Tantra is a kind of worldview suggesting its followers a certain understanding, which is an application of any possible mental or bodily experience as a tool for development. The word itself means “weaving”, which might be interpreted nowadays as transformation, continuity, interlacement of various aspects and experiences of a human being as a whole entity inseparable from anything else. Thoughts, feelings, wishes, intentions, actions are natural expressions of our broad potential; our inner world is inseparable from the supposedly outer world, and both are reflections of each other.
There are various kinds of Tantra that exist. Nowadays it is accessible in the West. But the key point here is not the secrecy around this simple and natural knowledge. The problem is that the knowledge is too simple for the overloaded and exhausted mind of a modern westerner, confused by wishful thinking. That is why some kinds of adaptations appeared. Most of them belong to the movement of neo tantrism or Neotantra. What are the roots of that?
History of Tantric Massage
In the sixties, many people traveled to India and Nepal, looking for new experiences of ultimate truth or some retreat from their usual unheroic life in the West. These visitors met teachers and got many tantric transmissions and empowerments from them, including Hindu tantric transmissions.
Then, these people brought it to the West and started teaching. Many were interested in sections of these teachings connected with sexuality and couple relations. Andro U. Rothe, German teacher of Neotantra, and the founder of Tantric massage explained the origin of this method in a quite reasonable and clear manner during his talk at the Second German ISTA Conference of Sexuality and Consciousness.
He said, when he has brought these teachings to the West, it found some hindrances. People suppressed their sexuality for centuries under commandments of the social and religious establishment, and this way got the very depth in any of them. It seemed that all of his students somehow expressed out and yet experienced the idea of a sinful body. This view about bodily reactions and behavior in couples enrooted deeply. In spite of their ardent interest in practicing some methods connected with sexual energies; people couldn’t accept their body, their inner nature.
That’s why Andro decided on inventing some simple technique helpful for average people in their daily mundane concrete lives, at the very basic level.
The method should help them to get rid of some neuroses and blockages. So, he has chosen methods connected with touches as most suitable because modern people are living among fluent and streaking circumstances and visual images. Any spiritual absorption is difficult for them nowadays. Almost none can experience energy flows and drops in subtle channels, so the best way of helping people is massage.
So the method has been developed. It is a reasonable and practical tool. Not promising anything divine, but helpful.
Then, it got the name ”tantric massage” because Andro was a tantric teacher with the highest aspirations, and it was a successful way of popularization because people are always wishfully looking for some secrets and mystics. The teacher himself kept telling his students, they should not think of themselves practicing some root traditional tantra while performing the massage. It is only some possible way for healthy people to ease habitual tension, get more relaxed, open inherent potential, accept their body, get rid of shame, find harmony in a couple.
Let us overlook the method itself. Its technique combines different pieces of knowledge of Hindu Tantra, Sexual bodywork, Sexual Therapy, Taoism.
Awareness and appreciation, giving and taking, adoration and understanding. Staying here and now, alert and relaxed, thus Tantra massage expresses the core essence of Tantra.
In its Western aspect, the method presents the development of concepts and theories belonging to Wilhelm Reich, Carl Gustav Jung, Carl Rogers, and Alexander Lowen. Also, we are thankful to Mantak Chia and Joseph Kramer, Taoist masters, and scientists of sexology.
Dr. Joseph Kramer created “Taoist Erotic massage” in 1982 when he suggested a new form of bodywork, which takes its roots in Taoism and Tantra. It is mainly breathing techniques and massage work. A substantial part was the so-called Lingam Massage, a unique way of genital massage for males.
Finally, we pay our deep respect and gratitude to Annie Sprinkle who has developed a female aspect of that complex ritual, the Yoni Massage.
One more essential point that the intimae parts massage is not necessary in course of a session, if an acceptor is not ready enough, or doesn’t want it. Careful and aware touches awaken the sensibility of the whole body, bringing deep relief and relaxation.
Breafly about Us
I and my husband Vladimir got this transmission in Prague at the European Academy of Somatic Education. The Academy was established by teachers in the area of partnership and conscious sexuality Denisa Paleczkowa and Richard Wojik. Those teachers have learned tantric massage from Andro, then they added some other methods and renamed it into the holistic sensual massage. Their approach is very close to Andro’s principles, so it was honest to present this technique as a healing method instead of presenting it to worshippers of soft sciences in some very ancient spiritual way.
The last we liked the most. We are curious about its healing and therapeutically aspect, its ability to awaken not only the body’s sensibility, but experience deeper emotions and great relaxation being fully aware and present.
Categorised in: About Tantric Massage