Debunking the Myths of Tantra

Tantra teachers Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson are on a mission to squelch the myths about Tantra.

Perhaps you've heard of musician Sting's boast of his seven-hour love-making sessions with wife, Trudie Styler.

It was his practice of tantra and yoga that allowed him to keep going, he had said.

Or maybe you heard buzzing of tantra and many sexual positions, erotic massage or orgies.

Turns out, none of those are really true of the ancient Hindu tradition, which practices the idea that personal fulfillment, enlightenment and a connection to the divine come through life's energies, including sexual energy. It is a mystical experience its practitioners seek.

(Sting later amended his initial remarks, explaining that Trudie "is my connection to the sacred.")

While the masses have linked tantric sex to the more salacious, tantra is a discipline, a way of life. It employs meditation and uses the body as a tool, and the romantic relationship as a microcosm for reflection and awareness. In the tradition of tantra, sex is intrinsically sacred.

However, tantra is more spiritual as a practice and can be the secret of finding bliss in all areas of life, explain Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson of Yorktown, N.Y. Read more