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This is part 2 of a two-part class in which we explore what Tantra is and where it comes from. This class is a concise overview of Tantra, intended as a comprehensive introduction for anyone who is curious to know what Tantra is really all about. In this episode we trace the development of Tantra through the early period of Classical Tantra, Kashmir Shaivism, and up to today’s modern Neo Tantra. By getting an overview of this evolution, and the various influences that have shaped Tantra as we know it today, we are able to better understand what Tantra really is. References and sources for this episode can be found in the show notes on my website, TheTantricLife.com.  And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is an online Tantra dating and events community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Check it out here: YuTantra.com Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com Facebook: facebook.com/TheTantricLife Instagram: instagram.com/the_tantric_life --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

This is part 1 of a two-part class in which we explore what Tantra is and where it comes from. This class is a concise overview of Tantra, intended as a comprehensive introduction for anyone who is curious to know what Tantra is really all about. In this episode we consider definitions of the word Tantra, and present different views on what Tantra is. We also explore the early historical roots of Tantra, and draw on scholarly research to try and put together a picture of Tantra’s origins. In part 2 of this class we will learn more about the development of Tantra, and the various influences that have shaped what Tantra is today. And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is an online Tantra dating and events community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Check it out here: YuTantra.com Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com Facebook: TheTantricLife Instagram: @the_tantric_life --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

Tantra is essentially about embracing every aspect of what it means to be human. The Tantric path gives us a means of utilising the body, the feelings, the mind, and all of the subtle energies in order to awaken a deeper, more expansive awareness within us. I was originally drawn to Tantra because it offers us the possibility of bringing together spirituality and sexuality, something which I had always intuitively felt was meant to be. However, I have come to realise that so much more is involved on this path. Tantra calls upon us to fully integrate all the parts of ourselves... not only your sexual desires and urges, but also your wounds and your conditioning from the past... even those parts which we have repressed or hidden away, and which we are appalled by, disgusted by, or afraid of. Many traditional spiritual paths teach that you should disconnect from your negative parts, that you should reject them, disown them, and try to rise above and transcend all impure things within us. But Tantra understands that we cannot escape from the dark side of our nature. We cannot run away from the things we don’t like about ourselves. They are deeply embedded in our psyche, and have been with us all our life. Trying to pretend they aren’t there is like trying to run away from the shadow that is cast on the ground by the bright sun. That’s why it’s called the Shadow, because it is inseperable from you. In this episode I talk about The Shadow Self, and how it relates to Tantra and our samskaras. And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Check it out here: yutantra.com Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com Facebook: facebook.com/TheTantricLife Instagram: instagram.com/the_tantric_life --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In this podcast episode I explore one of the main causes of why some people keep attracting the same type of partner. Drawing on research in psychology, Tantra, and my own personal experience, I share a perspective that could radically change your whole experience of dating and the kinds of relationships you attract into your life. And if you’re looking to meet like-minded conscious people or make some new Tantric friendships, YuTantra is a Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. And it’s free to join! Check it out here: yutantra.com Connect with me: Website: TheTantricLife.com Facebook: facebook.com/TheTantricLife Instagram: instagram.com/the_tantric_life --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In this podcast episode I talk about how Tantric dating can help you to clear a common love block, that maybe you are too attached to your "type" when looking for a lover. With many dating apps designed to focus on that first impression of appearance, modern dating culture has become too obsessed about physical looks. And with social media training us to have an attention span of about 8 seconds, online dating has been reduced to making split-second judgements about people based on their profile photo. In the space of 60 seconds you might choose to reject 60 amazing deep beautiful people. That’s 60 potential opportunities for love, immediately discarded and closed off within a minute of your day. Tantra teaches that everyone is a unique expressing of Divine beauty. And that means that eveyone has something deeply loveable about them. But sometimes it is not immediatley apparent, or it may require certain conditions or environment to see and connect with a person’s inner beauty. In tantric dating you relax into your own divine beauty and you take the time to see the divine beauty of the other person. You stay open to possibilities. You explore different modes of connection which are not fixated on visual appearance, perhaps through fun and laughter, or through sensual touch, or through sharing moments. You keep in mind that this person who is with you right now in this moment has the potential to be your beloved. Maybe nothing will come of it, or maybe yes, who knows. But you can at least connect in love for this moment right now. YuTantra is a new Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra. And it’s free to join! Check it out here: YuTantra.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

A Tantric approach to Law of Attraction incorporates six core elements, which can be tailored and adapted to your own personal needs. In this episode I explore what are those core elements, and what makes them Tantric. YuTantra is a new Tantra dating and events online community… a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra. And it’s free to join! Check it our here: YuTantra.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In this episode I talk about how conventional dating has become a very unloving process. This has created a culture of disposable dating, where we are so accustomed to using things, then throwing them away and buying new replacements. This mindset is prevalent in the dating industry… one only needs to spend a little time on dating apps such as Tinder to see how many people are ready to drop their potential date just as quickly as they would throw away a used tissue. Tantric dating is a much more loving approach where we see everyone as expressions of the Divine, and we accept a person in their totality, including their imperfections and wounds. By taking a Tantric approach dating can be a much more enjoyable and rewarding experience. YuTantra.com is a new Tantra dating and events online community... a private and respectful space where you can find and connect with others who share an interest in Tantra. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In today’s episode of the Tantric Life Podcast I am joined for the first time by my partner, Melissa, as she interviews me about my life as a hindu monk in the monastery. For 11 years I lived as a swami with my Guru in the monastery, where we followed a disciplined way of life to cultivate a connection with God. The spiritual path which my Guru taught was closely related to Tantra. It involved channelling sexual energy through work, worship, and devotional rituals. It was through this way of life that I came to a deep understanding of the presence of the Divine in everything, in the material world, in pleasure, in our emotions and thoughts. As Tantra teaches, when we accept and embrace all aspects of our human experience, we realise that our very own essence is Divine. If this episode receives favourable feedback, we’ll continue now and then with a different tale from the monastery (in addition to the other types of episodes about Tantra), as I share some of the amazing stories and experiences that expanded my awareness and consciousness of the Divine. Feel free to get in touch with me via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTantricLife And if you'd like to find out more about Melissa's work as a Transpersonal Therapist: https://www.facebook.com/BreakthruCrisis --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

If you dig a little into the teachings of Tantra you will find references to the same secret principle which underlies the modern-day Law of Attraction. In this podcast episode I talk about how Tantra and Law of Attraction are connected, and I share some of my experiences of using Tantric-based rituals to invoke the power of dieties for helping you in life. Part of my mission is to bring what I learned from my life as a swami in the monastery and integrate it with the teachings of Tantra and Law of Attraction. I have found Tantra to be an ideal framework for spirituality and personal growth in modern society. Law of Attraction is an excellent compliment to this path, although it does require some deep exploration and clearing up some of the mis-understadings about how Law of Attraction works. And Tantric practice can be a great way to cultivate the mindset which is required for Law of Attraction to work successfully in your life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In this episode we compare the Vedantic Five Koshas with the Tantric Five-Layers of the Self. The Five Koshas describe five layers of Self, ranging from the densest part of our being, the physical body, through to the subtlest layer, the bliss-joy body, which is closest to our Divine essence. At first glance this seems almost identical to the Tantric Five-Layered view of Self, which also describes our being as composed of different layers, ranging from the densest to the subtlest. However, on closer reflection we see that there are some significant differences between these two models. Those differences have important implications for the spiritual aspirant, depending on what kind of spiritual practice and philosophical framework one chooses to work with. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

This simple couples practice is great for creating more connection and passion with your partner. It’s all too easy for a couple to lose that passion and feeling of connection over time. We can get so wrapped up and overwhelmed by our busy day-to-day schedule, with stress and work and kids and dogs, etc. And often we don’t even realise that we are neglecting our partner, and not giving our relationship the loving sustenance it needs. Tantra is a great way to switch our focus back to our relationship and our partner. Many of the practices of Tantra can be used to bring back that romance and passion that we had in the beginning of the relationship. Today I share my experience with a simple practice, taught to me by my awesome Tantra teacher Steffo Shambo. It takes no more than 20 minutes and can make an incredible difference to a stagnating relationship. Read more about today's Tantric Fun Fact on Christopher Hareesh Wallis's blog: The Principles of Reality and the Seed-Mantra of Goddess Paraa. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

Modern-day Tantra seems to be beneficial for so many aspects of our human experience, and everyone has a different, very personal, reason for practicing Tantra. But what actually is the goal of Tantra? In this episode I explore different perspectives, comparing Neo Tantra and Classical Tantra, to try and identify what is the goal of Tantra. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

As we continue in this series of Semen Retention 101, I talk about why should any man want to practice semen retention? In other words what are the benefits? Drawing from my own personal experience in addition to research, I describe how semen retention, practiced in a healthy, Tantric way, gives you almost superhuman powers of confidence, vitality, focus, success, and abundance… to name just a few of the benefits. This awesome article (by my Tantric teacher and mentor Steffo Shambo) goes in to great detail about semen retention practiced in Tantric way, and includes to scientific references relating to health benefits... The Power of Semen Retention - Debunking the Prostate Cancer Myth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In today’s episode we explore how Tantra shows up in the Runes of the early Vikings and Old Norse traditions. The beauty of Tantra is that its perspective can be used to help in understanding other spiritual traditions. Today we’re looking specifically at the Thurisaz rune. This powerful rune represents the focused and directed energy that can be summoned as a result of the polarity between the spiritual realms and the dark side of human nature. This rune reminds us that when we are stuck in a dark, unconscious, stagnating state, we can cry out to the opposite polarity of the Divine presence within us, and use that passion to rise up stronger than ever. This rune is all about polarity, and so too is Tantra. Tantra teaches us to cultivate polarity in different arenas of life, to embrace both the light and the darkness of human experience, and in so doing we become more integrated and more powerful. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

In today’s episode I talk about how emotions are an integral part of Tantra. It’s easy to forget that we also have an emotional body, which needs just as much self-care as our physical body. Tantric Yoga teaches that the emotional body, Chitta or Heart-Mind, digests emotions and experiences, in much the same way that the physical body digests food. The problem is that most of us receive zero education or training about how to deal with our emotions in childhood, or even in adulthood. So much of our emotional experiences remain undigested, in the form of what are known in Sanskrit as “samskaras”. These samskaras are past wounds or traumas, and also our conditioned beliefs that are associated with those experiences, that remain unresolved and hang around in our emotional body, draining our energy and life-force. By giving yourself the the time and space to sit with and feel your emotions, you allow them to digest in your emotional body, in a natural and healthy way. And when we are accustomed to being connected with ourself in this way, the other people in our life will feel more connected with us, resulting in better relationships. Here you can find the RAIN guided meditation and other Mindfulness teachings from Tara Brach: TaraBrach.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

Continuing in this series about semen-retention 101, today I talk about how the Heart Chakra is one of the Tantric keys to successfully maintaining your non-ejaculation practice, even when you are having hot sex with your partner! I also share a version of the Adi Mantra I recorded which can help to activate the Heart Chakra. This week's Tantric Fun Fact is about the numerous chakra systems that were originally in use from the early Tantric texts. For a more comprehensive discussion on this, check out the excellent article written By Christopher Wallis (Hareesh): The Real Story on the Chakras. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

Today I talk about the importance of self-pleasuring for healthy semen retention practice. Semen retention is a really wonderful practice that has amazing effects... more pleasure, longer-lasting sex, extended periods of sexual ecstasy, as well as more energy and focus for other areas of your life, and more fulfilment in general. But it's very important to know what you are doing when starting out on the path of semen-retention. There's a healthy way and an unhealthy way to do this. Make sure you do your research and are well-prepared to practice non-ejaculation correctly in a way that benefits you. For a very comprehensive guide to semen retention check out this great article by Steffo Shambo: The Power of Semen Retention - Debunking the Prostate Cancer Myth --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

I have spent the last two months in an intensive tantric coaching program called The Tantric Man Experience, studying and learning with Tantra Yoga teacher, Steffo Shambo, about what it means to truly be a Tantric man. Becoming a Tantric man is so much more than what I had thought previously. In this episode I share some of my insights and experiences on this journey. I talk about how the path to becoming a Tantric man (or woman) will take you to new dizzying heights of living your full potential at a level you never imagined you could achieve. Steffo Shambo | Male Masculinity and Tantra Coach | TantricAcademy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

During this Covid 19 crisis many couples are being strained by the lockdown. Being stuck together for days on end puts pressure on a relationship. Today we explore some tips for how to bring more joy and fulfilment into a relationship. From a Tantric perspective, a healthy, vibrant, joyful and juicy relationship is based having your needs met and also on polarity. It is this polarity of masculine and feminine energies which makes a relationship exciting, interesting, and fulfilling. Creating that polarity means being in your confidence as a man or woman. Tantra provides us with some great tools and mindset to help you find that balance between your need for connection with your partner and your need for freedom/independence. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message

Classical Tantra gives us a beautiful and practical description of the nature of God, referred to in tantric texts as the Five Powers of God. These five characteristics describe how the Divine flows from formless consciousness into dynamic manifestation. We, as humans, can embody and apply these divine characteristics in our everyday life. From the bliss of our inner Divine connection arises the impulse to create something unique. When we create something unique, no matter how small, we are fulfilling our innate purpose to express and manifest a small part of God in this world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-mcconochie/message