Tantra & Its Misconceptions
Tantra is an ancient Indian spiritual tradition. The ultimate goal of Tantra is to achieve liberation and eternal bliss. It is an amalgamation of various spiritual practices like Asana (postures), Pranayama, Bandha (energy lock), Chakras (energy centers), Meditation, Mudra (gestures), Ayurveda & some other esoteric practices which aims to delve deep into the human consciousness, help it expand manifold and gradually become one with the Divine Consciousness. Tantra means to weave in Sanskrit and it literally weaves together all aspects of your being to help you thrive, prosper, tune in with your authentic self to achieve your goals and to deepen all your relationships. Tantra helps you live your life to the fullest and helps you achieve material as well as spiritual prosperity.
However, Tantra has been riddled with controversies and marred with misconceptions & myths. Let’s discuss two of the most common misconceptions:
Tantra is all about Sex!
Tantra, unlike most spiritual & religious practices,doesn’t consider Sex as a Taboo. It celebrates sexual energy. It understands that sex is the most natural and sacred thing in the World. Sexual energy like all other energies is very powerful, and if channeled effectively it will help you liberate from all the perceived limitations of the mind & the body The sexual aspect is just one of the many facets of Tantra, however, it is brought to the forefront & glorified by many Indian & Western practitioners to sell their knowledge to sexually repressed people & also because sex is still a forbidden fruit. They try to portray Tantra as a form of an exotic Eastern therapy garbed under sacred sex to solve ones’ sexual woes and problems under the sheets. They have reduced Tantra to ritualized sex! This is totally false. Tantra as a discipline simply implies that all activities that we enjoy such as eating, writing, dancing & sex are expressions of the Divine. These activities are thus sacred & spiritual, and should be freely practiced without any guilt or shame. The misconception that Tantra encourages having uninhibited or impetuous sex is totally false. Tantric practices simply help generate sexual energy.
Tantra deals with obscure magic & bizarre rituals!
Tantra is a Science, it is not made up out of old wives’ tales or blind superstitions. It was systematically developed from various spiritual methods & practices, benefits of which could be seen & experienced at the time. Practices developed so long back in history such as asanas in Yoga, meditation, Chakra healing etc. were woven together to give us the practice of Tantra. Tantra is spiritual as well as an Art but it is backed by scientific principles. People have had their lives transformed completely after adopting Tantra. Tantric gurus do not practice black magic. They heal through methods they took years to master. Sometimes, there are healing stones and crystals involved for specific healing like to balance a particular Chakra. But it is certainly not hocus-pocus! Rituals like meditation are encouraged as they are a means to connect with your inner voice.
Just because Tantra encourages sacred sex & promotes sexual healing it is labeled quite often as a Sham or some spurious practice. Some people still believe Tantra is a code word for “Happy Ending” or that people who practice Tantra are part of some cult or it is simple a new way of Wellness for new age people who eat Kale, practice Yoga, &are pulled towards the alluring charms of the ancient Eastern traditions! Hope, I was able to clear these common misconceptions and encourage you to explore Tantra!
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