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"The journey is the destination, and the focus is on crystallizing your awareness at every step along the way."
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"Are Your Issues in Your Tissues?
"If you have any sexual issues-especially issues related to past sexual experiences that were unwanted or traumatic-loving touch . . . may help transform and restore your sexual health. According to some schools of thought, such as Rolfing, your bodily tissues can 'remember' trauma that may have occurred many years ago, and past pain can be healed by physically and energetically releasing your tissues with massage and other techniques. In some ways, this parallels the Reichian theory that pent-up sexual or psychological energy can create 'body armor'-real physical tensions and blockages in muscles and organs-that you can overcome through healthy sexual release."
-From page 198 of Great Sex, Naturally
"The roots of the Sanskrit word tantra have links to the words weave and stretch. We include tantric sexual practices here because they allow you to weave entirely new erotic experiences, and stretch the limits of your capacity for sexual sensation.
"You don't have to join an obscure sect and follow a guru to benefit from ancient tantric sexual secrets; it's easier than you might think to use them on your own (enhance sex sans sects) and incorporate them into your erotic life."
-From page 199 of Great Sex, Naturally
"Central to many tantric sexual practices is an idea that's difficult for some to grasp because it challenges fundamental notions about sexuality-that the purpose of sex isn't necessarily orgasm. In some tantric teachings, the principle of delayed gratification is taken to extremes: the longer climax is postponed, the greater the potential benefits . . . The journey is the destination, and the focus is on crystallizing your awareness at every step along the way."
-From page 200 of Great Sex, Naturally
"The idea that sex can be a liberating, mystical experience is essential to some traditional tantric teachings. Sex isn't just about your physical pleasure-it's perceived as a way of stimulating your spiritual awareness, transcending your personal limitations, and discovering your connection to ultimate creative forces . . . As a result, the act of sex is elevated to the highest order of spiritual importance; it can be a holy rite, and a profound sacrament. And in turn, the effects some tantric practices may have on your emotions and states of mind can instill a lasting sense of awe for the mysteries of sex."
-From pages 200-201 of Great Sex, Naturally
"According to some tantric teachings a man can not only dramatically expand his ability to remain in a sexually heightened state, but also learn to climax without ejaculation and experience multiple orgasms. Some insist this is biologically possible; others believe it's a metaphorical way of describing an experience that seems to transcend any other form of sexual ecstasy, and a degree of pleasure beyond measure."
-From pages 202-203 of Great Sex, Naturally
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"With popularization in the West, tantra, like yoga, is sometimes simplified in ways that might make it seem almost unrecognizable in its native context."
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"Tantra may be less sex-centric than you think, depending on how you define it. There are various definitions, but the term generally refers to practices based on beliefs outlined in certain Hindu or Buddhist texts. A core conviction underlying many tantric practices is that the world we perceive, including our bodies, is a microcosmic manifestation of divine creative energy. Tantric practitioners use ritualistic techniques in an effort to reach higher spiritual states by balancing and channeling this energy in their bodies.
"Although in the West we associate tantra with sex, many traditional tantric rituals don't involve sex but focus instead on meditation and adherence to rules of moral conduct. When sexual practices are involved, they're seen as a catalyst for creating experiences of mystical ecstasy that differ from sexual pleasure in the usual sense and may not involve orgasm.
"With popularization in the West, tantra, like yoga, is sometimes simplified in ways that might make it seem almost unrecognizable in its native context. Just as many who practice yoga have no idea of its original significance in the theistic tradition of Hinduism (as a practice emphasizing the renunciation of bodily and mental activity), some proponents of tantra may be unaware of its original cultural roots. You can find a wide range of information about tantra online-along with plenty of hyperbole, exaggerated claims of sexual feats, and links to pornography. Despite this oversexualization, and although tantra may never become as acceptable and accessible as yoga, it similarly has a lot to offer Westerners."
-From page 204 of Great Sex, Naturally
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