Urban Tantra

What Is Tantra, Anyway? 

Tantra is such a vast, ancient, and mysterious subject that it s difficult to find any two people who can completely agree on what it is. Happily, you do not have to spend the rest of your life studying the history and many philosophies of Tantra to receive its many benefits and pleasures. Nor will you need to go out and buy a lot of expensive stuff or change your wardrobe or learn to speak Sanskrit. 

Tantra is a Sanskrit word that means loom or weaving. Tantra can also mean a continuous process, the carrying out of a ceremony, a system, a theory, a doctrine, a technology, or a section of a book. As such, the word Tantra can simply refer to a treatise on any subject at all. So you ll often see it used in the titles of books that have nothing to do with the kind of Tantra we re talking about. 

Even when we use the word Tantra to refer to the spiritual practice that embraces sex, we re likely to find many different opinions and interpretations of that as well. Countless Tantric texts were lost during the numerous times that Tantra was driven underground over the centuries. Many other teachings were never committed to writing at all. They were transmitted by word of mouth from guru to disciple, often conditionally upon the disciple s promise of compete secrecy. 

No one knows exactly when Tantra began. Many scholars believe the seeds of Tantra were planted in shamanic, matriarchal societies three to five thousand years ago. The Tantra from which the modern form of Tantra that we ll be exploring is descended began in sixth-century India during a period of cultural wealth, renewal, and intellectual advancement. Buddhism, Jainism, and the various Vedic traditions we now call Hinduism were the dominant religions in India at the time, and they were all segregated by gender and caste. Tantra appealed to the burgeoning middle class that was unwelcome in these religions precisely because of gender and caste. In

BARBARA CARRELLAS is an author, artist, innovator, instigator, and thought leader in the fields of sex, gender, and spirit. She is the author of Ecstasy Is Necessary: A Practical Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Oh So Much More and Luxurious Loving. Barbara was named Best Tantric Sex Seminar Leader in New York City by Time Out/NY Magazine for her Urban Tantra® workshops, and in 2016 was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sexual Freedom Awards in London.

Praise for the first edition of Urban Tantra:

"Urban Tantra is the most pleasurable, fun, meaningful, and liberating book on sex ever! Thank you, Barbara!" --Christiane Northrup

"Urban Tantra gives me hope that the world will become a more sexually satisfied, ecstatic, enlightened, and inclusive place." --Annie Sprinkle

"This handy how-to promises mind-blowing, toe-curling, highly spiritual sex for humble beginners, BDSM aficionados and everyone in between. Sex educator Carrellas is on a mission to bring Tantra-the ancient practice of sacred sex, in which interpersonal connection and transformative ecstasy are the norm-to the modern world, to reclaim sex from "messed-up, sexually-dysfunctional, judgmental, and ignorant culture," and to shift the urban sex paradigm from recreational activity to a sumptuous, impassioned way of life. Not that one necessarily needs that kind of ambition: Carrellas offers ways to enhance any old sexual encounter (with techniques like breathing, stroking, prodding and piercing), techniques for solo play and countless uses for a trunk full of toys. Same sex, transgender, and multi-partner play is encouraged (if not highly recommended), and the text is peppered with illuminating, try-this-at-home anecdotes. Pictures and diagrams are whimsical but instructive, making Carrellas's cheerful descriptions of unusual concepts-"gigglegasms," "rainbow rubs" and "the mushy puss" among them-easy to grasp. A final chapter, on "Sex Magic," examines the power of Tantra to achieve a number of effects, from backpain relief to a happier office to world peace; however far you'd like to take your sex life, this friendly guide will likely show the way."--Publishers Weekly