ShivaChris shares his vision of tantra here, based on his experiences and background
To me Tantra is a limitless subject. It's difficult to talk about, because it can't be explained with words. It is transmitted from heart to heart, it is transmitted in presence and in authenticity, in true contact, in a connection to oneself and to the outside world.
The path of the heart
Yet, many books have been written about Tantra. But above all, it is an experience to be lived, and it is certainly not a race for a cosmic orgasm. I am highlighting this here, because the West has taken a tiny part of Tantra related to sexuality and turned it into a race for a cosmic orgasm. For me, Tantra is the polar opposite of rushing and performance. Tantra is simply deep relaxation, a heart-to-heart presence, in authenticity, through the gaze and the breath. A connection that comes through feeling—not just with a partner, but with the entire universe, all of nature, and everything that surrounds us.
Reaching and touching this space is a grace, a gift from life
For me, tantra is above all an art of living. It is a path of healing, of transformation, an alchemy that works through the body. Because, for Tantra, the alchemical crucible is the body and its sensations. This experience can be lived in everyday life with animals, plants, minerals, the elements. For example, the wind, the trees, the sky, the birds, the ocean. For me, the space of Tantra is a limitless space. Reaching and touching this space is a grace and a gift from life.
Fortunately, every human being in their life has moments of grace, of pure happiness, of great joy. And those moments do not only happen in passionate moments of love, but also in the deepest despairs. It is at the bottom of a pitch-black night that very often, at that moment, the door can open and it is possible to touch the light.
The dance of shadow and light
In the West, we have largely denied the shadow. And yet, the shadow is also a matter for Tantra. And that dimension is often forgotten. We talk about light, cosmic orgasm, fusion, but very little about the shadow and the importance of being in that balance where shadow and light go together. There is no light without the night. Tantra is that space where it is possible to remain in the centre, our centre, from the perspective of the conscious witness observing. And the possibility of experiencing both sides, because life calls us from both sides. There is a dance in the shadow and a dance in the light. And being able to embrace both sides fully and accept this dance to rediscover the centre.
Consciousness, this «witness» state»
In my perception and in my experience, because that is ultimately all I can talk about, there has always been a space within, at the centre. And much of the mysticism across all religions, whatever their beliefs, points in the same direction. This centre which is untouchable and untouched. We are talking here about the space of the witness, of consciousness, of God. You can give it any name, because fundamentally it doesn't matter, since these are just labels. But it is the experience of this centre that is truly the path that leads us to ourselves and towards that inner alchemy where it is possible to be in balance. And within the space of this centre lies also the place of healing. For anyway, all of life's experiences, even if life has been an ordeal, when I am in the centre and can look from that space, life is perfect. And heaven knows we have all been through difficult times. I perceive this gift, even though from a very early age I was in touch with complicated experiences.
An experience of totality
Tantra, an experience of totality, is an experience of being, in its essence. This essence that connects us with one another, with the whole of nature, with all sentient beings. This experience must allow us to go beyond techniques. This experience is an invitation to profound faith, like when we await the person we dream of loving and who will love us in return. In this place, I invite the magic of Life and I open myself to the experience. I open my heart, I open into feeling. Will my wish come true? Will the meeting take place? It is impossible to know and to force. It is a grace, and the attitude in the face of this grace is to be humble and to drop to our knees before the beauty of existence. And to open our hands and simply to wait and fully welcome whatever life will offer us.
Return to oneself
When we speak of a tantric relationship, it is about understanding that the primary relationship is this relationship of acceptance and love with oneself. This capacity to cast a benevolent gaze upon ourselves. And what drives us to search externally is this fundamental lack of love. It is this primary relationship that brings us back to ourselves and to the centre. And in that space of reconciliation with a benevolent gaze of love for oneself, within that loving heart which is in fullness, radiance takes place. And an opening happens. But this opening must come from within. It is not something that can be forced from the outside. All situations, separations, everything that has been experienced through our relationships, is to awaken us and open our hearts. The heart needs to be broken in order to open. And it is when we take responsibility for nurturing our own seed that the relationship in the “we” takes on another dimension and is truly possible.
Tantra and emotions
Emotions in Tantra are experienced, they flow, they are part of life, and those emotions, in their feeling, are the path of transformation; that is the beauty of Tantra. Because there is the acceptance of all that is, and emotions are a part of that. When they are felt, they open the way, whether it be, for example, crying, laughter, or anger. For in every emotion, there is the possibility of transformation at the level of consciousness. The fundamental emotions that go with being human are laughter and tears. Anger is a reactive emotion. So when I am in my centre, with the witness observing, I can feel the anger that is present. But this emotion invites me to question what is igniting and fuelling the fire of this anger. And the work that is going to be done from the centre, from the heart, is to seek the root of this anger. And thus, to use every situation where anger emerges as a mirror to see where the root of this anger lies, in order to be able to uproot it through this consciousness and love. And when the root is found, the anger dissolves. To dissolve it, one must reach for that place from the space of the heart.
In every human being there is a terrorist, a killer, because we all carry this anger within us. And to deny that is disastrous. This addiction to violence that is everywhere in the world is there to remind us and to give us a mirror so that we can look at our own destruction and this terrorist. Because for us in the West it always happens elsewhere, but let's look at how it happens inside ourselves and in our own home. There are angers that are conscious and not destructive, and which consequently offer a privileged moment, because their energy is used to shoot the arrow straight to the mark, where consciousness can open up, where light can be shed.
Tantra and altered state of consciousness
Altered states of consciousness, that is health, that is real life. This life that escapes us, because we are too preoccupied with daily life and the «little ego» in this race towards goodness knows what anymore. The altered state of consciousness is a space of consciousness. And it is desirable and healing, it connects us. It is the energy of the heart that takes up its full space and makes us realise that we are not separate. This union, this oneness with everything that surrounds us, if we take the time to truly listen to the bird. And it is an easy experiment to do, you just have to go and sit outside on a bench and simply listen to the bird and receive the bird's song in your heart, to hear it and to hear the vibration and its message which speaks to us of love. It celebrates life and is there to tell us: sing too, be happy. Whereas we are often in this confinement, in this shell which prevents us from connecting with the simple things in life. The altered state of consciousness is pure beauty, but which is also in the ugliness. This ability to see even through the ugliness, even through the horror. This ability to see beauty, not just in a beautiful environment.
Tantra and sexuality
There can be no spiritual approach that denies the body. That would be an aberration; it would be like rejecting something that is at the very essence of life. For we are born from a male and a female cell. We are born from this union. And how is it that sexuality is so often a sin? And why should it be repressed? Tantra simply has no taboo in this regard.
It's best to live the experience!
To experience tantra safely and with care (in a framework of respect and no acting out): you are invited to the TantrÂmour immersions – TantrÂmour residential workshops take place in Provence (PACA region, Vaucluse: at La Minoterie near Mérindol, 35 minutes from Aix-en-Provence TGV or Avignon TGV station); in Occitania (at Hameau de l'Étoile, a seminar venue 40 minutes from Montpellier); in Alsace (at Les Jardins du Nideck, 35 minutes from Strasbourg).
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