The Spiritual Roots Of Tantra Yoga

Much is written on tantra yoga, but it is important to understand what differentiates tantric yoga from other forms. Like everything else about the tantric way of life, this form of yoga has very deep roots in the human experience.

The principles of Tantra Yoga are based on an amalgamation of various sciences and spiritual studies, including astrology, astronomy, psychology, chemistry, physics, numerology and the ancient Indian herbal medicine system of Ayurveda. Tantra yoga has a basis in all these disciplines, and is therefore a profound practice with roots in a wide cross-section of human existence.

When a student learns tantra yoga under and experienced tantra teacher, he or she will experience an incredible expansion of awareness in every state of consciousness. However, it is first necessary for the tantra teacher to de-program the student’s mind. Tantra yoga requires a relatively pure and innocent state of mind and awareness in which to take hold and flourish.

The deprogramming process in teaching tantra yoga is not always pleasant, since the student of tantra needs to question many erroneous beliefs and practices that keep him or her from evolving into a higher state of spiritual awareness. There are many social, familial or experiential influences that crowd our mind, and these are constantly working in the background to rob us of mental peace and spiritual equilibrium.

Since these ‘programs’ are contrary to what tantra yoga requires, they are first exposed and then cleaned from the mind and soul. This requires a master’s touch and a whole lot of compassion. This is why tantric yoga should never be taught by anyone but an accomplished tantra master.

Throughout the learning process, the tantra student is introduced to various techniques to identify and eliminate the contaminants of the soul and the psyche. Disruptive factors that poison thoughts and emotions are faced and overcome, and the result is freedom from ignorance, intolerance and pointless, bestial lust. These are replaced by knowledge, a sense of oneness with all things and the awakening of sacred sexuality.

Tantra yoga finally brings with it a welling up of tantra energy – energy which was hitherto misunderstood and either abused or sadly under-utilized. In this state of psychic and spiritual renewal, regular practice of tantra yoga under the auspices of a genuine tantra teacher will yield profound results. In fact, life itself is reinvented.

The various postures and meditation techniques of tantric yoga constantly purify mind, body and soul, detoxifying the practitioner at every level of existence and bringing peace, harmony and spiritual wellbeing.

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 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.

Self-Inquiry Is A Necessary Ingredient Of Tantra Practice

Many who have discovered tantra cannot wait to go ahead with the much-hyped promises of greater sexual gratification it holds. Such aspiring tantra students wish to learn the tantric arts for this reason alone, and they completely miss the point. Learning tantra is not about having better sex, even if that is one of the promises of this ancient art.

The most important step in learning tantra is finding a qualified tantra teacher who can properly initiate the aspiring student. Without a tantric master, the student will do little more than embark on a wild goose chase and wind up disillusioned. It is no more possible to learn tantra from a book than it is to learn a language in the same manner. A knowledgeable guide who can chart the course of instructions and make necessary corrections when the student veers off course is absolutely essential.

One of the main reasons why it is necessary to learn tantra under a tantra teacher is the fact that learning this science effectively requires considerable self-inquiry. Though this is a process where the student delves within himself or herself, the process itself cannot take place unsupervised. Self-inquiry is not within the natural bounds human nature. In fact, our natural reflex is to avoid self-inquiry because what we tend to see within ourselves makes us extremely uncomfortable.

Why is self-inquiry a prerequisite to learning the tantric arts? The reason is that in order to experience true freedom – spiritual, emotional or sexual – we must first identify what enslaves us. Our ingrained faulty beliefs about ourselves, others and things such as sexual intimacy hold us back from exploring our fullest potential. A tantra teacher will guide his student in the process of self-examination compassionately, but he will not allow the process itself to be avoided.

Various tantra meditation techniques and rituals are employed in the process of self-examination, and these lead to self-discovery. Often for the first time, the tantric student is confronted with what beliefs and attitudes he or she is driven by. This is invariably a shattering experience. However, it is also accompanied by an indescribable sense of blissful release from the bondage of false beliefs.

As these false beliefs about oneself, one’s intimate partner and the whole issue of intimacy crumble, students of tantra become ready for the first stages of initiation. Then – and only then – will they be able to understand the full spiritual power of the tantra energy that lies within them.

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.