Dear Friend,
When you read the Conscious Pathways website, you will often find me using the terms "Tantra" and “Tantrika”. So, what are these terms and what do I mean when I use them? Read on to find out!
Tantra: As a student of Tantra since the mid-90s, one thing I have always loved about this venerable path is its inclusivity and its continued relevance to modern life. In sharp contrast to many other paths of spirituality, Tantra has a balanced approach to the body and sex. This is wonderful, compassionate, and indeed rather practical; after all, we all have a body! Tantra has a long history of welcoming diverse practitioners of all sexual preferences and orientations. Nobody is shut out from practicing tantra. As such, tantra is the perfect path for everybody; no matter who you are and how you choose to live and love, Tantra will embrace you. Now, what happens if you decide to embrace Tantra and begin to implement these ancient and powerful practices? Well, you will most likely become a "Tantrika". But what is a Tantrika, and what does a Tantrika do?
Tantrika: A Tantrika actively practices Tantra to enhance their self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and to deepen their awareness. Tantrikas follow tantric practices as an important part of their lives to deepen imtimacy and connection to body, mind, and spirit; as a result, they understand themselves at a deeper level than purely the physical and mental. Many of us have wondered how to engage with our natural sexual impulses in healthy and uplifting ways: often societal norms and established religious traditions have sent the message that sexuality is somehow taboo or wrong. As a result, many of us have actively turned away from the spirituality offered by mainstream religion. Perhaps you can relate. If this is your experience, Tantra can offer a pathway for you to engage spiritually in a way that is interior, mystical, and based primarily on direct experience rather than dogma.
When you attend Conscious Pathways retreats, you will learn traditional Tantric meditation, centering techniques and embodiment exercises in an inclusive way that honors the one energy, the Shakti, that flows in all of us. We discuss Tantric teachings in heart circles and engage in Tantric practices throughout the retreat. In sacred, safe space we explore what Tantra could mean to us and how it can enhance our lives.
In this way, the practitioner of Tantra becomes a Tantrika.
Yours in Tantra,
Grant
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