 TANTRA |
 More articles! |
|
Sex
and Love as Art Sex and love. What does it look like when they come together consciously? What beautiful changes can it bring to the man or woman who gives themselves this sacred gift of conscious loving? Charles and Caroline Muir, authors of Tantra, the Art of Conscious Loving, once again bring their workshop to Atlanta. They are sponsored by Anyaa McAndrew and her husband, Jim Stickle; both with many years experience working with the healing arts. Having just returned from training for instructors in Hawaii, I spoke with them about the Muir's upcoming work here. Anyaa and Jim both work with couples; she in Transpersonal Shamanic Psychotherapy, and he as a personal coach and rehab trainer. They decided to integrate the Muir's work with their individual healing modalities. “The trip was ten days of practicing the art of sexual healing. Learning how to teach the techniques the Muirs use in the seminar; touching, kissing, expanding and enhancing intimacy, merging and harmonizing chakras,” Anyaa told me. Jim gave me a background on the history of red yoga and white yoga, which is the basis for Tantra. In the past the yogis would study for maybe 30 years, remaining celibate, to take advantage of this sexual energy. But now, “Having congress with your partner, as the Kama Sutra would say, by the energetic sexual connection with them, taking advantage of one of the strongest energy centers in the body, the second chakra, is still a driving force for people. The further we get away from the puritanical viewpoints, the stronger the force will come again, I'm sure. But the shutting down and keeping the people from developing their second chakra was a way the masses were controlled,” Jim explained. “Part of the reason for circumcism was to control the sexuality of men.” I was interested that over a third of the participants are single, and that more men are attending. “From my observation, the single women are coming for healing what sexuality is and the injuries that society has placed on them. The men are coming to heal the heart more. We have a beautiful couple on our team, and the guy showed up single last year. This work gave him so much that within three months he met and married a beautiful woman. We see often that within a year or so they find their mates. Their energy centers open up so much, that they are more open to a relationship energetically.” “The seminar gives you the tools that are necessary so that when you do find a partner, you can make it successful. This is why it was taught to all the children in India, so that when they had their matchmaker weddings, they would have the lovemaking skills to create love,” they told me. “And that is the perfect gift, to bring spirit into the bedroom with you. If men are truly interested in a real relationship, once you learn to connect the sex to the heart, you are a better lover. When you learn your energy flow and that of your partner, you do an actual dance of love.” Speaking to women who have taken the Muir's training, I asked them how it affected their lives. Mary Feagan told me that she had read about Tantra twenty years ago and meeting Anyaa, decided to do it. I asked her about the feeling she got at the workshop. “When I walked in on Friday night, I looked around and saw several of my friends there, so I felt comfortable. In the prevailing mythology of our culture, there really is a split between sexuality and spirituality. Our God does not have a wife and that makes us crazy when we come to sex. So I wanted to unite the split in myself and heal that. The most important thing that I got was to celebrate all the nuances of sensuality, from holding hands to full sexual expression. I loved the Muirs. They were so funny, open and personable.” Julia Cooksey, who did the training twice, told me “The training was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. It was very consciousness shifting and really opened me up to what it means to be a woman and coexist on the planet with men. And how beautiful and sacred that is. I love it that Tantra is not specifically about sex, but about what it means to be a woman or a man, and that those energies together co-create life. Honoring that power of creation in another person creates a deep respect.” The free video presentation films are beautifully and gracefully done. Jim told me, “Talking to a number of the graduates, this definitely has the potential to be life- changing and a potentially unlimited life path. It is one of the most powerful healing techniques for the average person, that doesn't require years of study.” For
information on free previews and The Muirs' seminar call 770-521-5368.
|