Sex: Tantric Sex Background
January 10, 2007 by Greg
This week in the sex column I am introducing a new topic I’ve been curious about lately, tantric sex. You’ve probably heard the phrase before and have an assumption or two about it what it means. I personally thought it was only an esoteric sex practice till I ran across the word while learning about yoga and Hinduism.
Wikipedia has a great entry as an introduction of what the greater term tantra means. It is described in one sentence.
Tantra is that Asian body of beliefs and practices which, working from the principle that the universe we experience is nothing other than the concrete manifestation of the divine energy of the Godhead that creates and maintains that universe, seeks to ritually appropriate and channel that energy, within the human microcosm, in creative and emancipatory ways.
Basicly, tantra is a much broader topic encompassing spirituality and it’s connection with the body as a channel through a series of rituals. What is commonly referred to as tantric sex is but a small, and often misconstrued part of the larger tantric philosophy. Subsects of tantra such as sexual rites, meditations, and rituals have been repackaged for western consumption as a way to have sex in a new an exciting way.
To learn more about tantra click here for the full entry.
I’m not sure if ‘tantra’ is synonymous with ‘kama sutra’ but I had an ex girlfriend who was into that and.. oh. my. gawd.
PS: the movie ‘kama sutra’ is pretty hot in its own right.