Tantric Sex GUIDELINES FOR A TANTRIC RITUAL 1) Both partners should begin by bathing - this will help calm and relax you. Take your time. The man is a god, the woman a goddess, so admire each other's physical forms and use the bathing ritual to empty your mind of worldy thoughts. 2) Eat appropriate food - nourishment is especially important if you are embarking on a long Tantric session and the act of sharing and feeding each other is representative of the bond between partners. Meat, fish and honey are all genital foods in Tantra tradition and the drinking of wine is highly recommended. 3) Create a beautiful atmosphere - candles or dim light, especially violet which is believed to stimulate female sex organs (red activates male sex organs) will help to prepare your sacred space. Use an oil burner or incense sticks to harmonise your space (Sandalwood, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang combined are fabulous). 4) Anoint each other's body with oil - again, take your time. Pure essential oils are best used (a few drops mixed with a carrier oil such as almond). For a highly-charged sexual feeling go for Sandalwood, or for a gentler effect try Geranium or Bermagot. 5) Be comfortable - you can be naked but if you start with some light-weight clothing (especially chiffon and silk coloured violet/pink for women, red for men) you can discard garments as you intensify the ritual. A white sheet laid out on which you massage each other is good, as are silk scarves and feathers used for gentle stroking and caressing. Keep it slow, the aim is not to waste psychic energy through orgasm but to maintain high state of sexual bliss indefinitely. If you feel yourself engulfed in the mighty urge to orgasm, hold back. Stop until the desire passes if necessary. The trick is to simultaneously control breathing, mental digressions and seminal ejaculation. This is supposed to allow the semen and ovarian secretions to be absorbed back into the body. It may seem strange to fight the body's urge to release, but this has a lot of advantages. Apart from the most fantastic sex you've ever experienced, it's supposed to be the ideal way of achieving physical and spritual well-being and if religion's your addiction, you may find Tantra brings you closer to your god. Healer and author of 'I See Myself in Perfect Health' David Lawson says "It gives a whole body orgasm, a completely holistic experience. One of the reasons that people are drawn to Tantric sex is, I believe, because there's a very definite need to connect mind, body and spirit." Stress - the biggest killer - is in part caused by the disconnection of the head and body and the subsequent tension this causes. "Anything that's going to reconnect us to our bodies is going to allow us to get more physically fit. It's the tension between head and body that causes illness and problems in our life, including sexual problems." Depending on how successful your Tantra attempts are, you could find yourself experiencing your cellular memory - clearing up the physical remnants of your past. Lawson claims: "It allows you to let go of some of your sexual baggage and any negative associations you may have learnt from parents or society". Meditative sex can help as part of a holistic approach to health, re-connecting your body to your mind and alleviating symptoms of stress. And, best of all, it makes for cosmic sex. Contacts: Skyros (0171) 267 4424 Wild Dance Events, Robert Sherman (0171) 8134 200 or robert@bristow.demon.co.uk Sky Dancing Institute, John Hawken (0117) 9830958 Books: 'Tantra and the Tao' by Gilly Smith 'I See Myself in Perfect Health - Your Guide to Self Healing' by John Hawken 'The Art of Sexual Ecstasy' by Margo Anand