Tantra?

A few thoughts on a word that is about something different than is often assumed …

Eylin recounts:

Experience has shown that the word „tantra“, which appears in a few places on this website, often leads to false conclusions. For a better understanding, here is an attempt to explain the term „tantra“ as we understand it. In the West tantra is often understood as a sexual teaching and in some people it triggers obscure ideas about sexual positions, exercises to hold back orgasm and the like. However, what has been sold as tantra in the West over the last 50 years essentially has nothing to do with tantra, but is a summary of statements from the Kamasutra. Since the basic attitude in tantra excludes nothing, the mystery of sexuality is also part of it.

In its concern to experience reality fully, tantra also includes feelings, emotions and sexuality. Tantra is not about believing something in order to find comfort. Rather, it encourages you to try things out and experience them for yourself. The path does not lie in imitating a guideline, but in the present awareness of what is. One of the possible translations of the word tantra is: „fabric“ or „net“. It could therefore be said that it is about the connection or interaction of all being. The tantric understands all of life as divine. Therefore, no distinction is made between good and bad.

Everything is part of the whole and wants to be experienced. Tantra is an undogmatic invitation to dare to experience everything impartially. My first astrology teacher, who was a great tantric, writes in his book: „The tantric explores reality… and like a free spirit, he dives into the world to explore it and ultimately realizes that there is no separation anywhere, that there is no lack and that what is sought has already been found, in other words was never lost.“ (Ulrich Hennigs: Paratrisika – The highest deity of the three)

Matthias continues:

Anyone who does a little research into my CV will find that accompanying people individually in the development of their personality, has taken up a lot of space in my life for several decades. Recognizing our own conditioning, which determines us without us being aware of it, is a central factor on the path to leading a self-determined life. This path of realization never ends and surprises me again and again when a mechanism that works unconsciously in me suddenly enters the realm of my understanding.

Accompanying people in the exploration of their own sexuality has been a central field of work and research for me over the past 25 years. This was preceded by a profound exploration of my own sexuality and the discovery of what I had forbidden myself for many years of my life. Either because it contradicted unconscious beliefs or because I lacked the space in which I could explore this area that belonged to me without taboos. The consequence of this work with myself was to offer others the same space in which they can make their own experiences. And I still do that today. Because there are few opportunities in our society to explore oneself as a sexual being without being put under pressure to perform. With this in mind, I always put the sexual aspects of life in the place they need, both in my work and my everyday life.

When I use the term „tantra“, I am always thinking about the big picture, about a life of richness and abundance. The project here on El Hierro is deeply tantric in this sense. We mention several times that you can enter the field of possibilities on our finca. And this includes everything that defines you. Only you know what is in store for you when you come here. And life still has many gifts in store for you. For me, the book by Ulrich Hennigs quoted by Eylin above is one of the best literary works for approaching tantra through our thinking. I can therefore warmly recommend reading it. However, Tantra can only be discovered through individual experience. We are happy to support you in this within the scope of our possibilities.