The Essence of Tantric Sexuality by Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson

I have studied Tantra for five years and have trudged through numerous books on the subject. Until I read this book, I was under the false impression that Tantric study was demanding, laborious and technical. What occurs in this book is that all of the excess is trimmed away and we are left with a clear path on how to use Tantra to reach new levels of ecstasy.

The book is based on a series of lectures given by Dr. John Mumford in 1976. What these lectures accomplish is to successfully combine eastern and western perspectives on Tantra. The translation of eastern beliefs into a manageable path for the western mind is what makes this book so valuable.

From the use and mastery of yantras, geometric symbols whose purpose it is to open the chakras, to the Tantric massage, everything is laid out in simple to understand steps. Don't get me wrong. Each simple step is backed up by in depth explanations and extensive examinations of linguistic origins of many words to reveal how their meanings connect in incredible ways.

Over fifty pages are dedicated to the three levels of erogenous zones and a systematic method of manipulating them to open the chakras in the most advantageous pattern. By following the path prescribed in the book, the tertiary erogenous zones are made available, a group of areas on the body which are not sensitized unless preceded by the manipulation of the primary and secondary erogenous zones. These simple techniques and patterns extend the number of erogenous zones on the body from eight to eighteen.

From this basic knowledge, the Tantric massage can be added in order to begin the opening of the Chakras. What occurs when the Chakras are opened and the erogenous zones are all activated, is an extended period of excitement in which extended and multiple orgasms can be experienced.

A couple of chapters address the sensual power of the olfactory nerve. A detailed explanation of why our sense of smell is so powerful and aphrodisiac. The authors then explore what scents are most powerful on men and women.

I won't mention any titles, but this book is a refreshing replacement for a book I have been working through for the past two years. I will use this book when teaching Tantra and will keep it handy when planning sessions for clients. The Essence of Tantric Sexuality (ISBN-13 978-0-7387-0900-0) is the first book I have ever reviewed that I read carefully and underlined throughout. I anticipate that I will soon wear this copy out and require a replacement. For anyone interested in Tantra on a personal or professional basis, this book should be on your bookshelf or by your bedside.

There's an interesting grassroots movement going on in north america. A large part of the army of people interested in eastern spirituality as a means to inner development are embracing the methods of Indian Tantra. Tantra is an inconceivably ancient and quite powerful method of spiritual development that uses the subtle energies inside the person (variously called prana, chi, or shakti) to develop the full potential of the person. In particular in North America they are beginning to use the tantric methods of human sexuality to grow spiritually.

This makes sense. Not just because the western media is drenched in sex but also because, if you've ever noticed, even most Indian gurus who move into the North American melieu rarely manage to maintain their vows of celibacy. So, as one teacher put it, if the Indian gurus who espouse celibacy can't do it, how can we? Therefore, more and more people are experimenting with using sexuality to enhance their spiritual lives rather than trying to go against the whole culture and repress their natural urges.

So, out of this situation springs a movement loosely called "neo-tantra." It mainly focuses on the sexual aspects of tantra.

Two of the more outstanding teachers in this movement are Mark Michaels and Patricia Johnson. Mark Michaels is the "lineage holder" for no less a neo-tantric luminary than sunyata saraswati. Apparently these two felt the need to try to connect with the actual source of these teachings, real Indian tantra (the "Ye Olde" I mentioned in the title).

To that end they became disciples of tantric swami Dr. Jonn Mumford, who has also published several books. Mumford is said to have given an extended course in north america in the 1970's that inadvertently served as a start-up point for a lot of the neo-tantra in north america and it is the text of this workshop that serves as the source for the teachings in this book.

Mumford really is a fascinating character. He was born in Canada and lived in an ashram starting in his middle teens. He began traveling in his twenties and became a medical doctor somewhere along his way to Australia where he now resides. Australia is a short hop to India and Mumford studied for years with some of the most highly respected yoga teachers of the era (for instance, Paramhansa Satyananda Saraswati) and is practically pickled in authentic tantra. He's the unique hybrid of western medicine and real eastern tantra.

So, if you are interested in neo tantra, or even more to the point, of reconnecting your tantric practice to something a little more substantial than just interesting techniques practiced in a vacuum, then this book should be of great interest to you. It's clearly written and definitely placed squarely on the bedrock of traditional tantra.