What is Tantra?
Tantra is translated from Sanskrit in different ways but the general translation is “book” or “body of knowledge”. Tantra’s deeper more profound meanings consist of techniques that help awaken truth and accelerate personal growth/evolution towards beauty and bliss. Tantra is described as being more than just a philosophy. It is a type of world-view that is a science to understanding the nature of life. At the core of tantric philosophy is non-dualism and that even though there are many varying expressions, there is only one underlying reality that pervades everything. This reality’s nature is free from fear; it is inherently beautiful and inherently blissful.
Similarly to the Hawaiian “huna” teachings, Tantra was kept secret for thousands of years. It was kept secret because only a few people could really understand and embody it. Tantra required and still requires an individual to see beyond “normative”, material sight. Just like our ancestors, we too are caught up in our own personal fears, fears that suppress and cloud Tantra’s notion that the nature of life is inherently beautiful and inherently blissful. As a brief summation, tantra is an evolutionary process of the self. It is the process of the realization that the body is a small fraction of who we really are. It is the process of moving one’s experiences and views away from the material plane and instead experiencing and tasting the subtle unification of the joyful nature of life. Lastly, it is about saying “yes” to all personal experiences even when they are difficult and fearful.
Tantra means to weave. Like weaving fabric or tapestry, in Tantra Yoga we are weaving all aspects of yoga and spirituality into our practice and into our life. From the study of Tantra Yoga one begins to see that everything in life is sacred, every aspect becomes part of our yoga practice. “The world inside of us is the same as the world outside of us.” In Tantra we create the world that we desire from the inside out. The practice awakens the spirit that lies dormant within us, and brings that creative, exciting energy alive.