Wait — What Is Tantra and How Does It Make Sex Better?

Introducing this ancient philosophy to you and your bedroom.

Photo by Anna Shvets.

Tantra is not about sex (despite contrary belief). It is an ancient philosophy that some experts view as a sister-practice to yoga.

A major element of tantra is using breathing techniques and body-focused meditation to help one become “embodied”. Embodiment is the feeling of being in tune with your body. You can hear your body’s needs, feel the depth of your emotion, and presently-experience physical sensations. There is an entire branch of therapy called somatic healing that helps people overcome trauma through research-backed practices of embodiment. In fact, some doctors believe that a mind-body approach is essential to healing from sexual trauma.

Since tantra is a body-focus spiritual practice and sex is a body-focus activity that can feel pretty spiritual, it’s not a coincidence that tantra and sex became friends. According to Christopher D. Hollis, Ph.D. the Western world became reacquainted with tantra 100 years ago, and since then it has been appropriated into modern Western culture through the lens of sex. The thing is, tantra can improve solo and partnered sex (even Healthline has something to say about it) but it’s disrespectful to reduce this historic spirituality to sex.

So, if you want to learn a little about tantra know this first: tantra is an ancient and esoteric philosophy that can help you feel connected to your body. Being connected to your body has positive side effects, especially in the bedroom.

Introducing tantric pleasure into your sex life.

There are three simple ways to incorporate tantra into your sex life, and there are many reasons why you may want to. Regardless of your reasons or relationship status (I discovered tantra as a singleton, so if you’re single too — don’t let that stop you!) you can explore tantra deeply and use it to bring more pleasure into your life.

Step 1: Make Sex a Sensory Experience

Sex is a sensation that our body experiences. Tantra, which reminds us to savor each moment of physical pleasure, inspires us to take this sensory experience one step…