What is Tantra? – CT Examiner

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In this week’s installment of Unconventional Love, Elizabeth Busbee interviews Amanda Ananda, a Tantra instructor in Connecticut and owner of The Tantric Mama.

ERB: What is tantra? Is it related to the yoga that people do for fitness?

AA: The word “Tantra” comes from the Sanskrit word “tanoti,” to expand and “trayati,” liberation. To expand consciousness, to liberate us from the physical level of our being, we use the power of direct experience to help the practitioner remember who they truly are. While yoga for fitness emphasizes physical well-being, Tantra delves into the inner dimensions of awareness.

You first open the consciousness of the brain, awakening dormant brain cells, which expands your perception of the five senses, this then transforms every other aspect of your mind-body connection. Tantra is the path of transcendence through the utilization of sexual energy. Tantra Yoga is a vast and ancient system of rituals and practical techniques that use the great creative energy of sexual passion to propel you into higher consciousness.

Tantra is known as the Mother of Yoga.

Under the umbrella of Tantra, we have many commonly known yogic practices:

• Asanas – postures to purify the physical vehicle
• Pranayama – breathing techniques to expand consciousness
• Dhyana – meditation to attune yourself to the Divine Current
• Mantras – transcendent sounds which resonate in the body
• Yantras – visual manifestations of mantras
• Mudras – gestures to activate body currents
• Bandhas – energy locks to conserve and move pranic energy
• Maithuna – sexual union rituals.

Unlike typical yoga which is focused on fitness/physical health, Tantra gifts us an alternative to the fast-paced modern reality we are immersed in by inviting us to slow down and tune in to the truth of the present moment, to allow the complexity of our human emotions, and to savor nourishing union with the divinity found in every moment (including intimate moments with our partners). Tantra is a profound spiritual practice aimed at expanding awareness, connection, and love within oneself and with those around us.

ERB: Who can benefit from tantra? Is it only for couples or can individuals practice this too?

AA: Everyone!

Tantra was created as the “householder path.” Before the creation of Tantra, if you desired to experience enlightenment and divine grace, you were required to become an ascetic. This means you were forced to renounce life’s pleasures, to practice self-denial and to devote yourself to a simple life in the mountains or ashrams away from the luxury of modern living and common adult responsibilities that at the time were perceived to distract you from awakening.

I often recommend people practice Tantra solo first, just as you would not tell someone new to ice skating to start with skating a pairs routine. Those new to tantra must learn how to become a conduit for large amounts of energy (love). They need to learn to skate on their own first.

Tantra practice is like going to the gym for your energy body and nervous system. You learn to attune to the subtle energies (i.e. love) moving within your own system, and over time and with devotion you increase your capacity to hold more voltage and access higher vibrations.

Tantra will connect you more deeply to yourself and prepare you with a toolbox of practices you can utilize for a profoundly deep and loving relationship. Full Body Orgasmic capacity is just the cherry on top. Without the capacity to bring consciousness into the body and the energetic field of love that lovers share, the relationship can be lost by avoidance, superficiality, and trauma reactions.

When you are capable of safely raising kundalini energy (creative energy or eros coiled at the base of the spine) within yourself, then you can begin to merge energies and co-regulate systems with a partner. From here you can allow the deliciously deep dance of devotion to begin.

ERB: What kind of lessons or experiences do you facilitate?

AA: I currently facilitate an online tantric book club where we delve into the concepts and practices of this vast system. I lead a monthly Tantra class in New Haven for those seeking a community experience. I also offer monthly Cuddle Parties in Connecticut, New York City and Philadelphia, which are foundational intimacy “playshops” where participants can learn conscious communication, consent, and boundary skills.

A few times a year you can join me at a Level One weekend retreat around North America through the school of Ipsalu Tantra that initiates you into the most powerful and efficient Tantra Kriya practice I have found on my journey so far: The Cosmic Cobra Breath.

I also delight in sharing Tantric Massage and Rupture & Repair skills to couples (in person and online) and offer one-on-one sessions in Madison to those seeking personalized support in their tantric journey with powerful rituals and practices to kick start their path, move blocked energy (trauma) in the body and embody their highest human and sexual potential.

ERB: How can people keep themselves safe by vetting potential instructors or partners in this kind of activity?

AA: It is essential to vet potential tantra instructors. This field of study involves the meeting point between power and sex and is rampant with the potential of misuse. Here are some questions you could seek the answers to, which may help you discern safer learning environments from potentially re-traumatizing ones:

Are they steeped in reputable teachings of tantra? Who are their wisdom elders? What lineage are they connected to?

What is their understanding of how trauma lives in the body and how to heal it?
Do their workshops have reviews?
Are they willing to create space to answer your questions?
Do they create an atmosphere of respect, safety, and consent?
Do they have transparent, clear, and ethical boundaries?
Do they practice what they preach? Who do they surround themselves with?
Who are they in their personal life and relationships? If they are a mess, please avoid them and run the other way. If they are incapable of rupture repair, do not enter their “field of healing.”
Trustworthy practitioners emphasize consent, respect personal boundaries, and never rush people into intimate scenarios.
Lastly, most importantly, trust your instincts and intuition. If your body, gut or being says NO, please honor that.

ERB: What do you think is the connection between sex and spirituality? How can people get out of their own way and unlearn societal messages of guilt and shame about eroticism?

AA: Sex and spirituality are both raw, intense forces. At the highest level, both can elevate you, if you have the discipline and understanding to control them. They both offer a feeling of profound aliveness and connection. The problem is that society has twisted both: turned sex into something cheap and spirituality into something destabilizing, commodified, and often fake. Society often wraps eroticism in layers of guilt and shame, but unlearning this starts with acknowledging that these feelings are frequently culturally imposed. Tantra invites one to view eroticism as natural, powerful, and sacred.

Begin by embracing curiosity over judgement and seeking embodied personal wisdom and self-compassion over repression. Practicing self-acceptance and seeing your desires as natural can be deeply liberating. Celebrate your body as a miraculous, creative vessel rather than something to be apologized for. When we connect with our body sensations and the alchemical healing powers of the heart, every experience, sensuality included, becomes a divine experience. Tantra invites us to live this daily and unapologetically.

ERB: Is there anything else you wish people really knew?

AA: Two things actually.

Tantra can feel ridiculously silly in the beginning. You have to allow space for it to feel foolish, to laugh, and for you and your partner to be perfectly imperfect.

Many think of Tantra as a way to enhance their sexuality. While that is an amazing benefit of practicing Tantra, that only results from a committed practice. Tantra practice is the antidote to shallow, hook-up culture. The longing and desire for a deeply fulfilling life and relationships we all possess can be met with tantric rituals. While most believe they will meet these needs with sex, in actuality we meet that need with intimacy and conscious communication tools. Tantra is a powerful pathway to explore those concepts and implement the necessary tools.

ERB: How can our readers find you online?