Many people ask me if I teach authentic Tantra, or if it's a modernized version of Tantra.
To understand my answer below, one of the distinctions that is useful to stand still by is Classical Tantra vs Neo Tantra.
Classical Tantra is basically a body of practices from many different traditions that existed on the Indian subcontinent from about 500AD to 1500AD. During this period is when the core of the texts were written, the practices were perfected and it was peaking in power and influence. It existed in India, Tibet, China and even Japan. The Chinese version, Taoism, comes from the same philosophical roots and mystical understanding.
Two things that distinguished Tantra from everything else that was happening in classical India were:
1. Tantric philosophy states that everything has consciousness in it and there is no separation between divinity and materiality (non-dualism). At its core, Tantra is a deep, radical, awakened experience. This is a profound way to live which requires a depth of practice to truly embody it as it’s not meant to be an ideological belief or opinion, but rather an embodied truth through practice. Tantra is built around practices that help and support you to embody this truth.
2. It asserted that the world is real. The other existing schools/religions at the time taught that the world was an illusion. The Tantrics, however, radically proclaimed that the world is real. To know that in your bones makes a big shift in how you approach things. Your body, your feelings, your thoughts, etc. are real and they all have consciousness in them, and this gives you a deep capacity for awakening by truly recognizing that things matter. That doesn’t mean that the world is all there is – or that the surface understanding of the world is truth – but it does mean that materiality has a truth to it.
Fundamental practices of classical Tantra are the same as fundamental hatha yoga practices, because hatha yoga was developed within Tantra. This includes the following practices: mantra, yantra, hatha yoga asanas, kundalini awakening, pranayama, ritual worship of deities, kriyas, meditation, darshan.
Neo-Tantra is a phrase used to designate practices and teachers which generally came about in the 1960s or later. Well-known Neo-Tantra teachers are Osho, Charles Muir, Margo Anand, David Deida, Ma Ananda Sarita. These teachers didn't teach deeply rooted classical practices, but instead they innovated things for the modern era to truly liberate and awaken people meeting them where they are at.
Neo-Tantra is more accessible for modern people than classical Tantra, and, if done on a foundation of a Tantric philosophy, then it's very effective.
Neo-Tantra includes teachings about sex and relationships, trauma healing, liberation from social beliefs and conditioning, embodying our humanity. Neo-Tantra targets to align the human aspects of You with the higher self You.
How does this translate for my school, the Temple of Tantric Arts?
Temple of Tantric Arts is a Neo-Tantra school, with a mission to re-connect people with their soul's truth and empower them to live a fulfilling life.
(The opposite to this vision is a life from conditioned Self).
In my work, I combine both classical Tantra and modern Transformational empowerment practices. I use these practices in direct application to relationships, love, and sexuality. Most practices are very intimate and involve touch, eye gazing, breathing together, sharing deeply personal things. I do not have penetrative or oral sex as part of my programs though, because it is not necessary to achieve the desired results.
Tantra was not designed for sexuality. Yet when it’s principles are applied to sexuality, it creates a much better sex.
Intimate practices immediately confront us with any untruth we entertain in our life. They bring us straight face-to-face with any unconscious patterns that create our reality in a way that we don't want (but we don't see why). Waking up to TRUTH and receiving the right tools for re-alignment at each step is what makes it possible to embody the insights, and not merely understand things.
Tantra and Tantric principles are at the heart of everything I do because they bring consciousness, truth and liberation to any area you apply them to. And modern Transformation tools allow to heal and empower the human self to live this life in alignment with soul's truth.
Most people who come to my programs are in search of having better/deeper relationships, more fulfilling intimate life, blissful sexual experiences, amazing orgasms, sexual healing. And when they leave my programs, they usually have touched all other areas of life too, because everything is deeply interconnected.
If you would like to have a direct experience of Tantra and what it can mean for you personally and your current or potential relationship, I welcome you to join the 1 Year Tantra Program in 2022.
https://templeoftantricarts.com/en/1year-program
With love
Alexa Mira
