In a world steeped in conservatism and religious dogmas, any discourse on the pleasures of sex is taboo, shrouded in secrecy and best relegated to the back burner.
But therein lies the cause of our nagging social and psychological problems, according Dr Sasha and Janet Lessin, directors of the highly respected School of Tantra in Hawaii.
For decades, the Lessins have been sought by the media for their ground breaking work on sacred sexuality. They are therapists, lecturers and have penned influential books, such as Great Relationships, and How to Really Love a Woman.
And they have established the first Tantra Church in the United States called the Tantra Theosophical and Gaia-Worshipping Society of the Divine Human Family.
For decades, the Lessins have bucked the trend, challenging long-held traditional beliefs, while proving that the orgasmic experience is a conduit to spiritual enlightenment.
Tantra transcends sex therapy and is far removed from libertine or capricious sexual indulgence, as detractors argue. It is a holistic system that includes metaphysics, meditation, and religious rituals.
It is complex and profoundly philosophical. Its teachings, spanning thousands of years, are found in sacred texts from the East. Tantric scripture is essentially Hindu or Buddhist, with the Guhyasamaja Tantra being the most important to the latter.
The Lessins define ‘Tantra’ as ‘weaving’. During copulation, couples are trained to become a single unit, experiencing sexual nirvana, essentially spiritual enlightenment.
Their energies become one. But this is not easy, requiring coaching and full attunement with one’s body. In our hour-long interview, the Lessins detailed the seven chakras or energy centres that run along the spinal column and how they merge to bring about the desired spiritual experience.
Starting with the inner child chakra or our area of vulnerability that we fiercely protect to a fault, they went on to explain the other energy centres and how they relate to our psycho-emotional well-being:
The sexual chakra (the reservoir of our fluids); the power chakra (how we allow our partner to lead, depending on circumstances); the heart chakra (how we find balance in giving and taking); the communication chakra (knowing when to be expressive or silent); the vision chakra (clear, intellectual thinking); and the crown chakras (experiencing the union with our partner during the orgasmic act).
