Tantra 101

Time:
Friday, February 25
7 pm - 9:30 pm.

Location:
6408 Danbury Ln
Norcross, GA 30093
Map
Parking

This Meeting at Goran's will be a joint event with the Atlanta Tantra Explorations Meetup, led by its organizer Ana and myself (Goran).

Suggested donation: $5.

Register here, or email Goran@HugsAndWisdom.com .

The Meeting will consist of some social time, a presentation by Ana and me, experiential exercises (mindfulness, gazing, breathing, light non-sexual touch - you will be able to choose how much you want to participate), questions and answers, and discussion.

Ana wrote a good description on her Meetup page so I have copied it here:

"Join us for Tantra 101!

We will start with a half hour of social time so everyone can get to know each other, and then those of us with experience and education will lead a discussion of what tantra is. Tantra is a nebulous word in that many different people have adopted the term to describe various beliefs and techniques. We will discuss all the variations of defining tantra and narrow the group's focus for the future. We are also planning to try out some wonderful exercises for increasing intimacy, connection, and energy sharing. So bring your hearts, minds, and intention and join us for Tantra 101!"

To give us a common starting point, I (Goran) have selected some of the points from The Book of Secrets by Osho (Chapter 2, Question 1) here:

"On the path of Tantra one does not have to fight at all. Rather, on the contrary, one has to indulge -- but with awareness. ... Tantra is indulgence with awareness.
Tantra says... There is no opposition between you and the reality. You are part of it, so no struggle, no conflict, no opposition to nature is needed. You have to use nature; you have to use whatsoever you are to go beyond...
Tantra says accept yourself as you are. It is a deep acceptance. Do not create a gap between you and the real... For example, sex is there, the basic energy -- the basic energy you are born through, born with. The basic cells of your being and of your body are sexual, so the human mind revolves around sex. ...For tantra you have to use the energy of sex. Do not fight with it, transform it. Do not think in terms of enmity, be friendly to it. It is your energy. It is not evil, it is not bad.
Every energy is just natural. It can be used for you, it can be used against you. You can make a block of it, a barrier, or you can make it a step. It can be used. Rightly used, it becomes friendly; wrongly used, it becomes your enemy....
The ordinary mind is being destroyed by its own desires... Tantra says be aware of the desire; do not create any fight. Move in desire with full consciousness, and when you move into desire with full consciousness you transcend it.
You are into it and still you are not in it. You pass through it, but you remain an outsider.
...Tantra... seems difficult: how to move into desire without being overwhelmed by it? ... with full awareness?...
Tantra says, accept whatsoever you are. This is the basic note -- total acceptance. And only through total acceptance can you grow. Then use every energy you have. How can you use them? Accept them, then find out what these energies are...
You are a great mystery of many multidimensional energies. Accept it, and move with every energy with deep sensitivity, with awareness, with love, with understanding. Move with it! Then every desire becomes a vehicle to go beyond it. Then every energy becomes a help."

For those who want to read more, you can find the entire Chapter 2, Question 1 here, and the entire The Book of Secrets here.