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[from http://www.tantra.org/amertan.htm ]

Subject: American Tantra (tm)
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Celebrating Sacred Sexuality
   
   Copyright (c) 1997, Paul Ramana Das & Marilena Silbey (reprinted by
   permission)
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   Tantra yoga comes from the Hindu cultural tradition going back
   thousands of years. In it's orthodox form, it is a spiritual path
   and process that is both complex and complete, describing how to
   harness and utilize the creative life force energy, including
   sexuality, to achieve states of higher consciousness. Tantra
   means "to weave" or combine into union. Tantra yoga weaves the
   seeming opposite expressions of life force energy... male and
   female, yang and ying, light and dark, active and
   receptive...into a passionate ecstatic union...an
   all-encompassing effulgent frequency sometimes spoken of as God,
   Goddess, the Force, the Divine, the One. Whether through the
   internet or by visiting libraries or bookstores, those wishing to
   learn traditional tantric teachings, will find plenty of
   resources reflecting Hindu tantric practices and sensibilities.
   
   For many people in Arnerica and the West, however, Tantra is a
   buzzword, a quick identification icon that signifies an interest
   in, and practice of, any sacred sexuality expression. Modern
   psychospiritual teachers tend to combine recently developed forms
   of psychotherapy and/or reichian techniques with their version
   of"tantric" practices. Different "schools" of thought and
   methodology abound, including Osho's (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)
   version of neo-tantra, Deepak Chopra's new focus on the
   importance of integrating sex and spirit in his recent book "The
   Path To Love", Margo Anand's "skydancing" tantra Harley
   Swiftdeer's Native American Quodoshka, Taoist tantric practices
   according to Mantak Chia ... and others.
   
   Our own humble contribution to the current explosion of interest
   in sacred sexuality was catalyzed by the two of us entering into
   an extraordinary tantric multi-dimensional partnership seven
   years ago. We had each explored variations of sexual expression
   in the 1970's and 80's with other partners, so that we both had a
   deep commitment to further expand and explore sacred sexuality in
   a vibrant, mutually empowered, pleasurable relationship. From our
   past experience and ongoing personal unfoldment of this frequency
   of relationship, we feel guided to help heal the illusory
   separation of sex and spirit in our own culture... to actively
   assist in restoring and re-integrating "sacred love" into our
   culture's sexual expression.
   
   As spiritual ministers, in our fifties, attractive, youthful and
   fit, with seven children between us, we are passionately
   dedicated to the value of sacred sexuality, family, partnership,
   clear communication, playfulness, integrity, trust, and love. We
   are not only aligned on these principles, we are a-loined to
   them! For us, alignment is a mental sharing of philosophies and
   viewpoints, while aloinment is a kinesthetic emotional experience
   of shared feelings. It is from this passionate focus, joy, juice,
   and flow of shared creativity... along with living the energetic
   essence of tantra... that American Tantra (m) was conceived and
   continues to evolve. (A vibrant, pioneering expression of this is
   available by watching our video Intimate Secrets of Sex and
   Spirit (How to Worship Each Other in Bed!) and listening to our
   audio soundtrack for lovers ECSTATICA-1: Hypno Trance Love Dance
   .
   
   American Tantra (tm) is a fresh eclectic weaving of sacred sexual
   philosophies and techniques drawn from wisdom cultures around the
   world, both ancient and modern. What does "American" mean in this
   context? Adjectives that come to our mind include: fresh,
   innovative, fun, free, multicultural, creative, energetic,
   optimistic. There's even something in the United States
   constitution about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" .
   We are innovative teachers and advocates of this exciting blend
   of Sex & Spirit in a New Paradigm Relationship. (One of our
   poster images is that of Marilena, strong and sweet? sharing her
   beautiful nude model persona while strategically wrapped in an
   American flag, where the caption boldly reads: "Stand Up for
   Freedom, Love and Pleasure... the New American Revolution!")
   
   American Tantra (tm) offers easy, fun ways to integrate and
   celebrate the body and the spirit as divine temples of loving
   expression... while sharing that frequency with your intimate
   partner(s). American Tantra (tm) is designed to enhance energetic
   states of intimate communication, passion and pleasure...even
   archetypal union... for contemporary people who choose to include
   and expand the frequency of love and light in their lives. This
   new paradigm "weaves" together lust and love, personal
   sovereignty and empowerment, equal partnership, multi-
   dimensionality, vibrational engorgement, honoring our bodies as
   temples of divine pleasure. . .focussing and channeling our
   combined spiritual / sexual / male / female / multi-dimensional
   aspects of being into a new frequency of living love and light.
   
   In approaching the concept of"archetypal union", for people who
   haven't already experienced their connection with this vibrant
   frequency, fantasy provides the doorway to access the "reality"
   of gods and goddesses, elementals, angels, inner guides, etc. For
   example, should we wish to channel the forces of nature such as
   flowing wind (air), undulating warm waves (water), grounding
   solidity (earth), or hot passionate wildness (fire), we can make
   love as these "larger than life" elements... by expressing in our
   own way the qualities we associate with these archetypes, and
   then sexually relating to each other from that space. Channeling
   archetypal energies is the original virtual reality! Of course,
   if the more conventional fantasies such as "master/slave",
   "doctor/patient", "pirates", "primates", "queen of sheba '. etc.
   are one's cup of tea, those are all fine to experience as well.
   However, we suggest adding the wonderful frequency of sacred
   sexuality to one's repertoire... and see how powerful it can be!
   
   Another concept mentioned above that might be unfamiliar is
   "vibrational engorgement". What does it mean and why is it so
   important? In our view, the underlying source of all creation is
   often called "the Force", the breath of life, Spirit, or God. The
   one force manifests in physical reality as duality. However,
   there are a myriad of graduations between the two opposites of
   each expression of duality. Each gradation is a vibration on its
   own frequency as it undulates in wave-like patterns within its'
   range. All of creation is in vibration... every atom, every cell,
   and thus every being, both inanimate and animate. . . including
   us! So the more conscious we are of our vibratory essence, how
   that essence manifests, shifts and transforms... and of how our
   thoughts effect our vibrations, the more understanding and power
   we have over our life's direction and experience. We discover
   that we are the makers and shapers of our reality! Sexual energy
   is a common and powerful way this force can be accessed. Sex
   energy is life force energy!
   
   In American Tantra (tm) it is vital to embrace our sexuality, to
   understand it, to make the best possible use of it, to integrate
   and celebrate it in every aspect of our daily life. For us, the
   sex act of sacred love union takes on a much greater meaning and
   scope than the quick release and narrow range of passing pleasure
   currently assigned to sex in the present Western culture. It has
   been said that having sex is a "local" event, while making love
   is a "galactic" event! Sacred sexuality provides us with a method
   of integrating the lust of sex with the love of spirit. By
   re-creating, revising and updating techniques and metaphysical
   approaches from many wisdom traditions, we easily and consciously
   direct this life force energy... utilizing the potentials of full
   body focus: thought, breath, touch, taste, smell, body positions,
   movement, toning, song, intuition... gathering all these elements
   into a simple yet powerful approach to the magic of sex... sex
   magic...what we now call "American Tantra (tm) ".
   
   A simple example of how one can go from "local" to "galactic" is
   the practice of eye gazing while toning. By consciously raising
   one's magnetism and vibrant presence with another, an expansion
   and deepening of the intimate energetic interchange between
   partners occurs. Sitting close together, bodies touching while
   facing each other, each participant looks directly into the eyes
   of the other, slowly and rythmically breathing deeply together,
   exhaling a long sustained tone with each outbreath. Very relaxed,
   breathing and toning in this manner can go on for as long as is
   pleasurable. This practice is one of many that can be combined in
   different sequences... expanding the exchange of intimate sexual
   energy to cosmic proportions. That's a big secret... focus on
   conscious breathing to access the "cosmic"! (There is an entire
   science of breath called "prana yoga"... well worth integrating
   into every aspect of daily life! )
   
   So a person on the path of American Tantra (tm) makes the choice
   of channeling the love and light frequency in each moment. This
   involves observing, and modifying when necessary, any negative
   thoughts and energies that may arise. Utilizing the powerful life
   force energy, easily accessed through sexual expression, for
   healing, for channeling, for intimacy and communication, for
   nurturing, for expressive spontaneity? for bonding, for
   creativity, for manifesting magic... in all of these ways,
   American Tantra (tm) is both useful and desirable... because it's
   fun, it's pleasurable, it's social, it's healthy, it's holy and
   wholey! We share an unending, ever changing dance of life
   experience... for that is our purpose in being in physical
   bodies. In American Tantra (tm) we are expanded, radiating more
   energy, maintaining awareness, enjoying the unfoldment of life,
   thus stress and fear naturally diminish in our "world". It's a
   world of pleasure, shared adventures, bonded relationships,
   deeper intimacy and sensory delights. We are in harmony with all
   of nature, all creation. We are love itself!
   
   Summing up, our approaches and techniques employed to reach and
   keep the frequency combining sex and spirit are easy and natural.
   Through focussed fantasy, the sexual "vibration" is expanded,
   enjoyed and productively utilized at the same time... for healing
   disease, for empowering a myriad of intentions, visions, decrees,
   channeling, and other forms of sex magic! Our methods for solo,
   couple and group energy creation lead to group celebration...
   forming a solid basis for new paradigm partnership between the
   sexes. Sacred sexual traditions of many cultures are explored and
   re-experienced in present time... being here now... in a culture
   of our own creation. Simple forms of sensory input... breathing,
   seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching... all are re-tooled
   to be vehicles for multidimensional en-lighten-ment. That' s
   right... lighten up... because there's adventure and discovery on
   the American Tantra (tm) path!
   
   Utilizing the attitudes and techniques we share in our video and
   in our music, can help you get started! We facilitate monthly
   gatherings and workshops for those who wish to go deeper, and are
   available for private coaching with singles and couples as well.
   We intend to co-create neo- tribal, post-dysfunctional,
   multi-dinzensional, sex and spirit positive, loving and juicy
   generations of gods and goddesses in the flesht On the starship
   Intercourse, we greet and part with:
   
     "ORGASM LONG AND PROSPER!"
     
   Chances are, if you're still reading, you're one of us, so
   welcome home!
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   Paul & Marilena Silbey
   P.O. Box 613, Fairiix, Ca. 94978
   Phone: 415-499-1769; FAX: 415-499-9163
   yaluie@pacbell.net
   http://www.hotstuff-nyc.com/u-music 
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