India, an exquisitely colorful, sensual and mystical land where the holy Ganges river
flows from the highest snow-capped peaks in the world—the Himalayas—is consideredby many to be the birthplace of carnal knowledge.
More than 1,000 years ago, this intriguing and spiritual “Shangri-La” spawned Tantra, the most well known of all the ancient sacred sexual practices. A Sanskrit word that means “to weave” or “to expand,” Tantra and its rituals for sexual intimacy were primarily intended to provide Hindus with a pathway to spiritual enlightenment—a blessed state free of suffering and attachment.
Originating before 800 AD, Tantra honored two principle deities: Shakti, a female
goddess, and Shiva, a male god. According to Tantric philosophy, these deities resided within each and every human as divine energy that flows through the body, much like the way blood courses through the veins. This energy is concentrated in “chakras” located at
the base of the spine, the genitals, the abdomen, the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the" third eye” in between the eyebrows and the crown of the head.
Tantric followers believed that by practicing certain intimate sexual techniques and assuming specific love postures—what we would call sexual positions—they could channel that divine energy throughout the body to reach enlightenment and enjoy transcendent ecstasy, which is a feeling of pleasure so great it exists outside the limits oftime and space.
Many Tantric erotic techniques involved meditation and chanting as a way to get in touch with the deity within oneself and to honor the divine in one’s lover. When meditation was combined with specific love postures, it was believed to extend, intensify and enhance lovemaking. Many of the Tantric love postures were first described in the Kama Sutra, the most famous sex book of all time. Attributed to the Indian philosopher Vatsyayana, who lived during what is referred to as the Golden Age of India from around 320 to 550AD, this seminal love manual includes graphic descriptions of sixty-four sexual practices. Among the enticing Tantric sexual techniques was the practice of weaving the sensory, or drawing on what two lovers could hear, see, smell, feel and taste while making love. By paying attention to awakening each of the five senses, a couple could bring themselves
more fully into the present moment, creating a more pleasurable dimension in their lovemaking.
Taking the sensory awareness a step further, couples practicing Tantric sex could also activate and enjoy the intense sensations of their raw yet potent sexual energy, which was called kundalini, flowing through the chakras. By channeling kundalini energy through
the body during lovemaking, a couple could achieve heightened pleasure and clarity. They could also experience a feeling of joyous union with each other and, at times, a sense of complete oneness with the universe
Another intoxicating Tantric pathway to glorious sex included prayerful sexual positions that required focusing on both the exciting external sexual stimuli and the heavenly internal subtle sensations while making love. During this powerful sexual intercourse, the woman would praise the role of the lingam, the Tantric name for the erect male penis.The man would praise the role of the yoni, the Tantric term given to the aroused female
sex organ. By skillfully executing these love postures, two lovers could generate themost physical pleasure and the deepest intimate connection possible. Couples who engaged in these prayerful sexual positions with their whole hearts and minds performed a form of erotic and sublime worship with each other.