The Timeless Tradition of Tantra Belongs to Everyone

Lately I have been thinking deeply about tantra: what it is, how it has shaped my life, and the many benefits we can experience from learning this beautiful, timeless pathway.

In my life, I have the great good fortune to teach many people from diverse backgrounds in New Zealand and around the world, and it is truly wonderful to see the transformation that happens for people when they follow the pathway of traditional tantra. One of the things I absolutely love about tantra is its inclusivity, some might even say radical inclusivity. In my years teaching and learning this beautiful path, I have had the great good fortune to share learning with diverse people all around the world: whether it be offering retreats for the LGBTQ community on meditation and sacred sexuality, working with couples of all orientations and genders to build intimacy and authenticity, teaching meditation retreats to help everyone who attends move from stress and anxiety to calm, giving lectures on traditional tantra and Kashmir Shaivism, whatever it may be, I am deeply thankful and beyond blessed to be able to share this sacred wisdom with others to help them navigate change and transform their lives for the better.

Even though life is absolutely beautiful, there are times when it isn't exactly easy. No matter who we are, where we come from, or what we do in life, we often have to face difficulties. Sometimes life issues can seem very pressing, both individually and collectively. So, what's the answer to these ongoing issues? How can we address them?

One very effective way to address life issues is meditation. Meditation offers a way to authentically engage with your life issues, no matter who you are or how you live your life. After over 30 years of meditation practice, I can honestly say this: true meditation must work for you, it must be engaged. What do I mean by this? Meditation must help you in your life. It must help you effectively navigate whatever you are experiencing in your life right now, right where you are. Most of us do not have the time or space to live long-term in a retreat setting or retire to a mountaintop. And nowadays the demands of life in the world are pressing; we could say, perhaps more pressing than ever before. So, how can meditation help you? Whatever you are facing: health challenges, anxiety, divorce, career changes, stress, overwhelm, not knowing who you are anymore, not knowing which direction to take, the good news is that meditation can help, and it is simpler and more practical than you might first think.

The tradition that I am aligned with and have studied for many years is Kashmir Shaivism, a householder tradition of Tantra. What does "householder tradition" mean? It means that it is designed for you to practice in the midst of your life in the world. Kashmir Shaivism is a highly inclusive tradition of meditation and spiritual practice, open to people of all nationalities, backgrounds, genders, and orientations, and it teaches that authentically knowing yourself is everybody's birthright. So, Kashmir Shaivism represents radical inclusivity, bringing the timeless wisdom of meditation to anyone who wishes to learn it.

Kashmir Shaivism teaches that we are greater than we could ever imagine ourselves to be: happiness, fulfilment, peace, and harmony are available to us if we just take a moment, learn to slow down, and take a look inside ourselves. This is where meditation comes in. In today's world, there is a lot of information and misinformation about meditation. So, what is meditation really? Over years of learning meditation, I have come to understand that meditation is about knowing yourself, understanding yourself, and accepting yourself. This is what traditional Tantra can offer you: a deeper understanding of someone very important that you often tend to forget: You.

How to do this? How to remember you? Kashmir Shaivism teaches you ways to connect through traditional tantric practice. Practices focus on meditation, breath, awareness, the mind, the body, presence, and more. Traditional tantra embraces all of your life. It shows you how to navigate your life with wisdom and love, even when things get hard. Tantra is about cultivating authentic self-knowledge, intimacy, and a deeper understanding of who you are at the core of your being. I call this process "Living with Heart". In Kashmir Shaivism the Heart is the central reality of the universe, it exists within each one of us, and it is everyone's birthright to know it. The Heart is the essence of the radical inclusivity that Kashmir Shaivism offers us, and it is the reason that the timeless tradition of tantra belongs to everyone.