that's an image of a "tantric goddess". i really enjoyed teaching the "intro to tantric meditation" workshop last saturday at tejas yoga studio. maybe i spent too much time on the history of yoga, but i wanted to place tantra in it's context by comparing it to classical yoga.next time i teach it, i'll focus more on patanjali/classical yoga & tantra, as opposed to the entire history of yoga & tantra. tantra has so many meanings & applications.
some of my favorite meanings are:
that tantra is the only philosophy & science that uses all the tools of yoga including the bandas, asana, pranayama, the chakras, mantra, dhyana, & so on. weaving everything together.
that it is developed to bring the change we need quickly in order to reveal that divine spark in all of us.
that tantra focuses on energy/prana as a way to clear the fluctuations of the mind, as patanjali says is the meaning of yoga.
it's through tantric yoga that i've found what calmness i have and that i'll continue to find. this isn't an easy ride...this life thing. we're here and we're obliged to do better than hang in there. we have a responsibility to become the best we can be to spiritually help others and also to stop our own suffering. kind of like "shin byung", spirit sickness, with korean shamans. shamans get really sick (suffering) until the answer the call from the gods to become shamans and serve them (their dharma).
is our suffering meant to guide us towards our true path since if we follow it, we won't suffer? it kinda sounds self serving to serve others just to remove your own suffering. but with the correct intention, everything lines up and the lessening of suffering and the increasing of universal joy justifies all actions.
we all need some hope to encourage us to stay in this existence. according to the teachings, if your heart is strong enough, no one can break it. i'm certainly not there because my heart breaks so very often. but it breaks apart lesser apart then it used to and the cracks fill with deeper joy more quickly than it used to.
but it still breaks. more practice. more practice. more practice.
