E40 Sex and Tantra: Myth, Mystery, or Truth?

In this episode, I sit down with Tantra teacher and retreat leader Harmony Hannigan for a deep and honest conversation about what it really means to live Tantra—not just on the mat or in a workshop, but in the middle of everyday life.We explore the Shiva–Shakti dynamic as a powerful framework for working with triggers, emotions, and life’s challenges. Harmony shares two distinct Tantric approaches: one of moving toward sensation with curiosity and embodiment (Shakti), and another of witnessing from a place of detached presence (Shiva). We talk about the importance of knowing when to use each path—and the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on either.We also dive into the Mahavidyas, the 10 Tantric goddesses, and how these archetypes help us recognize and integrate shadow, truth, and the fullness of who we are. I’ve been doing Harmony’s “Breathe the Goddess” series recently and loved hearing how she blends symbolism, breathwork, and self-inquiry in her approach.Harmony breaks down her style of Tantra yoga asana, where stillness, breath, and energetic awareness replace fast-paced movement. She explains how even a few postures, practiced with presence, can shift your whole state of being—and how this practice becomes a way of life.We also talk about discipline versus flow, spiritual bypassing, inner honesty, and the myth that we have to leave the world behind to be truly spiritual.Harmony closes the episode with a simple but potent guided meditation to drop into the body and feel the spaciousness within.Find her at:Instagram: @harmony_hannigan Website: nayanayoga.com*****And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yutantra.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

Is there really a connection between tantra and sex?In this episode we unravel some of the myths and truths surrounding the popular belief that Tantra is about sex.References and source material for this episode can be found in the blog post: Sex and Tantra: Myth, Mystery, or Truth?*****And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠yutantra.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

Today I am joined again by Daniel Erulian, a tantric yoga teacher trainer whose unique journey blends tantra, magic, divination, runes, and martial arts.In this episode we deep dive into the tantrik Five-Plus-One Layer Model of Self, that includes the physical realm, energy, thoughts, the subconscious, the void, and pure awareness which is our Divine essence.Daniel shares his wealth of experience about how we can practically apply the concepts of the Five-Plus-One Layer Model of Self in our own daily spiritual life.We also touched on how to bring these teachings even into our dream world, and he shared some fascinating insights about lucid dreaming.Listen to my first conversation with Daniel Erulian in E36 Exploring the Mystical Pathways of Yoga and Tantra.To find out more about Daniel and his trainings visit his website: ⁠ritualembodimentyoga.com⁠You can also connect with him on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠YouTube⁠.And his podcast on Spotify ⁠Make Yoga Magic Again⁠.*****And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join here: ⁠⁠⁠yutantra.com⁠⁠⁠Connect with me:Website: ⁠⁠⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

Why is Tantra so often associated with sex? Is it just about pleasure, or does it hold a deeper spiritual significance? In this episode, we explore the true meaning of sexual energy in Tantra—how it has been understood in classical Tantra traditions, its connection to spiritual awakening, and how we can work with this energy beyond physical intimacy.We dive into the secretive Kula-Yaga ritual, an ancient esoteric practice that integrates sexual energy into Tantric spirituality, and examine how Tibetan Buddhist Tantra teaches us to transform desire into a tool for higher consciousness. Whether through meditation, breathwork, or sacred connection, this episode sheds light on the profound role sexual energy plays in human transformation.*****And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join here: ⁠yutantra.com⁠Connect with me:Website: ⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠    Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠All sources and references for this episode can be found in the show notes on YuTantra blog: ⁠Tantra, Desire & Awakening: The Secret Teachings of Sexual Energy

In this episode my special guest, Uriel Yariv, co-founder of the Mahasiddha School of Yoga in Thailand, shares his profound spiritual journey with Tantra, offering insights into meditation, retreats, and the transformative power of tantra. Uriel describes his unique path, including spending years in silent retreats and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and bliss. He explains how working through emotional shadows—such as pride, guilt, and anger—through meditation and breathwork purifies the heart and opens the door to grace. His daily practices, which include extended Hatha Yoga and mantra meditation, reflect his unwavering dedication to spiritual fulfilment and enlightenment.   In our conversation we explore how the tantric approach can be integrated into relationships, emphasising the importance of intimacy and emotional presence. He shares wisdom for men on courageously entering unity with love and embracing vulnerability in partnership. By understanding and honouring the feminine energy within relationships men can experience deeper connection and personal transformation. To find out more about Uriel and his teachings visit his website: tantrayogathailand.com You can also find him on: YouTube and Facebook. ***** And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join!  Join here: ⁠⁠⁠yutantra.com⁠⁠⁠ Connect with me: Website: ⁠⁠⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠⁠⁠     Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel Erulian, a tantric yoga teacher trainer whose unique journey blends tantra, magic, divination, runes, and martial arts.Daniel shares how yoga serves as a unifying thread connecting all spiritual practices. The conversation led us deep into the nature of God, which Daniel sees as a boundless, paradoxical consciousness flowing through everything and everyone.We also explored the tantric five-plus-one layer model of Self, that includes the physical realm, energy, thoughts, the subconscious, the void, and pure awareness which is our Divine essence.Daniel offered insights into life’s purpose as an infinite dance of experience, and the never-ending pursuit of unravelling the mysteries of existence.We discussed Daniel’s unique view on magic as a transformative art and science, where rituals and intention come together to influence reality. He also touched on his approach to the chakra system, comparing the original five-chakra model vs the popular modern-day seven-chakra system.Daniel also gave us an inside look at his Ritual Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training, a 200-hour, Yoga Alliance-accredited program. Blending classical tantric yoga with elements from haṭha, vinyasa flow, ritual and magick, this training offers a unique, holistic approach. Central to the curriculum is the five-element chakra system—earth, water, fire, air, and void—which, along with the six-layer self model, serves as a map for understanding self and cosmos. Students dive deep into breathwork, meditation, mantra, and mudra practices, with an emphasis on integrating these teachings into daily life. Accessible fully online, Daniel's training features an interactive platform with live sessions and progress tracking, and he also collaborates with studios in Australia and Thailand for in-person retreats. Graduates emerge certified to teach multiple yoga styles and gain a transformative experience that encourages a fully embodied, sensory approach to spirituality.To find out more about Daniel and his trainings visit his website: ritualembodimentyoga.comYou can also connect with him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.And his podcast on Spotify Make Yoga Magic Again.*****And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join here: ⁠⁠yutantra.com⁠⁠Connect with me:Website: ⁠⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]

My special guest today is Tantric men's coach Steffo Shambo. In this conversation we discuss various topics about Tantra as it applies to Divine masculinity, and how men can use Tantra to activate their masculine power. Register for Steffo's 5-day online course "Activate Your Masculine Power" before the end of October 2024, and get 20% discount + free access to his men's community platform. Follow the link and enter coupon code "JAMIE": https://tantricacademy.com/masculine-power-course/ Learn more about Steffo Shambo and his work on his website: https://tantricacademy.com ***** And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join!  Join here: ⁠yutantra.com⁠ Connect with me: Website: ⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠     Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠  Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]

When we look back to original teachings of Tantra we see that the goal of practice was entirely spiritual. In the early tantric texts you won’t find teachings for how to improve your sex life, or how to heal your inner wounds through massage! Tantra is really a path of yoga. Yoga means union, and is a term that can be applied to many spiritual traditions and practices, that have as their goal union with Divine consciousness, becoming one with the Divine. However, Tantra also acknowledges that there may be other goals of practice, secondary to that primary goal of liberation. These other goals can be related to more material things, and other aspects of daily life as a human. ***** And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join!  Join here: yutantra.com Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com     Facebook: facebook.com/TheTantricLife  Instagram: instagram.com/the_tantric_life Email: [email protected] All sources and references for this episode can be found in the show notes on YuTantra blog: The True Goal of Tantra.

Even though Tantra has ancient origins, it is ideal for living a more spiritual way of life in today's modern world. The early Tantric texts contain many descriptions of how to live a spiritual life. Living in a Tantric way means more than just practicing an exercise or a technique now and then. It's about cultivating an attitude and perspective of love and open-mindedness. Tantra as a way of life means frequently reminding your of the Divine nature inherent in everything and everyone around you, including within you. In today's episode I explore some of the concepts and practices that make Tantra so well suited to living modern life in a spiritual way. ***** And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join YuTantra for free: ⁠yutantra.com⁠  Connect with me: Website: ⁠TheTantricLife.com⁠     Facebook:⁠ facebook.com/TheTantricLife⁠    Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/the_tantric_life⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠  All sources and references for this episode can be found in the show notes on YuTantra blog: Tantra as a Spiritual Way of Life.

Just as in modern psychology, Tantra recognises the need to process negative emotions and traumatic experiences in order to have more well-being. Tantra teaches that when we have traumatic experiences, the strong emotions and memories associated with those experiences can become embedded in our subconscious like seeds, known in Sanskrit as Samskaras. If we don’t address and attend to those samskaras, and instead ignore them and push them down, out of sight our of mind, so to speak, then those seeds will fester and grow in the darkness of our shadow self. Traditional Tantra uses the metaphor “digesting” emotions. When emotions and memories are digested, they are processed in a healthy way, and brought into our conscious awareness, so that we may learn what we need to learn from them, and perhaps forgive what needs to be forgiven. In this way they no longer suck at our energy or drain us from the darkness of our repressed subconscious feelings. For many people the sexual aspect of Tantra is a powerful way to bring about huge life transformations and healing of deep emotional wounds. As tantra teacher Sofia Sundari has once said… “your unleashed sexuality is the gateway to your highest potential”. In this episode I explore several aspects of Tantric healing, drawing on perspectives from both traditional tantric texts, and contemporary neo tantra teachings. ***** And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Join YuTantra for free: yutantra.com  Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com     Facebook: facebook.com/TheTantricLife    Instagram: instagram.com/the_tantric_life Email: [email protected]  All sources and references for this episode can be found in the show notes on YuTantra blog: Tantra for Healing and Well-Being.