What "Lower Tantra" is...
Lower tantra: Transformative practices which integrate your physical
and energetic bodies. These include hatha yoga, "tantric sex," kriya
yoga, laya yoga, tibetan trul khor, taoist and buddhist qigong, and
more.
Each of those practices includes relaxed controlled breathing,
postures, physical sensitivity practices, internal muscle contractions,
sexual techniques, mental and emotional attitudes, and awareness of the
subtle anatomy (energy centers, channels, and vital breath). They are
designed to increase your awareness of your subtle energy body, to
teach you to manipulate, balance, and amplify the subtle energy in the
body, and to safely "arouse kundalini sakti."
Skeptical? In biological terms, you are learning to rejuvenate and
reactivate your endocrine glands and central nervous system, increasing
nerve "links" between the brain and the rest of the central nervous
system. In the process you gain relaxed control over your "involuntary"
bodily systems, and can attain and maintain a relaxed, focused mind.
Lower tantra has special sexual practices ("tantra yoga" and taoist
"dual cultivation") done with a lover, and solo practices, including
laya yoga, tantric hatha yoga, and tantric kriya yoga.
I must emphasize that the solo practices are necessary whether or not
you have a lover. Lovemaking has great inherent emotional, hormonal,
and sensual power. It can amplify and accelerate the development the
solo practices give you. However, just using the sexual practices
without solo practice will leave you incompletely developed and
imbalanced.
Without the balance of solo meditation, the great joys of love can easy
swing into sadness and feelings of loss. You must realize the nature
of happiness is not externally dependant. You cannot do this if you
don't have a practice outside of the bedroom.
Lovemaking is a spiritual tool for those with a genuinely loving
attitude. If the biggest interplay in your sexual life is about power,
or neediness, or vanity, and not about love, play, happiness, and
freedom, then sexuality will be your biggest obstacle on the spiritual
path.
Sex will increase your ego, increase your emotional and somatic
blockages, increase your unhappiness, increase your neurosis...
Lovemaking, on the other hand, will open your heart even further. By
allowing yourself to dissolve into the experience of lovemaking, you
can go beyond the "veil" of reality as you conceive of it.
Remember: Lovemaking! Not Sex!
Also remember, it is the attitude that makes it lovemaking, not the
specific acts or techniques you use. Lovemaking can be hard, soft,
passionate, or relaxed, wild, or sleepy, just as sex can. The
difference is the attitude!
Even your solo practice of yoga or qigong should be done with an
attitude of compassion and lovingkindness... for yourself and your
surroundings. Otherwise, your practice will only reflect egotistical
desire for "spiritual attainment", or dry intellectual interest, or
self-deprivation.
Sackcloth, ashes, and suffering does not inherently make you spiritual.
Neither does wealth, luxury, and charity.
Real spirituality is the intent, inner emotional attitude, and
awareness, behind skillfully performed action.
For every student, there is a teacher.
Keep in touch!
Smile, breathe right, and keep your tongue up!
Your Friend,
Tao Semko of www.UmaaTantra.com
P.S.
You can learn and practice authentic tantric yogas and meditation using Umaa
Tantra's Tantric Inner Circle DVD Distance Learning Program. You can read
more about the Tantric Inner Circle here:
http://www.UmaaTantra.com/tantric_inner_circle.html
P.S. #2
You can learn authentic sexual tantra in Umaa Tantra's "Secrets of Tantra" Seminar DVD's. You can read all about them here:
http://smashanpress.com/tantra_secrets.html.