Is 'Tantric Massage' really Tantra?

Is 'Tantric Massage' really Tantra? ... Short answer:

"It depends."

There are many different forms of Tantric Massage. Some are quite controversial and this has created confusion around the whole subject.

So, what's all the fuss about? ...
There seems to be no hard evidence for the existence of 'Tantric Massage' (as it is now practised) before the 20th Century.

Some elements of Tantric Massage have a correspondence with Ayurvedic and Yogic knowledge of the human energy system and some techniques seem to have come from Tibet, possibly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.

Although there is no universal definition of what constitutes a 'Tantric Massage' and anyone can create their own form of massage and arbitrarily call it 'Tantric', typically, some elements of what goes by the name of Tantric Massage have come from the Taoist teachings of Mantak Chia.

Some elements that are commonly found in Tantric Massage have their origin in the work of Wilhelm Reich and his students, which gave rise to techniques known as 'body-psychotherapy' such as Bioenergetic Massage.

So, serious practitioners of 'Tantric Massage' often have a strong grounding in either 'Western' or 'Eastern' therapeutic practices.

When is 'Tantric Massage' genuinely Tantra?

The word 'Tantra' sells.
But it takes more than some New Age music, incense, pictures of Yantras or Indian gods, and gazing into each other's eyes, to make a massage genuinely 'Tantric'.

It should be understood that 'Tantra' is originally a system dedicated to the attainment of Liberation, or what is traditionally known as Moksha.

A massage that is just sensual or erotic, even if it relates to sacred sexuality, is not necessarily 'Tantric' - even if it the practitioner has had training in Ayurvedic, Tibetan or Taoist therapeutic techniques.

If the practitioner is able to work with the nadis or 'energy currents' and the life-force energy in a way that either activates, regulates or prepares for the activation of the primordial life-intelligence known as 'Kundalini', then it could be valid to call it 'Tantric Massage'.

Until new evidence regarding ancient forms of Tantric Massage comes to light, it could be argued that any 'Tantric Massage' would always be a form of 'neo-Tantra' in the sense that it is an adaptation of classical Tantra.

It could also be argued that a massage that does not include some form of Pranayama, visualization, voicework/mantra, or other key elements of Tantra should not really be classified as 'Tantric Massage'.

It could also be argued that if there are no traditional teachings to be found on Tantric Massage before modern times then all Tantric Massage should be designated as 'neo-Tantric' Massage.

However, even this is not necessarily helpful to those who are seeking clarity.
For some people 'neo-Tantric' implies that it's all about sex and pleasure. For others 'neo-Tantric' may simply imply that it is a recent version/adaptation of Tantra, possibly combined with methodologies from other traditions such as the Taoist as well as modern healing techniques and sexology, but not necessarily straying from the focus on Liberation as the ultimate goal.

To take this question further, it could be useful to understand what is the difference between 'neo-Tantra' and 'classical Tantra'. This is for most a very confusing subject. If you wish to gain clarity on this you are very welcome to sign up for the Tantra Fundamentals module of the Tantra training - click here for info.

If you would like advice on finding a reliable school or practitioner of Tantric Massage in your area, feel free to contact me at the address below.

As a result of my experience with Tantra and the Taoist arts and my time as a therapist, having practiced several forms of energy-work, breath-work, body-work and voicework I developed my own approach to massage - EnergyFlow Massage - which is a form of 'Tantric Massage' which I have taught during the last 4 years in Portugal. See TESTIMONIALS here.

I have also trained with Anand Rudra who is a humble master of Tantric energy-work and who is very skilled at combining ancient and modern techniques and perspectives to accomplish great shifts in awareness.

If you wish to train with me in EnergyFlow Tantric Massage, courses will soon be available at Senhora D'Azenha in Sintra, Portugal.

Anand Rudra will also be coming to teach more courses at Senhora D'Azenha during 2016-7.

For more info, contact:
peter@inspirationtantra.com

"Is it necessary to have a 'GURU'?"

There are different opinions among spiritual teachers regarding the 'guru function' and the guru-disciple relationship, but certainly in Tantra - as it has been recorded in the texts and passed down through almost all the lineages I'm familiar with - the guru is fundamentally important and not an optional part of the system.

The only exceptions I'm familiar with are the neo-Tantric approach of Osho's disciples (even though Osho told his disciples to seek a living master after his passing), and the Kaula teachings shared by Anand Rudra, who affirms that the ancient Kaula Tantra (before the teachings were written) was passed on as a system of personal mastery without a Guru-centric focus.

For those who choose not to have a living guru, it would be wise to take care with the idea that "We are our own gurus". It is really a contradiction. By definition, the Guru is one who is leading the practitioner-devotee from ignorance to enlightenment (or literally from darkness to light). To the degree that we are 'ignorant' it is clearly not useful to be our own gurus.

However, for those that feel certain that the guru-disciple relationship is not their path, I suggest that you at least remember that it is not 'you' but 'Kundalini Shakti' that is the inner Guru.

If you are a Tantric practitioner, don't be too quick to declare yourself your own 'Master'. It is through deep surrender to the wisdom of the life-force that we may be guided from within, by the inner Guru. 

With or without a physical Guru, if you are seeking Liberation, the humility that enables us to be 'devotees' of the Divine - devotees to Love - is fundamental.

About the Guru-student/disciple relationship:

It is the responsibility of the student to test the guru before committing to the guru-disciple relationship.
It is the responsibility of the Guru to choose his/her students with care so that they will not become only submissive.
The role of the Guru is to bring clarity about the nature of the Self, and about the nature of the practices that are utilised in order to dissolve the patterns and the blockages in order to clean the mirror of consciousness.
It should be understood that 'submission' to the Guru is not a one-way process. It is not intended to be a permanent giving away of one's power. On the contrary, through submission to the Guru's directions and cultivating receptivity to the love of the Guru, one seeks to open to the understanding and the Grace that the Guru embodies.
Of course this is a potentially dangerous position to put oneself in where one is potentially vulnerable to manipulation and many 'half-baked' Gurus have made the word 'Guru' a bad name. For some, to call someone a 'guru' is even an insult.
It seems paradoxical that through submission, we would somehow be able to become more fully our real Self.
But if we see that usually we are ruled by the inner tyrant of fearful, divisive thinking, then perhaps it becomes clearer how 'submission' to one who is embodying the wisdom and clarity we seek can take us to a more real experience of our own self.
Ultimately it should also be recognised that, in a Liberation tradition the Guru is not seen as just a 'teacher'. 
So the Guru is not actually seen as a superior human being. The Guru is seen as an empty vessel that through sensitivity, compassion and Grace is able to 'enlighten' the student/disciple.
The Guru is not necessarily 'all-knowing' - skilled in all arts and sciences... the role of a 'Satguru' is simply to bring clarity about the nature of the Self and the nature of Ultimate Reality, and how it relates to the consciousness of the seeker.
The Guru in modern times
In the absence of familiar references for how to respond to the challenges of contemporary society, a guru must be profoundly humble, and students must be constantly reminding themselves that the real surrender is to the Divine and to the Divine intelligence in the Life-force, not to a person, even though we may be capable of recognising the Divine through the form of a person.

"May that form of the Guru, which travels to and fro in the six chakras and the sahasrara and pervades everything, and which is without support (root), and is like ether, complete and silent, inspire me." - from the Guru Gitamm, by Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni

What is a 'MUDRA'?

A ritualized gesture (or yogic/tantric energy seal) that symbolizes divine powers, and - when practised with focused awareness or intention - alters the energy flow within the body, awakens Kundalini and induces an 'altered' or ecstatic state of consciousness in the practitioner or in those for whom it is performed.

Or:

A spontaneous gesture that expresses a particular energy flow within the body, and an 'altered' or ecstatic state of consciousness (bhava) of the 'practitioner', manifesting either as a purificatory process (kriya) or as a state of grace, and a blessing which may be transmitted to those who witness it, or to those for whom it is performed on a subtle level.

Mudras are found in Yoga, Tantra, Indian dance, and Buddhism, in iconography as well as in spiritual practice.
The literal translation is usually given as 'seal', or 'gesture'.
According to the Gheranda Samhita, the main purpose of mudras is to attain 'steadiness'. According to other texts on Yoga, mudras are especially for awakening Kundalini. Five of the twenty-five mudras given in the Gheranda Samhita are also stated as having the purpose of awakening Kundalini.

What is a 'DAKINI'?

What is a 'Dakini'?
According to some traditions it is the woman who gives Tantric initiation.

This 'Tantric priestess' or 'Dakini' role may go back to ancient matriarchal times, and be one of the 'original' forms of Tantra and it may, or may not, relate directly to ancient sexual rites of the priestesses of the Middle East. 

Perhaps the Dakini wisdom is of one of the various lines of Tantric transmission which we can never know the origin of.

What we do know is that the term Dakini as used in modern Tantra is a gross over-simplification of what was taught in Tantric tradition.

The word Dakini was used in the Puranas but then developed a different meaning in the context of Tibetan Tantra, and again a very different meaning in neo-Tantra.

In Tibetan the term was used to describe a Liberated wise woman, or the consort of a Liberated teacher.

In modern ('neo-')Tantra Dakini is often used to describe a woman who practices or teaches sacred sexuality and sometimes one who engages in Tantric sex as a profession.

See the link below for a rich description according to traditional Tibetan Tantra.


http://www.dakinipower.com/what-is-a-dakini/


For more info on Tantra, see also:
www.TantraMentoring.com

About the use of mantra and its repetition ('japa')

"Japa is of three kinds.
Japa done aloud is the lowest;
Japa done in low tones is the middle;
Japa done mentally is the best."

- from the Kularnava Tantra

Hear the class on mantra here:
ॐ Om/Aum - The Primordial Vibration (clip from Class 2)

An overview of Kundalini Tantra - and the yogic/ tantric management of our life force energy

[A participant in my 'Art of Sexual and Spiritual Communion' online Tantra course asked me about the difference between 'prana' and 'kundalini', and this article came as a result.]

Understanding Kundalini, Prana and Liberation...

It can be a little difficult to make sense of the many things that are taught about Kundalini.

'Kundalini' can be understood as a form of Shakti - energy. 'Prana' too is a form of energy.

They are referred to also as Kundalini Shakti and Prana Shakti.

In the Ayurvedic tradition and in the six dharmas of Naropa we find the several types of energy functions named in the body - the various manifestations of prana - referred to as the 'vayus' or 'winds'.

The Kundalini energy is also a form of prana in a general and loose sense, as well as being the intelligence of Life itself - the intelligence of the Divine Mother, if we express it in traditional terms. 

As such it could be seen as the source and regulator of them all, thus it is referred to as 'Cosmic Intelligence' and 'Cosmic Power' as well as being the 'evolutionary impulse'.

You might ask, how can it regulate the vayus (the inner energy flows) if it is dormant?

This is a crucial point.

It is symbolically, not literally, dormant.

So, really, it is a specific 'function' that is dormant, and not the Divine Intelligence and Power itself.

What is the 'function' that is dormant?

The function being performed by Cosmic Intelligence that is named 'Kundalini' could be referred to as the 'Liberation function'.

It's action is inhibited by our conditioning, in the form of tension.

As Cosmic Intelligence, Kundalini is an omnipresent energy, manifesting as the various vayus and known as 'prana'.

But as a fully, intensely active, guiding force within us that has the function and capacity to awaken us to our original timeless, spaceless self, it is as if 'dormant', waiting for the appropriate conditions to awaken - to perform its function.

What are the conditions?

Equanimity.

What can we do to cultivate this condition?

Deep trust brings about this equanimity - deep trust in life brings this equanimity.

Deep trust in the guru brings about this equanimity.

Deep trust and absolute surrender to the Divine - to the Divine Grace in this moment, brings about equanimity.

Seeing life as sacred helps support equanimity.

Cultivating a non-dual perspective helps support equanimity.

Having a disease-free body, that is neither uncomfortable nor engaged with life-threatening challenges, helps to bring about equanimity.

Having a mind free of anxieties and guilt and projections helps to sustain equanimity.

Being free of superstition helps support equanimity.

Having a mind that is disciplined without inner conflict (in other words which is able to focus on a goal or intention) brings about equanimity.

Also, balancing the vayus (the life-flows in the body) brings this equanimity.

Equanimity is also cultivated by balancing and 'neutralising' the activities of Ida and Pingala (which among other things can be understood as the active and passive, expansive and contractive impulses carried out by the sympathetic and parasympathetic functions of the nervous system).

When the hormonal secretions in the body (influenced directly through the energy state of the chakras), and the pranic currents are calm, then we have the conditions for the Liberation 'current' to come into play.

On another level, feeling that we have performed our 'duties' - and feeling truly fulfilled - also supports our equanimity.

Creative realisation supports our feeling of fulfilment and equanimity.

Caring for others - and thus feeling connected - supports our equanimity.

We can see how actually all the various yogic disciplines are reflected here.

So Kundalini is said to be dormant because there is the unfulfilled potential for energy to be flowing through our bodies, bringing about a profound shift in consciousness - an awakening.

But, ideally, and in a healthy human being, this energy flows only when there is a degree of trust and serenity.

Its flow at any other time (i.e. when we are agitated) can aggravate our agitation, even causing a psychotic episode.

This 'Divine current' in the body is a form of awakening consciousness, bringing life and awareness to areas that were held in the 'darkness' of the unconscious due to fears, traumas, rigid beliefs, and other patterns.

Kundalini, like a flooded river, or high-voltage current breaks down the blockages either in a smooth and gentle process or in a forceful violent way depending on the preparation and the surrender and trust in the process.

This is why Kundalini is known as the 'supreme guru'.

This is why such a powerful energy function is either best left to its natural timing or must be accompanied by a teacher who can help keep the student clear of resistance once the 'Liberation function' - the Kundalini current - has been activated.

Purificatory practices such as shat-karmas, and then intensive energy work such as Kundalini Kriya Yoga is taught along with other yogic disciplines to support the process.

So, the Divine Intelligence, as Kundalini, is the 'life current' whose function is to flow uninterruptedly through the central axis, the core, making the essence of one's being 'light up', revealing one's true timeless self.

The function of the Tantric guru is to facilitate this process.

The symbolism

If we look at the literal meaning of the word 'kundalini' do things become any clearer?

Not necessarily.

Several different translations have been given for the term.

One frequent translation and interpretation is that 'kundalini' means coiled, and it is described as a serpent which is coiled (either asleep or 'waiting to spring').

The spring analogy implies the discernible energy which is experienced when it springs into action.

As a coiled serpent it is described as having three and a half coils and typically the interpretation is that this symbolises the three states of consciousness - waking, deep sleep and dreaming - plus the half-coil representing a 'stateless-state' the transcendental expanse known as 'Turiya', which we could also understand as being the coiling back to the absolute centre, rather than energy moving to outward awareness.

It is when we are not triggered to 'reactivity', and when we are not preoccupied with our survival instincts (therefore our Ida and Pingala are balanced), that energy is able to flow in this central 'soul' channel.

The kundalini current moving within the most intimate of channels within the finest filament of the central channel (shushumna nadi), instead of being responsible for the sustenance of physical life and a physiological function is actually responsible for the return to a state of consciousness that exists independently of physical life - independently of time and space.

The full flow of the life current is referred to symbolically in Tantra as the reunion and marriage of Shakti and Shiva.

In the left-hand path of Tantra this union is also enacted on the physical plane as a sexual ritual, but even in classical left-hand Tantra, the inner work is the basis for this ritual.

Transcendentalist yogis have been known for choosing asceticism, isolation and giving their full focus to Liberation in the form of this transcendence of time and space and physicality, ultimately releasing all the karmic patterns (conditioning) and their bodies too, hoping to be free from the cycle of reincarnation.

On the other hand, the Tantric Siddhas' (adepts) reverence for the Divine Mother provides a basis for celebrating life in all its manifestations as sacred.

So they have been in less of a hurry to leave the body behind, finding that they were able to 'weave' the transcendental consciousness into a manifested existence, being thereby known as a 'jivanmukta' - one who is liberated while living.

So we could summarise by saying that prana and the pranic currents sustain life, whereas Kundalini is the current that, given the appropriate conditions, reconnects the life forces - the pranic currents - with their source.

There is a common analogy given for the Liberation of the 'individual soul', describing it as being like a river returning to the sea...

The return of the pranic currents to the central channel, the 'shushumna nadi', could be seen as a literal return of the rivers of life to the sea of primordial Cosmic energy - and the result is that the state of consciousness of wholeness, or 'Union', occurs precisely because of this.

Note:

Although the expression 'Liberation function' was used to describe the action of Kundalini, we don't need to see it in 'functional' and 'cause and effect' terms. 

So rather than seeing Liberation as its 'purpose', we could see Liberation simply as the outcome of its full expression, like a flower gracefully blossoming when the natural conditions are favourable.

- Peter Littlejohn Cook

www.knowtantra.blogspot.com

KUNDALINI, SURRENDER TO THE DIVINE, AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GURU

Kundalini awakens safely to the extent to which you are able to trust in life.

Preparing for the awakening of Kundalini is preparing to accept the unknown, to accept change, to embrace life 'as if' it was a perfectly loving and wise mother guiding her child to perfect happiness and to self-realisation.

This is the 'inner meaning' or spiritual 'technology' of the sincere worshippers of the Goddess, or of God.

Faith, not in a conceptual framework or in a sacred book, but in the unfolding flow of this moment, is what genuine devotion cultivates.

Faith in the 'Grace of the Guru' is not a substitute for this devotion and faith to life. Life is the Divine Mother, and the Divine Mother is Life.

Faith in the Guru is an expression of this same devotion and faith to Her.

How can we trust that 'divine guidance' could come to us in any physical (in other words, not 'transcendental') form, if we are not able to trust in life as an expression of 'divine', or infinite, intelligence?

When a guru is taken on without this faith in life, our faith will tend to be cult-like. We will tend to believe that he, or she, is the 'only' manifestation of the divine in human form or that he or she (alone) was the divine intelligence that incarnated as Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Buddha, etc.

Although a Satguru (a revealer of the way to one's true self) is traditionally to be seen as the divine incarnate, in a non-dual understanding this does not presuppose any solid hierarchical relationship, it is a fluid process, which is to be completed and transcended through ultimate Liberation (Moksha).

However, paradoxically, even after Realization and after experiencing a total union with the Divine, a teacher will usually honour their guru as 'God' incarnate.

Actually, 'God'/ the Divine is then fully recognised as being omnipresent, but the Satguru becomes the most beloved symbol of that Realization.

So, when faith in life - in life as the Great Mother - is present, then one's guru becomes an expression, not of an unattainable perfection and saintliness, but a perfect guide to the expression of our true potential - to Infinite Being.

The "total surrender to the guru" that is called for in ancient  traditional yoga and tantra is not submission to a human being, but to Divine Intelligence.

It is the cultivation of humility and openness to guidance from within.

Practices and instructions may be given by a guru for the sake of one's full blossoming.

These are due to the profound sensitivity and to the compassionate spirit of service that inspires the guru. 

A Satguru actually needs nothing from the 'disciples'/'devotees'. 

Although it may seem that the devotee 'serves' the guru, it is actually the opposite because the guru exists entirely for their sake. SHe may even have incarnated entirely for their sake.

Of course this description of a guru is of a fully Liberated being.

In practice we may find that most teachers are at best helpful guides who may not be entirely free from self-serving motives, and at worst are self-deluded, believing themselves to be entirely Liberated while being blind to their weaknesses and to their fears, which will tend to make them unconsciously power-hungry and manipulative.

There are no outer signs that can be used to be sure that a guru is genuine. 
Siddhas of various degrees of attainment can perform all sorts of miracles which render them god-like in our estimation.

The purity of our surrender is the only thing we can take responsibility for.

A true guru is not only a pillar of peace in our lives, but also is relentlessly uncovering our hidden resistances to unconditional love.

In the open-hearted space of this Love, life is a graceful dance.

(article by Peter Littlejohn Cook)

Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below.


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