How you doin’?

My name is LaLa, and I’m a voucher-holic.  It’s been 3 days hours since I bought my last deal.  And I don’t buy just any old deal.  Oh no, I like the ones that are like my men – intriguing and downright quirky.  Which brings me to today’s new thing:  a 4-hour Introduction to Tantra Workshop.  Admittedly, I had planned to buy the deal as a gift for a good friend of mine.  But when I started to read the reviews, I just couldn’t resist trying it for myself.  I mean, who couldn’t use a few tips on spicing things up?  Maybe Tantra’s the real reason arranged marriages are so successful?  Think about it.

The website advertised that the evening would help us to discover how tantra works, experience tantric energy, and get exercises to take home.  And the workshop easily delivered on all points.  There were several references to the importance of breathing (hoo hoo and ha ha); however, unlike the calming yoga breath, which is deep in the belly, the tantric breath is shallow to get the energy, well, up.  References to ‘Every Breath You Take’ and working in ‘Synchronicity’ abounded, which makes me think that Sting was indeed an early adopter.

Get jiggy with it!

During the class, we further learned the importance of movement, sound and eye contact in tantra, and participated in several activities that were surprisingly effective.  Our teacher, Lucy, did an incredible job of putting everyone at ease, building a safe and trusting environment so we could get in the groove, so to speak.  It was almost like a very personal improv class.  The sexercises in particular, including hip circles and pelvic thrusts set to music, made me wonder what a martian peaking through the window would think of us as earthlings.  That probably wasn’t exactly what I was supposed to be thinking just then… but what can I say.  My mind wanders.  The most surprising exercise, though, was when we just stood and gazed into another person’s eyes for several minutes, to see their inner spirit.  It was a bit like that episode of Family Guy where Meg brings her family on a daytime talk show, and there’s a couple who reveals that the guy is actually a horse, who is actually a broom… Ya, so the similarity is the zipping off of the outer layer to leave, well, the broom, which would be your life force.   All kidding aside, the connection and honouring exchanged was, in a word, incredible.  By far, the best quote of the evening for me, at least, was:  “Your heart is your home.  When you are in your heart, you are in your home.”  That’s good stuff.

So, has tantra changed my life?  Quite possibly.  Will it make me more open to new experiences?  Absolutely.  I’m still smiling from ear to ear.  Just ask Sting and Trudie.  I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to homework so much!