Saturday, June 30, 2007

Punk Tantra

We usually write and post as a team, but this one is just from Mark. These are some preliminary thoughts on a subject that probably deserves to be explored in more depth. Punk Tantra may seem like an oxymoron to some, but my Tantric sensibility was shaped by my involvement in Punk. Just as we started getting active on myspace, I received a couple of CDs of material my first college band, The Relaxors, recorded in 1978 or '79 in Ann Arbor and learned that our old manager had set up a page for the band. When the package arrived I had already added a few of my favorite groups to our friends list. It was an odd sycnchronicity, and it encouraged me not only to revist my roots but also to dig through my archives. Some of the material I find may show up on the Relaxors page in the near future.

Patti Smith's Bottom Line show in December of 1975 was a life-changing experience for me. I'd seen plenty of rock bands by that time but had never experienced something of such transcendent power. About a month later I ventured into CBGBs, where Television and Talking Heads were on the bill. I knew I had found a home. This was before the crowds there got huge, and before Punk got codified, either as fashion or as a sonic style. Back then the scene was diverse, tolerant and accepting. I had the sense that we were all outsiders seeking freedom from received social norms -- whether musical, social or political. We were seeking intense experience, or as Patti Smith put it:

"I seek pleasure. I seek the nerves under your skin.The narrow archway; the layers; the scroll of ancient letters.
We worship the flaw, the belly, the belly, the mole on the belly of an exquisite whore.
He spared the child and spoiled the rod. I have not sold myself to God."

Anyway, Tantra. It's really the same thing. No need to sell yourself to God when you can find God inside yourself, but I digress. Contrary to popular myth, Tantra's got very little to do with sexual technique, and it's certainly not all new-age sweetness and light. It's about finding the divine through experience, wherever you are, including in the gutter. And those transcendent moments in the dirty dank and sweaty rock 'n' roll clubs in New York, Detroit and Ann Arbor were truly Tantric. The ego dissolved, and I became one with the sound.

Friday, June 29, 2007

We've set up a myspace page -- www.myspace.com/tantrapm

We will be blogging there regularly and cross-posting here.

Here are the entries from this past week:

Friday, June 29, 2007

Come Together

The past few days have been both exhilirating and depressing. On the positive side, Barbara Carrellas's book launch party (Tuesday night) and the fifth monthly Pleasure Salon (last night) were exciting and inspiring events. It's absolutely thrilling to be part of a burgeoning sex positive movement in New York and to see such a diverse group of people finding common ground and common cause.

On the downside, there's the ongoing, pointless war in Iraq, the failure of our political leaders to do anything meaningful about global warming (of course, these are nothing new), and the recent series of appalling, intellectually bankrupt decisions by the Supreme Court -- supporting corporate "free speech" but denying it to high school students (bong hits for Jesus anyone?), removing the prohibition on corporate price-fixing, and perhaps worst of all, effectively endorsing the re-segregation of our public schools.

These are grim times, and we fear that things will get much worse. It is time to come together, to stand up for our rights and to defend the Earth. Everything is connected.


Wednesday, June 27, 2007

New York, New York

Last night we went to the launch party for our dear friend Barbara Carrellas's book Urban Tantra. Barbara's presentation was just brilliant; she's a dynamic and incredibly entertaining lecturer. She has been an important figure in contemporary American Tantra for many years now. She is truly a kindred spirit.

There was a small after party that included a number of luminaries from the New York area -- sex educators, practitioners, old friends and new. Interesting things are happening here, and it's incredibly exciting to see diverse groups and individuals coming together. Barbara's been building these bridges for years. She's an inspiration.


Monday, June 25, 2007

Teaching Today

We're in NYC today to teach. We get great satisfaction from teaching privately. We are able to adjust the content of the lessons to each couple's level of knowledge and particular goals. Often we can delve into subtleties that we are unable to address in our open workshops. Ongoing study is usually more rewarding than attending a weekend workshop.


Sunday, June 24, 2007

Kirtan

We had a very late night last night. We went to Bhagavan Das's kirtan at East/West Books on 5th Avenue between 13th and 14th. It was great to see Bhagavan Das again; it made us long for the days when he was living in New York.

We don't get to kirtans often enough, and it's always amazing how powerful they are, especially with Bhagavan Das. We had a fairly stressful day and left for the city later than we'd planned, so we weren't in the greatest frame of mind when the kirtan started. It took a little while to get into the flow of things and for the mental chatter to subside, but eventually the energy of the group and the power of the mantras took over, and we were transported.

That's how it always seems to work. Chanting is a simple but astonishingly profound practice.


Saturday, June 23, 2007

Hot Sex and Zero Sum Games.

Not long ago, we received an inquiry from a man whose partner was reluctant to explore Tantric sex because she was afraid she would lose the ability to enjoy more 'conventional' forms of sexual activity, that sex would no longer be 'hot.'

We're here to tell you – you can practice Tantra, and still have hot sex. For us, Tantra is about an approach to living that includes and embraces sexuality, recognizing it as one of the richest arenas for spiritual exploration. Awareness is the key, and in Tantra this applies to all aspects of life, not just sexuality. Choosing awareness will add new dimensions and enable you to go deeper, when you want to. It won't turn sex into a chore or detract from your ability to enjoy a quickie.


Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Online Interview

We've been regular guests on Ann Sanders's show, doing a monthly Tantra Tuesdays segment for almost a year now. We just recorded the July episode in which we discuss Tantric massage and describe some techniques from chapter 14 of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality.

Shows are archived at:

http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveAA.htm

We just learned that our beloved teacher Bhagavan Das will be in New York City this weekend. We can't make the Friday Kirtan at Jivamukti Yoga, but we're hoping to attend the Saturday event at East West Books. If you've never been to one of his kirtans, you've missed something extraordinary.