TANTRA

February is the month when St Valentine’s Day is celebrated and honoured beautifully in the West. This is increasingly being observed as a day for couples in other parts of the world. However, St. Valentine’s Day is not only for couples. It is also a perfect time for single people to cherish their own company, me-time and blissful solitude. In the Indian subcontinent traditions, there is an ancient discipline known as Tantra. It is several thousand years old. It is an ancient discipline for lovemaking and connecting with your partner at a physical, mental and spiritual dimension. Unfortunately, people not only in the West but also the East wrongly assume that it is about sex. Indeed, Tantra works when the couple are in an established relationship which is underpinned with trust and connection, not a mere fleeting encounter. There is a whole branch of knowledge on how to enjoy a deeper more powerful connection with your loved one. There are also ancient books on the subject matter of Tantra which have nothing whatsoever to do with sexual intercourse of any kind, but are concentrated around the topic of meditation.

Practice of such techniques heightens the bond between partners allowing them to access an even higher dimension of existential reality as they become tuned to each other at all levels

• mental, physical and spiritual.

Practice of specific Tantric techniques also helps to enhance heightened pleasure. As the couple become more in tune with each other’s energy vibration, then the pleasure experienced in their union is of a higher frequency. Both men and women can benefit from learning even a few exercises to help them breathe and channel energy through the act of touch. For men who cannot prolong the union act and climax too soon, Tantra offers remedies. Tantra Yoga is designed as a
means to offer persons lessons in their own sexuality, and how to utilise the energy that is generated from that to attain to a higher subliminal, divine level. Novices to the subject of Tantra will learn many techniques to help them appreciate and understand the nature of relationship building and sharing emotions

. The practice of Tantra will attune the couple’s energy of the mind, body and spirit. So, while we are on the theme of love, here are a few easily accessible tantric techniques you can incorporate
to make this month special for you and your partner. The power of silence can be experienced
if you are disciplined. This can be shared with your partner to increase the psychic and physical bond. Through silence, the skills of contemplation, reflection, understanding and connection can be learnt to develop a stronger bond between you and your partner.

Exercise (2)

Sit back-to-back to one another with the base of both your spines firmly resting against each other. Wrap your hands over each other’s palms. This exercise will strengthen the bond of trust and respect between you. When sitting back-to-back stare out into the distance and synchronise your breathing. Inhale and exhale at the same time. The potency of the energy will revitalise you both. Conduct this exercise for as long as you can. To enhance this exercise further, visualise energy working its way from the base to the crown chakra where you meet your partner.

Exercise (4)

Sit opposite each other and hold out your arms and hold each other’s hands. Stare into each other’s eyes for at least 5 minutes. Longer if you are able to. When you inhale your breath, your partner should exhale theirs. When inhaling imagine that you are taking in your partner’s breath and that it is refreshing you. As you exhale your breath your partner should visualise taking it in and using it to cleanse their inner chakras.

• Control of this chakra allows the practitioner control over the element of water. Essentially, this chakra controls and shapes feelings, desires, and creativity. Water has no particular form or shape. It is in liquid form, and as a fluid, it is subject to gravitational pull. Like our emotions, this element is not fixed, permanent or unchanging. It has the remarkable ability to evaporate, to diffuse, and to mix with other elements. Like our feelings, it can create havoc, pain, arouse passions and ultimately dissipate. Water is the most commonly found substance on earth and is present in many other substances, including all organic tissues, and it is the most universal of the solvents.
• Furthermore, life depends critically on water’s capability to convey nutrient minerals from one location to another. Water also has the ability to erode and transform landscapes, boundaries, and other life forms. In the same way this metaphor is aptly used to describe movement in the second chakra as it governs the Lymph system of the body as well.
• Svadishthana governs as mentioned the urinary and reproductive system in clouding the prostate and kidneys. Think what and who can you want to excrete that has been toxic in your life – whether it is a person, emotional charge or an event. You can remove it in its entirety just by thinking and visualising it being released and filling the area with a bright-red orange colour or a golden light.

• Once awoken the undercurrent of emotions that have been causing blockages such as depression, excessive passion, apathy, preoccupation with sexual activities all prevent a practitioner from moving forward in their reality.
• Once awoken the undercurrent of emotions that have been causing blockages such as depression, excessive passion, apathy, preoccupation with sexual activities all prevent a practitioner from moving forward in their reality.
• Attention moves from carnal desires and passions as well so that there is an awareness of higher energy frequencies that are connected to the animal instinct. When functioning without blockages, sexual desire and action becomes healthy and seeks nourishment not just a quick carnal satisfaction.
• This chakra is associated with taste. What has left a bitter taste for you? Life, a person, an event or circumstances. You can transmute that feeling and taste of ‘bitterness’, ‘revenge’, ‘fear’, ‘anger’ or any associated emotion by releasing the thought. Just rest the awareness in 15 facebook.com/official.yogamag this space. Upon exhalations release the thought and on inhalation breathe in the healing colours.

• When imbalanced it manifests all the negative programming from childhood if not allowed to express themselves freely and creatively. Excessive discipline leads to blockages in creative expression, excessive eating, binging, anorexia nervosa, skin rashes, hives, cold sores, urinary and kidney infections, alcoholism.
• Feelings of guilt, shame, cowering, allowing others to belittle you, giving your personal power to others.
• Taste is the sense that is governed by this chakra. When balanced – ‘life is good’, ‘I can feel the sunshine’. When imbalanced – ‘The bad taste of life in the mouth’, ‘Life is revulsion’, ‘Bitter-sweet taste of life’, ‘someone is under my skin’, ‘bitter words festering’.
• As the chakra governs the lymphatic system – the body’s drainage channels. ‘I feel clogged’, ‘I feel faint, ‘I feel intense fear’, ‘I have no support’.
• Balanced second chakra – ‘I am living freely’, ‘life flows effortlessly and supports me’, ‘I am supported’, ‘I am prosperous’, ‘I love me’, ‘I am loved’.

Exercise

Siddhasana with positive visualisation for second chakra Siddhasana is an ancient posture that has been practised by sages throughout the centuries for the purposes of achieving high meditative states.

Sit down on the floor so that the heel of the left foot is gently place against the anus and the right one just above the genitals. The spine should be kept upright and head and neck should be kept up.

Hold the posture for at least ten to sixty seconds. As you develop your practice you can hold the posture for longer. Your partner should also assume the above posture and sit opposite you. Inhale and exhale so that your breath synchronises with that of your partner. Stare into each other’s eyes and repeat the affirmations below. Try and repeat them together at least 5 times each.

Positive Affirmations: –

‘I am a beacon of light shining bright’. ‘All good is attracted to me, now and forever’. ‘I release past attachments and send them into the Light’