What is Tantra?
"Integration of mind, body, and energy makes healing possible. It is not enough to merely understand without action or to merely move energy without understanding. It is the integration of these two currents that creates the changes we seek in our lives." -Anodea Judith, Eastern Body Western Mind
INTRODUCTION
Tantra, an instrument (tra) for expansion (tan), is a spiritual practice that originated in the Indus Valley as many as 5,000 years ago. This path of transformation allows us to connect with the divine through our own bodies, our own minds and our own awareness.
What is a spiritual path and why might one choose to embark on one? Spirituality is the process of connecting to something greater than ourselves, while recognizing that we ourselves are woven into the bigger picture. Seekers may embark on a spiritual path to uncover their truth, their purpose and understand on a deep soul level the concept of Atman - the universe, never having been born and never dying. This can really put things into perspective ;-).
Tantra as a spiritual path of transformation, may lead us to experiencing pure gratitude for our human life, recognizing that the death of this human body is real and make us focus on our priorities and what we are doing with our lives. Words can only say so much. It is the experiential quality of this modality where lies the magic. The more you are open to receiving (which is a practice in itself!) the more you will guide yourself in your transformation. You are your own healer; I provide the space.
There are many different styles of tantra! Discover more practitioners here:
https://sacrederos.com/
One of my personal missions is to move toward a partnership society, honoring and embracing both masculine and feminine qualities within ourselves and in one another. A partnership society exists when the masculine and feminine energy of the world are in balance. The masculine energy of Shiva, representing awareness, is ignited by the creative feminine power represented by the goddess Shakti. Both energies exist in each one of us and we may only arrive as our most complete, productive and receptive selves if they are both free to dance with nature and we are able to honor and support one another's strengths. There is enough true personal power, pleasure, and freedom to go around for everyone. Are you ready to join me in this Tantric life?
Who My Offerings Are For:
*Seekers who are open to communication
*You have pain in your body and you just know its more than body pain
*You are living the "Groundhog Day life" and need to boost your Pranic energy
*You are going through a life transition
*You just need someone to talk to and to hear you
*You are experiencing physical ailments and wish to strengthen your mind body connection
*You want to explore yoga but not in a group setting!
*You'd like to develop a tantric meditation practice or enhance your existing one
*You generally just need a hug
*You are working through grief, trauma or working on forgiveness
*You are just feeling flat and need to inspire creativity
*Men, women and couples in Los Angeles
MINI LESSON ON THE CHAKRAS
Chakra means 'wheel' in Sanskrit. Each chakra energy center is aligned along the spinal column and each one has its own intelligence center. There are seven main chakras in the body - each of them connected to specific organs, glands and body systems and each chakra is connected to a color vibration frequency: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white. Our chakras both radiate energy vibrations and receive the energy of our external environment, including the people we are in contact with. These wheels of life force energy are connected to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual layers. Tantra works on balancing the chakras through breathwork, movement, sound, mudras, mantra and meditation.
It is my personal view that while crystals are beautiful (I own several of them), guidance cards are fun and can help set a theme, and wearing certain colors can certainly bring strong intention to healing, I believe balancing the chakras involves both receptive and active work by the participant in order to lead to transformation. I like to take a root to crown approach to this work, logical to mystical and everything in between.
The seven main chakras:
Red - Muladhara (Root) - Intestines, External Genitalia - Survival, Health
Orange - Svadhisthana (Sacral) - Internal Reproductive Organs, Bladder, Kidneys - Creativity, Sexuality
Yellow - Manipura (Solar Plexus) - Stomach, Gall Bladder, Spleen - Strength of Will, Self-Esteem
Green - Anahata (Heart) - Heart, Lungs - Compassion, Love, Relationships
Blue - Vishuddha (Throat) - Thyroid Gland, Vocal Cords, Respiratory System - Communication, Expression
Violet - Ajna (Third Eye) - Pituitary Gland, Eyes, Sinuses - Intuition, Imagination
White - Sahasrara (Crown) - Pineal Glad, Brain, Nervous System - Awareness, Consciousness
It is common that a person experiencing imbalance in their energetic, mental or emotional body will have illness manifest in their physical body in the corresponding energy center. This is where we derive phrases such as "he died of a broken heart" or "I can feel it in my gut". For example, a musician may feel surges of sexual impulses if he is not writing/playing enough or an artist may experience reoccurring bladder infections if she is not painting. A busy CEO may develop acid reflux in the solar plexus if he or she is overworked and stressed. If you are experiencing an emotional, physical, intellectual, or spiritual imbalance, creating this kind of map of awareness in the physical and energetic bodies can assist you in pin pointing your strengths and areas that need a bit of TLC. Maybe you are already aware of some areas in your own body you would like to balance!
TANTRIC LANGUAGE
Intention Setting is the most important part of any journey and is essential to a powerful session. But, what does it really mean? How does one go about setting an intention for a project, a business, a vacation, a relationship, a shamanic ceremony, a yoga class, a tantra session? It begins with a clear state of mind and reflection. What in your life is filling you with joy? What is causing stress? What is hurting you? Have you experienced past or recent trauma? How do you feel about your relationship with your body, your work, your partner? What dreams are you working on fulfilling? Are you living your vision? How would you like to grow or better serve your family and community? Maybe you would like to work on reducing anxiety, stronger communication, present yourself with open-hearted confidence, eye contact, connection and giving with a loved one. You may choose to write down your reflections and bring them to your session to share. The way to receive the most out of each session is to go through this process in the days or hours before each of your scheduled experiences.
Integration is the process of understanding what you have learned about yourself and staying connected to that divine teacher within so you may share your gifts and live your best life. Just like yoga and meditation, tantra is a practice. Humans are forgetful! We must gather our tools and exercise them on a daily basis to maintain a blissful state for the majority of the time. Life comes in waves and shades of light to dark, bright, turbulent and calm. Developing your tool set for these times is what this life practice is for! Visit my integration tools page for more.
Holding or Giving Space is being present to facilitate another's healing and growth without judgement, allowing another to be vulnerable and free to express him or herself. While I hold and give a deeply loving space for my receivers, I find the lovely individuals who I feel aligned to work with provide much of this energy back!
Conscience Breathwork stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is what signals our body and mind to rest and digest (chill out!). The diaphragm muscle, which expands and contracts the lungs, rests against the vagus nerve which activates the PNS and aides this process. Consistent and relaxed breath work is key in allowing you to have a powerful tantric experience. As we typically only use 15% of our lung capacity, this is a practice you will need to continue between sessions to benefit most.
Soundbath Ahhh. A meditative concert including a variety of sounds and vibrations from brass and crystal singing bowls, chimes, gongs and drums which aid in a journey through the body and mind. Each bowl is tuned to the frequency of the various energy centers and provides a calming effect to the nervous system and balances the subtle body.
Chanting and Mantra changes your brain waves from erratic to congruent, therefore soothing the body chemistry and causing you to feel calm, grounded and focused. Many of us can feel shy to express ourselves vocally and that's ok, we can work on it! Activating our vocal center with mantra (a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation), audible breaths and song can clear this path so we are able to speak our truth and communicate gracefully.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TANTRA READING
The Art of Every Day Ecstasy - The Seven Tantric Keys for Bringing Passion, Spirit, and Joy into Every Part of Your Life - Margot Aanand
Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free - Wednesday Martin
Buddhist Tantra - Reginald A. Ray
Urban Tantra - Barbara Carrellas
