Tantra Yoga And The Seven Chakras

There is a lot of misunderstanding about what chakras really are, and how they are pertinent to learning tantra. To begin with, it is important to understand that chakras are not real in a material sense. Rather, they are psychic centres in our body that the ancient Indian yogis identified in the course of their studies. As your tantra teacher will clarify, these chakras are in fact centres of incredible consciousness potential.

The chakras are repositories of psychic energy that are hard-wired into the overall state of the body and mind. Though chakras are often represented as lotuses on charts, the actual translation from the Sanskrit word ‘chakra’ is ‘spinning wheel’. These wheels represent a system of seven energy centers located along the spine, and each corresponds to an area of the body, a set of behavioral characteristics and stages of spiritual growth.

The technical names of the seven chakras are as follows – Muladhara (at the base of the spine), Svadhisthana (in the abdomen, genitals and lower back), Manipura (the solar plexus), Anahata (in the heart area), Visshudha (in the throat), Ajna (at the brow) and Sahasrara (at the top of head, or cerebral cortex.)

As already explained, each chakra is associated with a particular body location. However, each of them is also associated with a colour, a central emotional or behavioural issue and also many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, etc.

Practicing tantra yoga under the guidance of a tantra teacher can help you focus your energies with the help of different postures and tantric breathing techniques. It then becomes possible to align your chakras and get all the wheels spinning in the same direction, at the same speed. An experienced tantra master can help you understand how to fine-tune and control these energy centers via specific yoga and tantric meditation techniques. As a result, you will experience spiritual balance and complete harmony at the mind, body and spirit levels.

The spiritual energy that is in question here is also called kundalini energy. In its dormant state, kundalini energy may be seen as a coiled snake resting at the base of your spine, or the Muladhara chakra. Since the chakras act as valves or pumps regulating the flow of energy through your system, the controlled and purposeful movements of tantric yoga can help realign your chakras.

Through the movements and postures of tantra yoga, you can learn to concentrate and direct your kundalini energy to and from the various chakras in your body. In this way, you can compensate for areas that may be inactive or out of synch with the rest of your body. By balancing the energy among all seven chakras, complete physical, mental and spiritual balance can be achieved.

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.

Tantra And Sexual Healing

Tantra and sex are inseparable concepts in the minds of millions. This is unavoidable, because improved sexual performance and gratification are definitely important aspects of the tantric way of life. The problem lies in the fact that tantra – and especially the concepts of tantra god and tantra goddess – is seen as a means of turning men into erotic supermen and superwomen.

It is important to understand that in the tantric sciences, the tantra goddess is in fact the deification of woman. From being an object of man’s lustful intentions, she becomes a deity to be cherished and worshipped. This new way for a man of looking at his intimate partner is an integral part of the process of sexual healing. How does this happen, and why is it necessary?

Throughout the centuries, the sexual objectification of woman has been the primary cause of perversions and relationship breakdowns. Both the man and the woman suffer – the man is incapable of seeing sex and sexual intimacy in its proper context, while the woman often considers sexual relations as a cross she has to bear. It was never means to be this way.

In tantra, sex is an act of worship – a beautiful thing. The tantric arts prescribe various tantric rituals to align men and women to the true meaning and purpose of intimate relationships. The woman is given an opportunity to recover from the sick conditioning she has been subjected to over the centuries. The man learns to revere and cherish his woman. As a result, sexual healing takes place.

The process of sexual healing via the tantric route must be carefully laid out and monitored, and this requires the involvement of an accomplished tantra teacher – the quintessential guru of ancient India lore. The tantra master is not a sexual gym instructor, but a spiritual guide who teaches couples how to recover from the wrongs they have inflicted on each other, and how to set right these wrongs.

The ancient Indian tantric masters developed this science in a manner that factored in various aspects of sexual healing. The system they developed is an extremely powerful force – a force that can easily turn on those who attempt to wield it without knowing its secrets. This is this system of healing relationships and empowering couples must be learned and practiced only under the guidance of an expert tantra teacher.

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.

Tantra Sadhana For Complete Spiritual Liberation

The word Tantra tends to conjure up visions of complicated sexual practices and techniques. However, as any tantra teacher will tell you, it is actually a complete philosophy, science and way of life in itself. Ancient Indian sages studied mankind as well as Nature and formulated this system so that men and women could synchronize their bodies and souls with Nature.

Ancient tantra involves various rituals and techniques. However, to practice the tantric arts, the student of tantra must first attain the spirit of sadhana. The Sanskrit word sadhana means ‘the path towards accomplishment (of a desired goal)’. The spiritual practice and attitude of sadhana requires the student to relinquish and transcend his or her ego, with the goal being spiritual awakening. It calls for meditation, chanting of spiritual intonations and invocations (mantras) and deity worship.

In tantra, worship takes the form of ‘puja’, which is nothing but a systematic ritual of worship. The student of the tantric arts learns to approach the process of instructions by a tantra master with an attitude of worship. In the sexual aspects of this ancient science, he or she also learns to regard the intimate partner as an object of worship (deity). As a result, all of the tantric student’s relationships undergo a profound transformation.

Ancient tantra is not aligned to any religion. It is an independent spiritual science which embraces the wholesomeness inherent in all religions while rejecting their rigid prejudices and repressive teachings. This is because tantra is about liberation – of the body, of the spirit and of the mind.

In the course of practicing the tantric arts under a tantra teacher, the student experiences a reuniting of Shiva and Shakti. Shiva is the quintessential tantra god, and Shakti the tantra goddess. Between them, the entire dance of life takes place. Any division between the two in a person’s and couple’s life causes spiritual and emotional imbalances.

By means of specific tantra pujas or worshipful rituals, the student gets in touch with both the Shiva and Shakti. These two deities must hold sway over every aspect of intimacy between two human beings. Only then can an intimate relationship be reborn and raised to its fullest divine potential

Throughout, the tantra master acts as conduit of knowledge and spiritual catharsis. His role is to instruct and mold his students by means of rituals and techniques that will set them free. As such, there is no substitute for an accomplished tantric teacher to guide individuals and couples through the process of spiritual awakening and evolution.

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.