Why Choose Classical Tantra? My Story of Transformation

Tantra was introduced as a set of tools to bring the subconscious to the surface and heal deep wounds and shadows.

From inner child healing to shadow work and emotional expression, a variety of modern psychological practices were encompassed under the umbrella of Tantra. 

During these three months of training, I cried, screamed, and laughed.

I oscillated between despair and love, with the cycle repeating over and over.

It was an initial, profound approach to understanding myself on a deeper level, different from the modern therapy I was familiar with from years of therapy. This approach was more “embodied,” as it included the body.

Tantra yoga classes combined Yin yoga and Hatha yoga with meditation in movement or Kundalini yoga. This was a new discovery for me.

At no point during that school did we discuss Tantra as a spiritual practice or its origins. 

We never studied the original Tantric texts, the Yoga Sutra or the history of Tantra.

Naturally, when I graduated, this was the Tantra I taught and presented to the world.

Soon after, I was hired by a major online Tantra school and was tasked with creating my own curriculum. I also needed to facilitate a Tantra retreat in Spain each year.

Again, I taught what I believed Tantra to be and offered sessions on inner-child healing, embodiment practices, and sexual shadow work to meet the needs of those seeking tantric experiences.

I presented at Tantra festivals and held Tantra retreats, continuing to share that Tantra was the art of bringing the unconscious to consciousness (which is not untrue by the way) and teaching Tantra yoga.

At these festivals, I encountered other tantra teachers who had entirely different definitions of Tantra.

They presented it either as a practice of sexual disinhibition or sacred sexuality focused on tantric sex. 

For example, at the Hawaii Tantra Festival, there were queen beds set up in various places around the venue where people were encouraged to have sex publicly.

That was not the Tantra I had learned, so I chose to ignore what I considered wrong.

My journey towards Classical Tantra began in 2023, quite recently.

I started studying tantric philosophy through the books of  André Van Lysebeth (Tantra, The Cult of the Feminine)and Christopher Wallis (Tantra Illuminated), two scholars initiated into Classical Tantra, and the term “initiation” kept resonating with me.

I began to wish for a traditional initiation into the Kashmir Shaivism tradition in India , a country I had never visited before.

I was seeking to develop a spiritual connection with Hindu Tantra, become familiar with the concepts of mantra, ritual, and chakra, and ultimately become a respected Tantra teacher with a genuine meditation and spiritual practice.

Soon after, at the end of 2022, I received a random message on Instagram.

It was an invitation from a stranger to a traditional Tantra initiation in India. At first, I was skeptical and asked many questions, but ultimately, I decided to fly to Varanasi, India’s holiest city.

The stranger’s invitation turned out to be legitimate, and I met incredibly kind Indian people who shared my desire to be initiated into Classical Tantra.