Added: 30. 3. 2011
TANTRA - PREJUDICE AND SEXUAL MYTHS.
Sexuality is a way of being, not a pastime. Alexander Lowen - Love and orgasm
Sexuality is procreation.
Christianity dominated our culture for many years with its opinion that sexuality’s function is procreation, not pleasure.
Tantra allows our approach to sexuality to change into emphasising Ecstasy rather than procreation. How many times in life are you going to make love? One sexual intercourse is often enough to conceive a baby. What about the other times...?
Sexuality is shameful.
This critical approach to sexuality is the consequence of our western religious tradition that separates the spirit from the body. Sexuality represents the libido, an instinct that cannot be controlled and is therefore considered “dangerous”. The world experienced sexual revolution in the 60’s but there are still many taboos and closed doors around sexuality in our minds.
Tantra celebrates sexuality. It sees the body as one big ecstatic organ and sexuality as the act of creation. If we want to work with tantra, it is important to accept the fact that sexuality is sacred, lovemaking is a wonderful ceremony on the path to ecstasy and knowing oneself.
Sex is an inborn instinct we shouldn’t interfere into.
Are we really free in our sexuality? Some people may think that introducing exercise into the realm of sexuality may disturb their spontaneity. The question is whether we really are “natural” in our sexuality. The fact is we are constantly influenced by our culture. E.g. larger breasts are better... Bigger penis ensures better orgasm. This influences our sexual behaviour. Sexual behaviour is prevalently a chain of learned reactions. Tantra teaches how to unlearn these physical habits. It develops the ability, increases sensitivity and expands possibilities.
Sexual intercourse is a genital matter only.
Most people understand sexual act this way. “With all the porn movies, vibrators and sexual techniques, sexual intercourse has not changed much. It is still just ejaculation of the semen into the vagina.” (Quote from Margo Anand’s Art of Sexual Ecstasy).
Tantra gives us the possibility of a different way. It teaches that genital orgasm is not the only goal of sexual intercourse. Genital orgasm is but the beginning. The goal is bliss.
The goal of sexual life is sexual intercourse.
The idea prevails here of passionate, energetic sexual intercourse lasting for several minutes before it ends. It includes the myth that women desire hard aggressive sexual intercourse.
Tantra teaches techniques of prolonged sexual intercourse. Orgasm can also be reached without the genitals. Tantra also offers a gentler, feminine approach to a sexual relationship, which includes the more aggressive framework of male sexual intercourse as a part of the whole. It contains relaxation in higher states of excitement.
A few minutes of breast kissing and clitoris stimulation prepares a woman for sexual intercourse...
This dogma is shared by most men. Similarly, some women think they are going to see an erection whenever they touch a man’s penis. Sexual intercourse is thus limited to a few hot areas.
Tantra takes the body as a whole. Other body parts are equal to the genitals. Any body part can be sensitive. Tantra teaches that the preparation for sexual intercourse is not just a matter of bodily, mainly genital stimulation, but primarily of harmonisation between partners.
Ejaculation equals orgasm.
Most men think ejaculation is orgasm, with the disadvantage of its short duration (about 4 to 10 seconds). They believe that the goal of the sexual act is to discharge sexual tension as strongly as possible. Men often think that sexual act without ejaculation is worthless.
Tantra teaches men to cope with the ejaculation need so that they are able to decide when they release the semen instead of it happening automatically. If a man masters the ecstatic response, he finds out that ejaculation is not necessary. Male orgasm may manifest as intense genital vibration or as soft streaming throughout the body without ejaculation. Tantra emphasises the importance of prolonging the pre-ejaculation pleasure. Distinguishing orgasm from ejaculation may enable men to experience multiple orgasms like some women and to prolong the sexual act indefinitely.
Tantra is orgies and hedonism.
Our human culture moves between the extremes of sexual repression or sexual debauchery.
Tantra is the golden middle way. Tantra teaches to explore, experience, understand and then transform sexuality.
