Tantralise Yourself

By: Caroline Baxter

What is tantra?

Cathy from Sanctuary of Tantra makes it clear – tantra is not just about sex.  A practice that draws on meditation, yoga and karma sutra, I am told by Cathy that tantra is a blissful blend of the physical and the spiritual.

Tantra is said to mean ‘to weave or to expand’.  It is aligned with Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikh traditions and most widespread in Southeast Asia and Eastern Asia, or the Indian continent.  Tantra has reportedly existed since the early centuries in the common era.

According to Cathy, Kundalini, as called by Hindus, is the art of manifesting sexual energy and spiritual energy simultaneously.

Tantra also works with the Hindu goddess, Shakti.  The goddess represents feminine power, while Shiva, her male counterpart, represents all things masculine.

“My passion is to share with people that there’s so much we can do with our sexual energy,” Cathy said.

“It’s not just physical - it’s also to do with energy, vitality and healing.  In fact in tantra we don’t waste a drop of it.

“A lot of people use it for pleasure and pro-creation but we use it for vitality, youthfulness, healing and energy.

“A lot of the practice is about breathing … and feeling confident with who you are and where you are now.”

Cathy is well-trained in tantric practises with over 20 years of experience.

Her training began in India under Dr Chowdhury and since then she has completed a tantra goddess training program at the Australian School of Tantra in Sydney, and a tantric training program at Jade Lotus Tantric Massage.

“A few years after teaching I started to realise that tantra has a spiritual component and a physical component – and I wanted to know more about the deep, energetic spiritual components,” Cathy said.

Cathy has also extensively studied other healing modalities such as reiki, reflexology, meditation, shamanic and pranic healing.

She has studied under Dr John Mumford, author of Ectasy Through Tantra and A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook, and her present teacher and guide – a tao master – is Master Alex Lim, who Cathy has being going through the practices together with.

Who can do tantra?

Absolutely anyone! Cathy says her workshops are for people ages 18 and over, apart from the new mother-daughter workshops that have a minimum age of 16.

But because tantra is gentle and focuses on breathing, absolutely anyone can actually do it.  And those who are older and no longer sexually active – you can still use tantra to tap into those energies too!

“A lot of my clients have MS (multiple sclerosis) and are in wheelchairs,” Cathy said.

“There’s no judgement – that’s what I love about tantra.

“It’s not a religion, it’s a way of life.  People of all nationalities can practice tantra.”

Tantra is for women, men and couples.  Go wearing some super-comfy clothing.  Something you can sit on the floor and move your body around it – your yoga gear would be perfect.

In Perth, The Sanctuary of Tantra is situated in country-like Wattle Grove surrounded by the stillness of bushland.  The centre has a large variety of classes and workshops.  From couples massage workshops to workshops for men; mother-daughter workshops or a male instructor for women; men’s and women’s tantric circles; private sessions for women and couples – the sanctuary has a workshop suitable for you.

Cathy also leads tantra retreats with the next retreat being a nine-day wild and adventurous trip to South Africa taking place in September.

The sanctuary’s website describes this retreat as “a once in a lifetime journey and opportunity to join the first white lion pride re-introduced to their natural and spiritual homelands of the Greater Timbavati region”.

This trip sounds truly amazing and takes the phrase ‘getting in touch with mother nature’ to the ultimate extreme.

Why do tantra?

Susan Holtmeulen, an instructor at the Sanctuary of Tantra, said she’s been “a lot more creative” since she started practising tantra.

“Now I’m writing and writing,” Ms Holtmewlen said.

“And when I’m stuck I go and do my practice and it gets my sexual energies moving, and they’re the energies of creation.

“I never used to write … I never even used to see myself as being creative.  Now I write all the time!

“It’s definitely not just about sexuality – it’s about energy.”

The breathing techniques harnessed through tantra assist with an increase in energy levels and vitality.  Health and wellbeing also gets a boost.

Tantra helps create love in your life – learning how to love yourself, and learning how to make love.  Really.

Tantra increases confidence.  It helps balance feminine and masculine energies and according to Cathy helps people “live and breathe their life purpose”.

Cathy thinks feminine confidence is massively missing from women’s lives today.  She thinks women need to better understand their sexual energy, how to use it wisely and honour themselves as women – and tantra can help with all this.

For more information visit www.sanctuaryoftantra.com.au or call Cathy on 0404 403 757.

About the Author: Caroline Baxter (B.Comms) is a story-teller, and professional daydreamer who loves her job at the newspaper and is thrilled to write for Flourish’s fabulous new online mag. (aww..thanks Caroline. Flourish x)

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