TNT Magazine
London wearing you down? Expand your mind and calm your soul with a workshop in tantra.
Mention tantra and most people imagine erotic marathons and Sting’s go-for-five-hours stamina. But there’s more to this 5000-year-old spiritual path than sex, which I discovered on an introductory workshop with Diamond Light Tantra (DLT).
Shaking your body wildly to tribal drum beats in a room of 39 strangers might seem daunting, but ‘kundalini shaking’ actually feels pretty good, and the aftereffects feel even better. Letting yourself go, the biggest obstacle for many, is the key to releasing inner energy, and worth it for the pure tingling sensation when the body stops jiggling and starts feeling. The word tantra means ‘expansion’ and, as explained by Leora Lightwoman, who developed the DLT method, involves “an expansion of consciousness, hearts and minds towards breaking down barriers”. Leora’s aim in DLT is to fully enjoy relationships, both on a personal and sexual level. Of course, tantric practices are extraordinary ways to spice up sedate lives, but they also respect communication with others.
The three-hour class consists of practices, meditations and exercises drawn from traditional tantric sources. Singletons needn’t worry, you don’t need a partner to explore tantra-I ‘came with myself’ and was encouraged to take pride in the fact. All 40 fully clothed people of varied ages, nationalities and backgrounds worked together on breathing and movement mediations guided by friendly ‘tantric angels’ (helpers). Participants can choose how far they wish to go in the exercises, including standing back to back with a partner, fingertip dancing and weaving round the room barefoot.
An enlightening night left me with a sense of achievement and potential, wishing that the respectful Eastern greeting ‘Namaste’, which acknowledges others as special beings in this universe, could be commonplace on the Northern line and in newsagents nationwide. I also wondered, if a bit of jiggling left me trembling, what other tantric pleasures might lie ahead? But that, alas, is another story.
Julie Zirngast
For more information, visit www.diamondlighttantra.com or call Leora Lightwoman 0845 388 2231