The Origins and Meaning of Tantrism
Tantra is a spiritual ideology derived from Hinduism of the Buddhism branch and originating in India. Tantra is in fact a set of texts, rituals and methods to bring the human being towards an integral path of his body through the five senses.
It should be noted that many do not agree on the meaning of tantrism according to research, especially since the original tantrism and the tantrism popularized in the West would not be in the same measures. André Padoux, French Indianist and world specialist in tantrism says that "Tantrism wants to allow man to achieve liberation without renouncing the world, to achieve the paradoxical coincidence of manifestation and divinity."
Two opposing ideologies leading to tantrism
What is also known is that at that time in India, there were two different ideas of thoughts that opposed each other in their society. There was the Vedic civilization which put desire at the center versus Brahmanism which is against self-liberation being more conservative. It would be in this context that Tantrism would have seen the light of day to return to balance the mentality that desire had to be prioritized since it represents "the energy of the world".
Tantrism and sexuality
Tantra is said to be a method to increase one's sexual satisfaction in the long term, although experience and belief may differ from one person to another depending on various factors. It is especially in the West that Tantra has been associated with sexuality, although this theme represents a small percentage of the original texts. However, a bit like the Kama Sutra, the part of sexual practices has attracted more attention on our side (See article: https://fleursauvagelingerie.com/blogs/news/histoire-de-la-sexualite-les-origines-et-significations-du-kama-sutra).
The ideology of tantrism is primarily about psychology and how we feel inside our body. On the other hand, sexual energy is associated with a chakra located in the genital area that we must connect in a certain way to our mind in order to stimulate this energy. The principle of tantrism would therefore be to be able to be fully aware of one's body and to be able to concentrate on freeing one's mind by connecting to our chakras. Indeed, it is important to be able to connect to our body as completely as possible in order to be able to draw a higher level of fulfillment.
It is important to understand that tantrism is an ideology that requires time and a very good knowledge of oneself. This allows us to be able to cut contact with our thoughts and explore our senses more to seek more pleasure. It is possible to practice it solo or with a partner or in a group.
Tantra rituals or activities to practice to increase sexual satisfaction
Here are some examples of tantric rituals or activities:
- Full body massages with oil, gel or lubricant
- Individual or guided meditation
- Visualization
- Touching body parts excluding genitals
- Breath control
- Cut off one or more senses (blindfold, tie hands)
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