Thursday, September 18, 2008

Tantra As Self Empowerment, by: Asttarte Deva


There are many sayings in times past on "reclaiming your power", or "Women Power", or finding empowerment through sports or martial arts. Few ever talk about, and even fewer know about the hidden secrets and power within Tantra. Tantra as empowerment is a way of reclaiming oneself, finding out who you are, learning tools to access who you are, and then practicing the Tantra techniques, exercises and practices. Tantra allows one a way of manifesting the life you want - the abundance you seek, the lower or beloved of your dreams, the harmonious and passionate relationship and love life you desire with the one you already have, the car or house of your dreams, and so on.

Tantra is empowering because it forces you to tap into your will and draw up energies within yourself to go beyond the uncomfortable until eventually it does become comfortable. I have found no other writings or research on Tantra as self empowerment, but this is one of the biggest reasons ancient masters studied and practiced, and also taught this powerful practice.

Tantra is Yoga, however, Yoga is not Tantra. Tantra forces one to become present to the pain within themselves as well as is open to one becoming present, at one and authentic to the joy and blissful nature of oneself. Tantra is about being open to what is. Yoga is about being a Warrior and controlling ones urges to just be still and allow the energies of feelings to move through them, while Tantra teaches one to embrace, be open and be real with those feelings; authenticity, however, done with presence, listening to the breath, and the still voice within. I love Tantra Yoga because it teaches me about the natural desires of the human nature and about being real and accepting of them, and using that realness within oneself as a vehicle to grow; by accepting what is.

Tantra as self-empowerment is as natural as following your bliss and listening to that inner voice inside yourself of what you should or shouldn't do. It is also about doing a set of exercises to harness the deep emotions within yourself, so you can eventually pull them up and out of you, and let them go; be them rage, anger, sadness, confusion, numbness or fear.

Whatever the emotion, Tantra gives you a vehicle to transcend them. And that alone is empowering. And that alone allows anyone, anywhere to give birth to a new life; one of bliss, joy, contentedness and peace. This is why I call Tantra a miracle. This is why I call Tantra self-empowering. This is why Tantra can be used as a tool for Psychotherapy, and this is why Tantra is a gift from God.

The Love of A Stranger, a poem, by Asttarte Deva


When engaging in moments of an embrace in a strangers arms
Acceptance and unconditional love are met instantly
Like the euphoria of falling in love with a new lover
An encounter with the divine is welcomed in open arms of a stranger
With the breath, the presence,
And the openness to experience intimacy for what it is
Without a history of times past as in a deep-committed relationship
There are no triggers, no reminders of past hurts
The love of a stranger is met with openness
For no longing or hunger of a committed partner is there
One can just be,
And allow urges and awakenings to move gracefully
Across the air as a feather of a swift breath to the unknown
A stranger in the presence of the divine,
Can allow sudden passions to be awakened
Past memories or pains to be surrendered to this moment
In accepting what is, what feelings come up,
All memories or thoughts in the mind
That occurred before this moment
disappear
And everything become peaceful and beautiful once again
During these times we can forgive our present lovers
Or past lovers who we no longer share our lives with
We can just be, in love, with this new stranger
For a brief moment of time