Tantra Yoga
What is Tantra Yoga?
“Traditional Tantra is a system of Yogic philosophy, practices and rituals oriented towards worldly achievement and/or spiritual liberation. Tantric teachings aim to help the practitioner tap, increase and harness his/her energy (prana sakti), with the aim of mastering the complex web of life that extends from our subtlest thoughts and feelings, to the intricate workings of our physical bodies, to all the forces of nature that surround us.”
—Gary Kraftsow, Founder of American Viniyoga Institute
Yoga wisdom teachings, in their totality, offer us tools and practices for healing and awakening. Within the multiple paths of yoga, the path of Tantra Yoga is the one that is most directly concerned with the study and practice of the energetic nature of our interconnected reality.
You probably heard of the concept that “everything is one”. Tantra Yoga is a means to understand this statement. If everything is indeed One, then to find the peace, the joy, the vitality, the success you are looking for; you don’t need to retrieve to a cave or look for it outside of yourself. Because of this, Tantra Yoga is also known as the house holder’s path.
How is it done?
As mentioned above in Gary K.’s quote, practicing Tantra Yoga involves studying Tantric Yoga philosophy as well as engaging in the yogic tools of asana, pranayama, chanting and meditation to cultivate ways to deepen in self-knowledge, self-intimacy and self-mastery which in turn translate into deepened and refined relationship with the outer world around you.
The studies of Tantric philosophy are not rooted in any dogmatic belief system, although the system of symbolisms which includes gods and goddesses might turn some people off because of their existing perceptions around the word “god”. These symbolisms are merely there to invoke and awaken qualities within the person like confidence, self-esteem, a mind set of abundance to name a few…
You can hear it again in Gary K.’s words:
“Traditional Tantra is a system of Yogic philosophy, practices and rituals oriented towards worldly achievement and/or spiritual liberation… In the service of this goal, the ancients evolved a macro-cosmology of gods and goddesses, and a micro-cosmology of chakras, pranas, nadis, and bindus. Using these symbols as a conceptual framework, Tantric practitioners aim to transform the inner dimensions of mood, thought, behavior, and personality to actualize their highest potentials, symbolized in the qualities of the gods and goddesses. In addition to the traditional use of asana, pranayama and meditation, tantra employs special practices that distinguish it from traditional Yoga, including bandha, mudra, kriya, nyasa as well as a particular way of using mantra and yantra.”
Why does it work?
If you could truly entertain for a moment that we are all made of energy, as does everything else in the universe, then we can start glimpsing into how everything might indeed be One big movement, containing all it’s interconnected parts moving together. And once we start grasping that, emerging energy technologies like energy psychology and energy medicine can start making sense.
Tantra Yoga implies that we have a chance to heal, find peace within, as well as worldly success alongside spiritually awaken - basically the whole deal - solely through applying ourselves fully in our current lives, without having to retrieve into a cave or monastery. Amongst all paths of Yoga, Tantra Yoga is the perfect path for the householder for that reason.
What is it good for?
For our purposes, Tantra Yoga philosophy will help us contextualize bigger concepts like
“Everything is One”,
“As within, so without”.
In time, we can incorporate more actual Tantra Yoga processes in our sessions as I deepen my practice in them. These processes can help us more systemically uncover self-limiting thought and behavior patterns and help purify the body/mind. I continue studying these through my teacher, Gary Kraftsow.
The purpose of this writing was to provide an introductory context to the valuable philosophy and teachings of Tantra Yoga, because you will hear me reference it in sessions.
More on this vast well of wisdom and knowledge that Tantra Yoga later…