The term tantra has become somewhat misleading in its current use. It was originally a set of teachings from the Indian subcontinent dating back hundreds of years. Tantra migrated to the West in much more recent times, with the focus tending to move away from the philosophy of embracing everything the world has to offer to specifically embracing sexuality. In turn, this has led to the word tantra being used to offer anything from escorting services to different forms of therapy. These include tantric healing massage, tantric energy healing, tantric bodywork, meditation and mindfulness practices.
What is Tantric Healing?
Tantric healing takes different forms – some practitioners focus more on working with energy, others work more directly with the body or the mind. Oftentimes, it is a combination of approaches. The kind of tantric healing massage that I offer is a combination of working somatically and psychologically. This means that clients are invited to bring attention to how their bodies and minds are responding at any given moment.
Physical Benefits
Massage in itself has a plethora of physical benefits, including promoting improved relaxation, sleep and circulation whilst reducing pain and tension. Receiving physical touch in itself can help to release feel-good hormones in the body, such as oxytocin, which in turn can stimulate the release of other feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin. Receiving regular touch that feels safe can help to activate the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which can have a calming effect.
Therapeutic tantric massage in particular gives the opportunity to receive touch to more intimate parts of the body that are usually overlooked in regular massages. This means that any sexual dysfunctions can be worked on directly – often, conditions such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation or anorgasmia in women can only be partially addressed in talking therapy sessions alone. Clients are also able to explore opening up to feeling more pleasure and sensation, and to learn what their bodies are capable of. Feeling pleasure is often beneficial to mood and overall health.
Psychological Benefits
Psychological benefits are connected to physical benefits – reducing stress and tension and feeling better in the body can help to think more positively about self, others and any particular situations. Tantric healing practices can aid to overcome shame about one’s body and sexuality in general, leading to greater confidence and ability to have more intimate relationships.
Working mindfully makes it possible to start bringing awareness not only to what is happening in the body, but any thoughts that are present, too. Similar to talking therapy, this can help to gain insights into the inner workings of a person. Identifying any negative patterns, beliefs and values can help to pave the way for changing them to ones that are more desirable.
