Tantra is often said to be the "Yoga of sex". Would Tantra then be a declination of yoga? Are they not rather two different practices? In this newsletter, I will try to answer these questions.
It's true that yoga and Tantra have the same objectives: to transform ourselves and achieve what is known as Awakening or Liberation (moksha). However, they are two very different, even opposing, disciplines.
- Yoga is a path of struggle and war. It aims to master the body and its energies. Tantra, on the other hand, is an invitation to surrender, not to fight against what is, to let the body and its energies do their work.
- Yoga is an invitation to go beyond oneself, to detach oneself from the world and the body in order to achieve Liberation. It asks us to die to ourselves in order to be reborn. Tantra, on the other hand, starts from what is in order to reach nirvana. The question of self-acceptance is the basis of Tantra, so as not to create a conflict between the self and the state of Awakening.
- In Tantra, sexual energy is central, and the idea behind many Tantric exercises is to transform it into the energy of love. This energy is seen as a resource, a friend, an ally. The idea is to de-demonise this energy, which in absolute terms is neutral, whereas yoga domesticates this energy in order to direct it towards another centre. Yoga asks us to detach ourselves from our desires, whereas in Tantra, desire is a springboard, provided we look at it with awareness, in order to move through it and transcend it. Tantra invites us to reflect deeply on our sexuality, whereas yoga puts this subject to one side.
- There is a question of duality in yoga (the world versus the divine), whereas there is no duality in Tantra. In Tantra, duality is seen as an illusion, an appearance. In Tantra, everything is sacred and divine. It is a celebration of all that is, including all our emotions and feelings.
- Finally, in yoga, many exercises are done with lung and nasal breathing, whereas many Tantric practices are done with abdominal and mouth breathing.
However, make no mistake, none of these paths is better than the other, and it is up to each individual to find the most suitable practice. A person with a dominant masculine energy will be more attracted to yoga, which is a practice of action and effort. On the other hand, a person with more feminine energy will find it easier to practise Tantra, which promotes acceptance, passivity and compassion. It is no coincidence that the deities of yoga are predominantly male and the deities of Tantra are predominantly female - the feminine energy (shakti) is the initiator in Tantra.
Finally, the expression "Yoga of sex" to describe Tantra is doubly false, since this practice is not based solely on sexuality. Tantra contains many meditations and exercises that can be done alone and are not linked to sexuality, so that each person can fulfil their being in all areas, particularly in White Tantra.
Do you feel called to this discipline? Do you feel that Tantra could be a path to fulfilment for you? Do you feel that your feminine energy is more active than your masculine energy? Then I invite you to join us for a Gay Tantra Retreat and experience a liberating process of surrender, celebration and self-acceptance.
You can find every information about Men’s Hearts’ events by clicking here.
Yours Tantrically,
Guillaume
Men’s Hearts’ Animator
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