The Courage To Heal

It takes a lot of courage to look at oneself; to be vulnerable, willing to express your fears, sadness, pain or struggles. Most people would rather keep their fears to themselves, and put on the image of looking good, doing great, and feeling fine, when inside the truth is they are not fine and their desire to look good and be doing great to others is only what's covering up how they are really feeling.

When issues come up in the moment, the most powerful way to get past them is to go through them, not over them, under them or pulling away from them. The best way to overcome something is to dive straight through it.

When anger arises, be with it. Experience your full self as the anger and live into the anger, nurture the anger, caress the anger and allow it to come out of you. Many people who have a lot of anger inside them try to control it and then all of a sudden it bursts out like a canon ball and explodes all over the place. Some people drink or exercise to get rid of the emotion, but it is still there underneath and always will be until it is dealt with, and faced head on.

The best way to be with the anger, is to let it out - - punching pillows, screaming into pillows, doing breathwork that lets the rage/anger/whatever emotion it is come out. Looking at yourself in the mirror and screaming to get it out, punching with fists to express your emotion and stand your ground that this is how you feel and you know it is true for you, no matter what anyone else thinks, and you honor that feeling, be with it, express it, without putting it on anyone else. Then you can be free of it, and it won't affect any of your relationships.

When sadness arises, the best way to heal the sadness is to let the sadness know it is just as important as any other emotion. It has a purpose and reason for being there and it will teach you and help you grow. When healing sadness, love the sadness, nurture it, spend time with it, journaling, doing breathwork, talking about it, sitting in front of the mirror and practicing eye gazing with yourself and breathing into your heart, going for walks in nature, getting a massage/ energy healing/ acupressure or acupuncture session, taking flower essences, and breathing into the sadness, being with it and loving it. It will eventually move through you and you will come back to your integrated full self. And, in the process be able to help others who are going through similar pains.

Sometimes when healing yourself, it is important to take time to be alone. And, sometimes it is also important to have people you can talk to.

Healing in healthy ways, no matter what the issue or feeling you are dealing with, is the most effective and productive way to grow!

Back On Track

I have been immersed in a serious family emergency the past two weeks. My brother has been diagnosed with something very serious and I took on taking action to help him and to get the support he really needs. It took all of my focus and energy; while having very little time to myself, being in an intensive program and having a young child to care for.

My brother has left this morning back to CA and now has all the connections to help take care of him while he is there. While he was here I spent the majority of my time on the phone interviewing and consulting with professionals for his situation. I got myself so pro-active in the situation that I had lost myself in it. I became fearful for his health and well being so much that I forgot to take care of myself.

Now I am coming back to myself, but am still grieving and feeling sadness over his diagnosis, receiving support to come to acceptance in this and in the process am now taking on sessions again!

Thank you and Namaste,

Asttarte
(this is a photo of us 4 years ago)

Intimacy Alignment

Communication To Create The Intimacy You Really Want!!!

Many people don't realize how powerful communication affects your intimate life. Many take their relationships for granted and expect them to always be the same, doing what they have always been doing. Many don't understand the significance that your words create your reality. Every single word that comes out of your mouth, or that stays quiet, has an impact on the people in your life and the reality you live in. People expect to go walking around life doing what they have always been doing, and expecting to get different results.

All that is necessary in creating the love life of your dreams, is instead of making yourself and your needs a priority, is in making your partner know that they truly matter.

It takes authenticity, integrity, honesty, and being real with your partner, where in the past you have been lying, keeping secrets, putting you first, blaming and making wrong, having expectations, withholding, criticizing, and being defensive. In other words, taking responsibility where you have been irresponsible is all that is necessary in cleaning up your communication and creating the intimacy you truly long for.

If you have been coming home late from work everyday, putting your personal life first, your needs first all the time, not listening to what is important to your partner, and getting mad and defensive at them for being upset about it, you can't expect them to feel loved by you and want to be intimate with you later after all is done and the end of the night is near. Can you? Think about it. You are in a one person relationship when you are doing this, and then expecting your partner to want to have sex with you at the end of the day. It's actually ridiculous if you think about it. All people need validation for how they feel, they want to know that their feelings matter, they want to feel accepted, loved and supported in every way and they want to be made important by you, a priority. However, if sex or any of your other needs is all that matters to you, what your left with is a one hand show.

Learning how to touch your partner, having the most wonderful tantra techniques to give her (or him) the pleasure they want is only beneficial when you have the closeness in their heart, and they are truly open to being with you this way. It is easy to have great sex and beautiful intimacy in the beginning of your relationship, but try taking on being responsible for your actions and your words, and you might just fall in love again. Tantra practices are nothing without the closeness, respect, safety and honesty of your heart. Your relationship is only half of what it can be without true integrity!

Re-directing Your Marriage; Finding Your Lost Commitment

Most of us go along with our lives, doing a job, having a home, and living the mundane life of this conservative world; often forgetting what is most important to you.

Issues and triggers come up in marriage/relationships, and what many do to deal with them is find an escape; a place to go and something to distract them from what is really upsetting them in their hearts. Many think that it is not possible to get to the bottom of their relationship struggles, and in a majority of cases, the partner, significant other, husband and even the wife, will look for an escape route to their biggest pains. There are few brave souls who are willing to do the deeper work, but more often than not, couples feel distant, frustrated, hurt and alone.

How do you find your love again that is hidden inside your heart? You find it by taking responsibility for your actions, your behaviors, your ways of being and being authentically honest with what you are truly feeling; the pain that has turned into resentment, the anger that has turned into rage, and the sadness that has turned into despair. When you can come to the truth of who you are, speak this truth and communicate it verbally or through written letter, a new peace can replace the darkness that you are carrying around with you.

Many come to me looking for an escape, and yes, I can certainly offer you an escape, however, the goal is not to maintain an escape and continue looking for ways of running away, but instead running towards that which you are most fearful of; your own feelings, your own emotions and your hidden self inside your heart. When you can find the truth within you, and be truly authentic about how you've been behaving towards yourself and towards the ones you really love, your true love for your loved ones will return to you, and in your love returning to you, you get to be a different way with those in your lives, and in your being a person who authentically shows love, forgiveness, acceptance and peace towards those you care about the most, they then will give you in return, what you have deeply longed for all along.

My wish for you, is that you learn to be authentic to your own behaviors, take responsibility and allow a new vulnerability with yourself and your loved ones to awaken, and in this awakening, you get everything you ever dreamed of.

Boundaries in Intimacy

As a woman, a Goddess & a Practitioner, I have many distinctions between how I represent myself in my work and how I am for others. I am not here as a replacement for your girlfriend or wife, but I am here to offer Healing, Support and awareness to your own journey.

There have been many moments where I have been in session with clients, and I have had to move the clients arm, or tell them directly, it is not appropriate to touch me in my sacred areas, nor even try to kiss me and that it is not acceptable. There may be other Goddesses who play the role of escort, submissive, or surrogate, but this is not my profession and not something I choose.

I am here as a Goddess Healer, one who helps transform areas of your life that are not working for you, and targets the specific blocks that are keeping you from fully experiencing and enjoying your own body and your ability to receive and give love to others in your life. This is my specialty. I am like Kali Ma, and am here not for you to take on as a lover, but to learn and grow with and transcend, over time, the darkness within yourself that is keeping you from your own pleasure, joy and experience of love.

Boundaries in Intimacy are just what the words speak; if you have a desire, it must be spoken of openly and communicated before any action is taken, and if desires or needs change, then it is imperative to speak again when the new intention arises.

You must always ask permission before taking an action with your Goddess, wife, girlfriend or Beloved, otherwise, it can feel like violation, force, an expectation and in some cases sexually abusive. Women are very sensitive to their bodies, and if no words are spoken before an intimate encounter about the intentions of the engagement, there is no sacredness and there is no trust. And at the other end, when you do ask permission, make a request and set a clear intention of your full desires, needs and how you want to create the encounter, full trust, openness, love and intimacy has the opportunity to be built.

Women are not to be taken advantage of, but to be loved, honored, respected and adored. And, not one woman is an exception.

Unfolding Pleasure

What does it mean when you read the words "Unfolding Pleasure?"

Unfolding Pleasure is about the unlimited ability to unravel and peel the layers of our-self to reveal and awaken the joy, the bliss, the love, the harmony and the pleasure underneath. Our bodies are capable of continuing to release the blocks that we carry around ourselves. And just as our bodies can release these layers, so can our minds, our thoughts, our thinking process, our emotions, our hearts and our entire energy system. When all these parts of our-selves are cleared and released of the darkness held within them, we can then unfold the tight vessel and cocoon that we live in and awaken the butterfly of our true essence.

Unfolding Pleasure is an ever unfolding to our natural abilities, our pure innocence and our innate talents and joys as a human being. If everyone could feel pleasure all the time and be in a state of bliss and joy in every moment, then no work would need to be done and we would almost be walking as if we were a state of an angel that had already transcended. Everyone on the planet has layers to unravel, otherwise, we would not be here.

I welcome you to unfold your layers and be awakened to the bliss that is hidden deep within!

May you always know that your ability to be vulnerable and present to what you are dealing with in the moment, is the exact thing that will give you access to your own power and joy of living!

Namaste,
Asttarte

New Posts Coming Soon!

Communicating With Love; Creating Intimacy With Your Words

Life Enhancement Love Enhancement

Tantra Is Life; The Misconception of the "word" Tantra

Yet Another Breakthrough - Transformation with Love

I am feeling deeply blessed, honored and rewarded today for all the hard work I have been doing to get to this point. As we take responsibility of our actions, and our ways of being, new things can blossom, and in this moment something new has blossomed.

I am in the ILP Program, in other words, Introduction to Leadership Program; which truly is a program that launches one into full blown mastery of their own leadership - nothing light of the subject in the least. It is not like becoming a Leader of a certain craft or a skill, but instead it is a leadership of oneself, a full integration of the entire way one has been their entire life, by facing all that has been keeping you from living as a victim, in denial, and been an observer in life, instead of a mover, a shaker, an initiator and activator of your own dreams, desires and intentions.

In this moment, I am grateful for one thing in particular, but actually for many things. From this work, my relationship with my family and my mom in particular is dynamite; I don't ever remember being as close and connected as we are now. The second thing, I am moving into Leadership as a practitioner in a way I never knew was possible before. I am a stand for all people who come to me to truly get what they need, be inspired, feel loved, supported, nurtured and empowered as a human being. It is not just that I do Spiritual Healing and Coaching for you, but that what I do is help awaken blocked energies and truly open yourself to feel consciousness in areas in the body that were never awake before; be that emotionally, spiritually or physically, from anywhere to anything you can think of!

The third breakthrough I am truly Blessed most of all, is that through this program, I took a stand to be a powerful mom, and in taking this stand a breakthrough has happened with my child's father. What I realized is that I was being a Tiger Lady, righteous in my way of being with him; of course I am the loving gentle Healer with everyone else, but when it came to the person I was the closest to, I was really making him wrong. What I realized is that I was deeply angry for him not committing to me, and in realizing that it was him that I truly wanted, I got that there was no way that he could trust me when all I have been doing is not accepting him. And in now accepting him, he gets to start to build a trust, and a foundation can be built where the commitment I have deeply desired can become manifest in our reality. It will take steps, and continued active supportive communication, but the groundwork has been laid and the seed has been built. For this I am truly grateful!

I am excited that my son is now in school and presently I am available Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00am until 5:30pm and on Saturday mornings from 8:30am until 11:30am. In the month of June, my schedule will be changing. I make the announcement when it is confirmed.

With Love, Namaste & Blessings!

Visioning The Future

In the past I spoke of starting a Healing Temple and having it be a space for classes, events, gatherings and private sessions, but as I am moving more my true hearts desire for the future, my vision is much larger than this.

What I see is a Healing Temple, Institute & a Community Living center all in one. I envision a large mansion size home separated into parts. The main area of the bottom floor for classes, events, & gatherings. The back of the bottom floor having built an addition with several rooms for private healing sessions. The top floor for community living space for men, women, children, couples and families. or a large area of land with many small buildings contained in a

Purifying the Body

The journey to cleansing and purifying oneself is not an easy task, but so worth it.

When I was in high school, I was an avid athlete. I was on the track team every fall, the swim team every winter, the tennis team every spring and had three young brothers to play the role of tom boy with. I also joined the ski team for fun with my high school and our rival school in the same town every year. I rode a mountain bike, played basketball in the driveway, kicked the soccer ball around, threw the football with my brothers, played ping pong with my mom; who was on the team in college herself, and even tried out for field hockey. I loved sports and kept myself very busy as a young woman.

In my early twenties, I discovered I had multiple cavities one after the next. My teeth had lost their protective coating and I had to go to the dentist to get fillings put in. I did not know anything about the content of the fillings; all I knew is that I needed them.

I discovered soon after, my body went into shock and I had muscle knots everywhere and had a hard time walking. I needed pain relievers but had refused to take them. I lived in the bath tub, and with persistence and struggle found myself going to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, the hot tub, steam room & sauna. After about 4 years of committing myself to the natural alternatives to pain, I found myself going to school for Acupressure and Massage. The pain is what lead me on the path. The pain lead me to transform myself inside and out.

About 10 years on this journey later, I discovered what the side effects are of amalgom/mercury heavy metal fillings can do to the body. My heart sank. I cried for tears of joy. A conclusion to a struggle I never knew existed.

I have had 2 fillings taken out and replaced with a healthier alternative so far. The 2nd one I had replaced only one week ago. My body has been a little tired going through a detox, but already I notice a difference. I can carry my son from the car to inside, and I haven't felt the throbbing pain that usually causes me to put him down in a hurry. I can jump into warrior pose without feeling the need to breathe through the pain. A couple days ago, my son ran to me in a sprint, and I picked him up over my head and spun him around, about 4 times in a row. I felt no discomfort. I did, however, feel a little tired. From these small examples, I am super excited, as I know only progress will continue. Soon I'll be doing forward flips off a diving board and on a mat. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I used to be a gymnast. This was one of my favorite things to do. Other benefits of this will be that I'll be able to give much longer and deeper massages, and most likely more often! Only time will tell, but the patience to get where I am now has been well worth it!

Blessings to life!

New Philadelphia Meetup Group

Check out the new meetup group for Philadelphia: Temple of Love Philadelphia!
You will find this same description at the site. Feel free to join if you want to be a part of and notified of groups, gatherings and events!

Temple of Love Philadelphia

The next Gathering will be on Thursday evening, March 25th!

http://asttartedeva.com/#/temple-of-love-meetup/4548238794

I started this group to bring together those on the path who want to go deeper, those new to find a place to learn, and those eager for community to have a place to feel love, experience healing and be nurtured in bliss!
The purpose of the group is to help the city of Philadelphia open their hearts, their minds and nurture their soul!
People who are desiring a deeper meaning in life, a feeling of connection and a system of support should join.
Philadelphia has been untapped. There are many places around the world offering Tantra and Philadelphia has been left behind. I have been trained by mentors, gurus and teachers all throughout the world for over 14 years, but my home base is here in Philadelphia. It is time for me to share my rich knowledge of healing and love.
We will explore basic practices of healing up to extremely advanced practices of healing. Each Meetup we will cover something different. Some examples are: Reiki Shares, Reiki Initiation classes, Self Healing Practices, Empowerment For Women, Yin Yoga for Beginners, Yin Yoga for women & Mothers, Massage Gathering, Tantra Study Group, Emotional & Stress Release Techniques, Ascension Meditation Gathering (Raising Your Vibration Gathering), Kundalini Awakening Meditation, Spiritual Play Group (for parents and children), Tantra Dance & more!

You may find my personal website at www.AwakenToLiving.com and the Philadelphia Temple Practitioner site at www.TempleOfLove.info

See also my Hugging Power Classes at www.HuggingPower.com

& http://asttartedeva.com/#/temple-of-love-meetup/4548238794

All events will also be posted at http://eastcoasttantra.ning.com/ but if you want to stay in touch and be sure to get the updates you need, joining my email list on the main page of the blog under Email signup! 


Much Much Love to you!
Asttarte

Hugging Power Class went amazing!!!

“ This was a fantastic event! Everyone communicated with me about getting there. Bill and I picked everyone up
due to the snow on his street & communication was excellent and
they were all at the location waiting for us. When we arrived together,
everyone helped with setting up the blankets, & moving things
around to make space in the room.

We all joined together in love, harmony & powerful intentions. We
welcomed ourselves in a circle, and spoke of our intentions, what we were working on in ourselves presently and what we wanted to get out of the group.

We did an amazing energy orgasm meditation & moved into grounding our energies, and then talked about the experience afterwards and what everyone got out of it.
The meditation itself would have sufficed for everyone's satisfaction, but then we moved into
a circle again to do eye gazing and connection with everyone in the
room, and again spoke about the experience when we were complete.

Then I guided everyone to partner up with each person in the room to do a healing embraced hug for healing and
everyone got a chance to give each other a hug. Women to women, women
to men, & men to men. It was a powerful experience for the men in
hugging their brothers and feeling a spiritual non-sexual connection with other men
& being nurtured by the women, & for
women to give and receive. It was awesome! ”

My intention is to have more women at the event next time and for the group to be more balanced. It's time to find some open minded women and help women let down their guards!

See meetup group expanded from:
http://www.meetup.com/Temple-Of-Love-Philadelphia/

Classes and meetups will also be announced regularly at:
http://eastcoasttantra.ning.com/

Namaste,

Asttarte

Creating Sacred Space

As a mom living alone with my son, running my practice alone and working 3 days a week, it is my intention to have a sacred space to offer the sessions I love with a vision of beauty, clarity and cleanliness. It was my intention, as a new years resolution, to find an assistant, and to support me in starting my tantra temple & a vision of a home that reflects a healing space.

I have moved all of my child's toys, books and items into his own room and made room for the living room that is in view when people enter my space to be cleanly. I have moved the boxes of paperwork that were on the floor and made it appear to be a mess, to a place that is hidden from view. I also moved a leather chair that was in my child's room to the living room which now makes it feel more cozy and comfortable to relax in for friends and company.

Everything that was in the hallway is now gone except for a couple bags I intend to give to someone in need. In the process of turning my child's room from a baby's room to a little boy's room, I will be removing the crib, high chair and changing table and bringing in a bunk bed, a small table to the floor for playing and eating and a toy box. I am turning a small room that had little use except for storage and changing into something that will make my whole place a lot nicer and more of a joy for my little guy to indulge in.

Blessings to being in order and having a life of comfort!

Asttarte

Hugging Power Class

The Power of the Breath & The Value of Hugging class is a gentle class for those who wish to have a hands on experience that is safe and fun. This class will offer you a new way of learning the art of healing and can create connection to the divine and to those in your lives.
Hugging Power Class is like a Yoga class, but instead of asanas it is tantra yoga practices of eye gazing, breathing practices, energy movement with awareness and the breath and slow connection of hugging from selecting someone in the room with your eyes. It will be an opportunity to heal and break down barriers that keep people distant and letting down walls of intimacy; for the present moment and the future.

We will talk about present concerns, issues, needs or boundaries and then move into the class. You may also choose to be an observer and witness the class before choosing to participate.

It will be an hour and 1/2 or 2 of this and then people are welcome, if they choose, to move into hugging and cuddling on the floor. I will start out with a gentle meditation, a chakra opening meditation, a kundalini raising meditation, or a sexual chakra meditation. It depends on the audience and their energy and experience. You will never have to do anything you don't want to. And saying "No" is not a crime. 1 1/2 to 2 hour basic class - $20.00 donation or what you can.
1st class is free, unless you choose to donate!

The class is scheduled for Friday night, Feb. 19th from 7:30 until we're done!
Feel free to RSVP at the meetup group or East Coast Tantra below!

All classes are done in a group setting with an average of 10 to 20 people.

Hugs are safe and create connection and healing
in a way never taught before.

See also www.HuggingPower.com

http://www.meetup.com/Temple-Of-Love-Philadelphia/calendar/12464903/

http://eastcoasttantra.ning.com/events/hugging-power-class

The Yin & Yang of Energy

Balancing energies of our own energy body vehicle; our inner selves with our outer selves is what will ultimately allow others to achieve the state of ecstatic bliss one often reads about.

Our inner selves is our mind, our thoughts and our emotions, as well as the energy within our bodies. This includes the energy in our muscle tissues, our fibers, our meridian channels, our spinal column, our organs and most importantly the chakras up and down our bodies. The Tantra Kundalini Awakening Breathwork practice or practices can allow some of this energy to be opened, but it is also important to do personal psychotherapy on oneself, as well as chakra meditations, energy healing and any modalities to release the energy within the body.

As the energy within is opened, purified and cleansed the wave of bliss can flow more easily up and down your energy channel, as well as in and out of your pores, your breath and your chakras.

Our outer selves; the energy around the body, the auric field, the energy body or whatever you wish to call it also needs to be purified. As the energy outside your physical body is cleansed it allows you to feel more of your sensations on your physical body. The chakras reside within the body and outside the body, so it is important to clear the entire chakra; not just inside, but also outside, and intend, visualize and imagine it pure. As you see areas of darkness, ask for it to be released, ans visualize the beautiful color of that chakra radiating its beauty.

As your entire energy field around your body is cleared, there becomes a synchronistic flow of energy that waves from within your body to the outside, and from the top of your body to the bottom. In and out, up and down, and flows all around. As this energy is clear, all possibilities and energy flowing can be achieved, and this then is the state we all wish to feel, experience and aliven. It allows a deep feeling of ecstasy and bliss that most only read about and few have the privilege of achieving.

This is what I teach. This is what I offer. I offer you balance; from within to without and the flow of energy you carry to be cleared, purified and then awakened to the state of pure utter energetic ecstasy! This is my gift to you!

Unveiling the Eyes

Philadelphia is filled with people who are armored, on the defense, ready to attack or always in fear that they themselves will be. Out of everywhere in the world, where we reside, in Philadelphia, is known to be the most angry, hostile and scared human beings. The theme is success, wealth and looking good. Most are open to yoga and know of it, as it is a practice that many think is strictly about toning the body and getting in shape. However, there are other levels to yoga that are not as known. Yoga offers healing that can open the heart at a level no other physical exercise can offer.

When people cross by each other on the street, there are very few who will take the time to look into your eyes; even fewer smile out of courtesy to be polite. It is a rare occasion that someone driving will wait for you as you pull your car out of a spot or slowly get into your spot while you attempt to parallel park. Many are impatient, rude, always rushing, in a hurry to get to x, y, and z; often not even knowing why they are in such a hurry.

In the practice of eye gazing, there is a window of opportunity that allows you to be met with love, creating intimacy with another just for the pure innocence of loving. Like the affection from a mother caressing her baby with love as she gazes at her child; that feeling of being in love with your baby that a parent often feels is the same unconditional love that can be created through eye gazing.

As you look into anothers eyes, and are met with the same persistent gaze of commitment as the person looking at you, the wall of defense, the armor that our eyes can sometimes live in, is given an opportunity to melt away. The eyes are the window to the soul, and I like to view them as an extension of the heart. As you sit in the eye gazing meditation with another, the tears of armor has a chance to be revealed, released and dropped away. Literally tears can sometimes arrive; not as a sign of weakness that you have sadness, but rather, a courage that you are willing to be seen and hold presence for or from another, and the tears symbolize that armoring falling away. As the armor falls away, from our eyes/from our hearts, a deeper connection of intimacy has a chance to be created; a feeling of safety, of love, of beauty, of pure connection to another. Only through being vulnerable and allowing oneself to be seen, be met, be grounded in anchoring your heart to the earth with the connection to another is the opportunity for deep connection of intimacy allowed to be manifest.

So love, let your love in, let others love you, and open yourself to allowing the truth of your heart to give to others in love. There is no greater gift on this planet than love. It is what everyone desires!

All my Love,

Asttarte

Session Preparation

***What to do before a Session!!!***

There are several things you can do to prepare yourself before a session.


First there is preparing the mind:

You could start with educating yourself on several subjects.




















The Mastery of Love, by; Don Miguel Ruiz
The Awakening of Kundalini, by: Gopi Krishna
Tantra; the Art of Conscious Loving, by: Charles & Caroline Muir
Jewel in the Lotus; The Sexual Path to Higher Consciousness, by: Sunyata Saraswati & Bodhi Avinasha


Second there is preparing the body:

• You could go and get a regular massage at a salon or any practitioner of your choice. (or you could get an extended session with me and choose any massage techniques I offer at http://asttartedeva.com/#/massage-therapy/4551711308)

• Take a yoga class; any you are drawn to, vinyasa yoga, ashthanga yoga, bikram yoga, yin yoga, hatha yoga, kripalu yoga, iyengar yoga, power yoga, classic yoga, any yoga for beginners, athletes, or anything that inspires you. (I am also happy to offer you a private 1 hr yoga class before our session)

• Take a tantra workshop in NY, NJ or join the beginnings of the tantra community here in Philadelphia for training you into the practices of tantra. These will be announced and are by invitation only. (check out my friends at templeoflove.info. Pamela is only in Frenchtown, NJ and Anita is offering classes in NJ or here in philly with me.)

• Receive a breathwork session in rebirthing with Irene at returntocenter.net, the Philadelphia Rebirthing Center or a referral through Dhyana-Yoga.com, yogaonmain.com or several others I know. You are welcome to ask me.
• See also the links page at my temple site templeoflove.info

And, third there is preparing the spirit:

• A regular routine of a meditation on the breath, the chakras, the energy field or cleansing the mind or spirit would be an excellent practice to do before a session. I will add a post on a chakra meditation to this blog or my main site (I may choose to make my AwakenToLiving blog a 10 page site, instead of 5 and add this post plus expand it as a separate page on my site since it is very needed in Philadelphia. Many dive into tantra without knowing how to prepare or knowing that it is necessary to have a full experience). Any of the practices here will also prepare you.

You are also welcome to join my huggingpower.com classes as they are now in the birthing process and will continue getting stronger throughout the year. Locations will be announced soon.

Expansion and Contraction

A true Tantrica's Journey

If you are truly on the path of tantra, you will not find it an easy journey. It is actually the most challenging, difficult and psychologically draining journey you could ever possibly travel on. You go from the absolute extreme emotions of utter bliss, ecstasy, full body whales of sighing passion to the deepest and most dark places of sadness, gloom, misery, depression, releasing whatever and wherever emotions that have been pulled up from the deepest core inside of yourself.

It took me 5 years of being on this Tantra Path to put words to this journey, but a warning or perhaps a reminder, that this is, if you choose to truly embark on the depth of what tantra offers you, the most challenging journey you could travel.

(Meaning if you truly do the tantra practices exactly as they are meant to be done. There are milder versions of them if you are not ready, which I teach as well, but being a Goddess and Tantra Practitioner, I don't play small. I dive in and do them exactly as they are meant to be done. Yes, I used to have that old sticker on my car as a teenager and young 20s girl NO FEAR! Well, you literally have to have No Fear when you dive into Tantra, because diving into tantra IS like diving into the deep end of a pool, your own pool that is of your own self; the shadow self of the unconscious mind.)

I was in this blissful place over the summer. I was feeling really good, excited about life, making goals and starting to work on them (i.e. one of them was to start a Tantra Community here in Philadelphia with a huge list of details to go underneath it to make it happen). I was in the SELP course through Landmark Education. I was doing my private sessions to the best of my ability with a 3 day a week schedule from taking care of my toddler half the week. I was pretty much high on life. And, then, all of a sudden, I made a drastic decision. I decided to go to my semi-annual Tantra Community event with my tantra family. We met in NY in the middle of nowhere, 2 hours west of the city, at this bed and breakfast place. There was about 35 or 40 people total at this event. It was pretty cold, and few wanted to drive (I was one of maybe 4 or five people who drove), and the rest took a shuttle bus from NY city. Some flew in from out West; actually most flew in from AZ, CA, and other places in the US. But this is my tantra family, or what I consider my tantra family, and I wanted to be with them.

The cat that threw my reality off kilter was my beloved, amazing that is, Tantra Teacher & Practitioner, Lawrence Lanoff. This guy is the most evolved man I have met on this planet. Talk about wisdom and transformation. If you want to change anything in your life, and throw yourself into a gutter of darkness to face whatever patterns have kept you from avoiding the reason why you are miserable or frustrated in your current situation; this guy will throw you off your rocker and turn your whole world around. That's what he did for me; in the mildest of expressions!!!! I did a breathwork exercise with him in NY, this past Oct. And, every time I go to a Conference, he leads a new breathwork exercise I learn at the conference, usually in Sedona, AZ in the spring and somewhere on the East Coast in the fall. And, he blows my mind; literally. Now, what's good is that I can take these teachings and then turn them over and teach them all to you, which I have done over the years, but this time, his teaching, and my taking it on, threw me in a whirlwind, of the deepest depression I have ever been in my life. I went into my own darkness. It's the core of the pit of your own armoring that is carrying your body frame in its particular way of holding patterns, the way you walk, your mannerisms, the way you stand and hold your posture, the way your head turns on a certain angle and how you look at the world and how the world then looks at you. ALL OF THIS, LET ME TELL YOU COMPLETELY CHANGES FROM WORKING WITH THIS MAN!!!

I then did my powerful Tantra Breathwork, which I call Tantra Psychotherapy, practices of Tantra I learned from Laurie Handlers, years ago, to release all of the deep emotions that came up from Lawrence Lanoff's powerful tantra breathwork exercise. Now, each of the breathing exercises are COMPLETELY different, and they all do completely different things!!! How do you compute that? Well, if you really tried it, you would know what I'm talking about!!! So, I used Laurie's Butterfly Workshops Tantra exercises to release what came up (rage, sadness, depression, sorrow, misery, confusion, paranoia, etc), which took about 2 months of doing all these practices religiously and then 3 days ago did Lawrence Lanoff's powerful breathing practice again, and WHAMMMM, would you know, I am feeling wildly passionate, energetic and open as ever again. Like the tiger prowess coming back to life. This Tantra path makes you think you have some serious emotional issues, but in actuality, what it does it remove those serious emotional feelings that cause you to live in a rut and unhappy with your life. They appear to be even more powerful than Psychotherapy itself, but I will not negate psychotherapy at all; however, the combination is mind blowing, and if your heart is closed, you are living in fear, have some scars from abuse, or frustrated in a relationship, and you take tantra to heart, and truly use the practices to help you, it will not only help you. It will liberate your entire body, and your entire soul!

God Bless You, and I hope for you that you do the practices to empower yourself, but be sure to have a practitioner by your side, at the phone, or contact in any way you can for support while your life shows up in your face and makes you look at yourself at what you have been covering for years. You can heal your whole life with Tantra. I am living proof of that!

I am now back, alive, open, awake in my heart, body and soul! And, it feels damn good to be here!

Happy Holidays!