Colours of Intimacy

BY JENNIFER LOVE SACRED ART OF TANTRA

The Sacred Art of Tantra An introduction to YAB-YUM

Before we dive into this juicy introduction of an ancient Tantric practice, take a moment to centre yourself. Take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly. Do this three more times and then just for a brief moment close your eyes and feel any sensations that are alive within you right now. Allow them to receive your attention, your acknowledgment and your love. Your body desires a deep, intimate connection with you. So often we are lost in our heads and in the busyness of our lives that we forget to pause and check-in with our physical body. We then bring this disconnection with ourselves into our relationships and wonder why we can’t connect with our partners. This creates disharmony and a subpar sex life. Our modern day relationships and sexual unions are missing the mark when it comes to creating deep, intimate connections and mind-blowing sexual experiences. This is why I am so passionate about Tantra and why I coach couples on this ancient, sacred art. Tantra practices have the potential to help you and your partner connect deeply with more passion and intimacy that you have

ever imagined to be possible. In Sanskrit, the word Tantra means “woven together”. It is a practice of weaving the physical with the spiritual. It is about going deeper into our multi-dimensional beings and honouring the whole of us: body-mind-spirit. This practice brings together spirituality and sexuality and emphasizes the importance of intimacy during our sexual experiences. It is an art that has been practiced for over 5,000 years. There are many benefits of tantric sex. Some of these include creating a profound sense of intimacy, tuning into subtle-energy within your body - everything from wild passion to deep love and awakening your sexual energy to flow freely within your body. It allows you to get more of what you desire in the bedroom and empowers you to be able to ask for it. It can help release sexual blocks, shame and enable healing from sexual trauma. Ultimately it allows you to access your fullest sexual pleasure and desire, which leads to longer love-making sessions and multiple full-body orgasms.

Yab Yum How to do the practice

Yab-Yum is a classic Tantric sex position that represents the union of Shiva and Shakti, the two divine energies of the masculine and feminine. The term Yab-Yum means “Father-Mother” and is the representation of the male deity in sexual embrace with his female consort.

1. Create a Sacred Space. Take some time to create a really beautiful space for you and your partner to connect. Clear any clutter from your space, light some candles and dim the lights. You may wish to sit on your bed or on the floor and it is recommended that you have pillows close by to prop yourself up if needed.

2. Set Your Intention. Tantra is so profoundly different because of the intentions that we put behind our actions. It is about being really conscious and present in the moment. Set an intention with your partner of what you would like your experience to mean for the two of you. It can be for creating deeper intimacy and connection, to be present with each other and enjoy the moment, or anything that is important for you as a couple.

3. Start Sitting Knee-to-Knee. Both partners sit in easy pose (crossed-legged) with knees touching. You can hold each other’s hands, forearms or knees, whatever feels most comfortable for you. Gaze into each other’s eyes without looking away. (NOTE: This is much harder than it sounds because we are not used to looking deeply into our lover’s eyes. That being said, if you giggle or feel uncomfortable, know that is completely natural and this will get easier with practice.) Spend a few minutes breathing in and out together at the same pace. Becoming more and more present as you do.

4. Moving into Yab-Yum. The man stays in easy pose and the woman then climbs into his lap. Her legs will wrap around his waist with foreheads touching and arms comfortably around each other. Eyes can be closed and you will continue to breathe together. Tune into your body and feel all the sensations throughout. As you move deeper into the more subtle energies and sensations you will begin to feel your sexual energy. The practice is to learn to allow this sexual energy to move up and down your spine, opening and clearing your chakras so that it can move freely within you. Start with a few minutes of conscious practice.

5. Move into Love-Making. After you have connected in this way, you have 2 options. You can continue to embrace and share your experience or you can move into love-making.

Yab-Yum is a great practice for us Creatives! Our sexual energy and creative energy come from the same source and are directly connected. If our sexual energy is blocked, we will find that our creativity is also stuck and stagnant. When this energy can flow freely throughout our body, then our creativity can flow freely out into the world. If you would like to learn more about Tantra and how to deepen your intimacy and connection with your partner, I would be honoured to guide you on your path!