ask my pupils to try a variation of Tantra Prana Darshana. They do the same technique of circular breathing, but just sitting, doing nothing. No movement at all. I then explain that if they are able to observe their breath curving without any movement of the mind, Tantra says they have entered into themselves.

This is because Tantra makes your breath leave you to move in a different direction. It was with you when it was coming in, and it will be with you again when it goes out. However, it is not with you at the point of the curving, and you are not with it. In this moment, the breath becomes separate from you, and you are separate from it.

By being be aware of this curving of the prana-vayu, you become a realized soul through Tantra.

Copyright (C) Subhojit Dasgupta.

Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra teacher and offers Tantra lessons to select pupils.