Tantra Yoga: More than Sex & Sport

In the western world, yoga is often seen as a sport, or a form of physical exercise, and Tantra is commonly believed to be all about sex.

We go to power yoga, core yoga, and hot yoga classes to sweat, stretch, and build our strength. Yoga bodies are marketed as being thin, ‘toned’ (a word I really dislike), and bendy. Many people come to expect that if they are not already thin, ‘toned’, and bendy, yoga is not for them, and they must lose weight, build muscle, and become flexible before joining their first class. The movement, or asana, becomes dominant, and for most classes (at least the ones I’ve been to), pranayama, or breathing, is reduced to a few cues to “inhale, exhale” during a flow.

When people think about Tantra, they often think about sex – sexual rituals, sexual practices, sexual freedom. In order to practice Tantra, you might expect a lot of physical touch, sexual intimacy, and sexual energy. But Tantra isn’t all about sex, just like yoga isn’t all about exercise.

Yoga and tantra are both spiritual practices, and while they both include physical aspects, these are not the focus. Rather, the physical components of each are used more as tools. Tools to help us connect mind, body, and spirit. Tools to open ourselves up to new realities, to reconnect with nature, and to utilise every bit of energy that is housed in and around us.

There’s nothing wrong with viewing yoga as a form of exercise, or with dabbling in tantric sex – just know that there is so much more to experience, so much more to gain, if you let yourself go a little deeper.