1.Connect with the weave of life

Tantra literally means “weave”—a technique or spiritual path woven into every aspect of life. Tantra observes and embraces all parts of life: from sex and love to social norms and diet.

Like yoga, qigong, or Zen meditation, Tantra is a path to greater self-awareness and self-realization. The springboard for this awareness in Tantra is your sexual energy or life force—also known as ki, qi, or prana.

Most of us are familiar with this energy in the form of sexual arousal. But in truth, Ki is everywhere—in our bodies and in the world around us. By consciously exploring this energy, for example through breathing and movement, you sharpen your senses and increase your body awareness.

You become more deeply rooted in the experience of the now. And in doing so, you strengthen the connection with yourself, with your partner—and ultimately with the web, the fabric that surrounds you: our universe.

Divinity exists in everything within and around us. In your fingers, your hands, your heart, your head. Tantra teaches you to revere yourself and others as gods or goddesses and to view the body as a temple. Touch becomes reverence, sex a sacred ritual. Tantra celebrates divine creation—the big bang—on all levels of being.

The divine spark can take many forms: a strawberry on your tongue, summer rain, a sunbeam, a whisper, a kiss. Divinity hides and waits, as it were, for a moment of play, a touch of magic, an encounter, a merging. Every consciously lived moment offers a cosmic opening—a chance for ecstasy.

2. Divinity Exists in Everything

In Tantra, body and mind, material and spiritual, masculine and feminine are not seen as opposites or as inferior to one another. They are different facets of the same coin, the web of life. Nothing is inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad’—not even us humans, though our ego often makes us believe otherwise, leading to mental rigidity and physical tension.

All aspects of life—including the shadow sides—are explored and honored in Tantra. Through meditation and touch, we explore the different parts of your being, your darkness (Yin) and your light (Yang). Everything is welcome, including pain or discomfort, anger or frustration. Bit by bit, you learn to embrace and accept yourself—and others—fully.

3. Good and Bad Do Not Exist

Which tradition of Tantra to follow

The ancient Tantric scriptures from India were brought to the West in the 1970s. This gave rise to neo-Tantra, which combined these teachings with insights from Western psychology. Today, there are many modern Tantra schools that integrate various philosophies and practices.

I trained in Germany, where many of my teachers were educated through the Diamond Lotus Tantra Institute. Its founder, Andro, was one of the first to bring Tantra from India to the West. In my eyes, he embodies the diversity of the Tantric tradition through his curiosity, adventurous spirit, and intense contrasts.

Tantra evolves with the times and cultures in which it is practiced. Its form is shaped by the intentions of both teachers and students. My own 'style' has been shaped by my life journey and combines exercises from Neo-Tantra and Taoism with insights from movement meditation (5 Rhythms), arts education, and Zen Buddhism.